Publications

Research Publications

Research Publications	Publication Date
Paukert, C., E. Kleekamp, and R. Tingley. 2020. Identifying Candidate Reference Reaches to Assess the Physical and Biological Integrity of Wadeable Streams in Different Ecoregions and Stream Sizes. Ecological Indicators 111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.105966	April 2020
Şahin Arslan, N. and T. E. Martin. 2018. Reproductive biology of Grey-breasted Wood Wren (Henicorhina leucophrys): A comparative study of tropical and temperate wrens. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 131: 1-11.	March 2019
da Silva, P.S., L.E. Miranda, S. Makrakis, L. de Assumpçãoa, J.H. Pinheiro Dias, and M. Cavicchioli Makrakis. 2019. Tributaries as biodiversity preserves in the severely impounded Upper Paraná River: an ichthyoplankton perspective from the severely impounded Upper Parana River. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 29:258-269.	February 2019
Zydlewski, J. (2021). Book Review: “From catastrophe to recovery: stories of fisheries management successes” edited by Krueger, Taylor and Youn. Fisheries. DOI: 10.1002/fsh.10604 \| Download	June 2021
Zydlewski, J., Bailey, M. Roy, S., Sheehan, T., Sprankle, K. Stich, D. (2021) What have we lost? American shad’s impounded history. Frontiers in Marine Science. Volume 8:734213. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021.734213 \| Download	October 2021
Zydlewki, J. (2023) American Eel. Chapter (Species Essay) in “Our Maine”, edited by Aram Calhoun, Mac Hunter and Kent Redford.	July 2023
Zweep, J.S., C.N. Jacques, S.E. Jenkins, R.W. Klaver, and S.A. Dubay. Nest tree use by Southern flying squirrels in fragmented midwestern landscapes. Wildlife Society Bulletin 42:430-437. \| Abstract \| Download	September 2018	Southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans; SFS) nest in naturally formed cavities in snags and hardwoods found in mature, oak (Quercus spp.)–hickory (Carya spp.) forests. Intensive forest fragmentation of the Midwest United States limits the number of available nesting trees. We quantified annual nest-site selection patterns by southern flying squirrels across fragmented landscapes of west-central Illinois,USA. We used radiotelemetry to measure nest-tree use by 55 SFS (30 males, 25 females) captured during 2014–2016. Of 105 nest trees used by SFS, live trees and snags comprised 75% and 25%, respectively. Probability of diurnal nest-tree use increased 1.08/1.00-cm increase in diameter-breast-height and by 1.50/1-unit increase in the number of overstorymast trees between random and nest-tree habitat areas (i.e., 300-m2 circular plots). Similarly, probability of diurnal nest-tree use increased 1.29/1-unit increase in the number of snags between random and nest-tree habitat areas. Our results revealed no intersexual differences in patterns of nest-site selection, which may reflect the tendency for SFS to compensate for reduced availability of key structural attributes (i.e., snags, overstory trees) across fragmented forests by exhibiting similar intersexual patterns of nest-tree use. Use of natural cavities for denning is encouraging, but also underscores the importance of unharvested oak–hickory forests in contributing essential habitat to SFS populations in fragmented Midwestern landscapes
Zuckerberg, B. and C. Ribic. 2018. Extended Abstract: Fitting the Climate Lens to Grassland Bird Conservation: Assessing Climate Change Vulnerability Using Demographically-Informed Species Distribution Models. Summary for NE Climate Adaptation Science Center.	December 2018
Zipkin, E.F., & G. V. DiRenzo. 2022. Biodiversity is decimated by the cascading effects of the amphibian-killing fungus. PLoS Pathogens, 18(7), e1010624. DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010624.	July 2022
Zipkin, E. F., DiRenzo, G. V., Rossman, S., Ray, J. M, & K. R. Lips. 2020. Tropical snake community collapses following pathogen-induced amphibian loss. Science 367: 814-816. DOI: 10.1126/science.aay5733 \| Abstract \| Download \| Publisher Website	December 2020	Biodiversity is declining at unprecedented rates worldwide. Yet cascading effects of biodiversity loss on other taxa are largely unknown because baseline data are often unavailable. We document the collapse of a Neotropical snake community after the invasive fungal pathogen <i>Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis</i> caused a chytridiomycosis epizootic leading to the catastrophic loss of amphibians, a food source for snakes. After mass mortality of amphibians, the snake community contained fewer species and was more homogeneous across the study site, with several species in poorer body condition, despite no other systematic changes in the environment. The demise of the snake community after amphibian loss demonstrates the repercussive and often unnoticed consequences of the biodiversity crisis and calls attention to the invisible declines of rare and data-deficient species.
Zimmerman, G. S., B. A. Milsap, F. Abadi, J. V. Gedir, W. L. Kendall, and J. R. Sauer. 2022. An integrated population model to inform exploitation management for bald eagles. Journal of Wildlife Management 86:e22158, https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.22158. \| Abstract	January 2022	Effectively managing take of wildlife resulting from human activities poses a major challenge for applied conservation. Demographic data essential to decisions regarding take are often expensive to collect and are either not available or based on limited studies for many species. Therefore, modeling approaches that efficiently integrate available information are important to improving the scientific basis for sustainable take thresholds. We used the prescribed take level (PTL) framework to estimate allowable take for bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)in the conterminous United States. We developed an integrated population model (IPM) that incorporates multiple sources of information and then use the model output as the scientific basis for components of the PTL framework. Our IPM is structured to identify key parameters needed for the PTL and to quantify uncertainties in those parameters at the scale at which the United States Fish and Wildlife Service manages take. Our IPM indicated that mean survival of birds >1 year old was high and precise (0.91, 95% CI = 0.90–0.92), whereas mean survival of first‐year eagles was lower and more variable(0.69, 95% CI = 0.62–0.78). We assumed that density dependence influenced recruitment by affecting the probability of breeding, which was highly imprecise and estimated to have declined from approximately 0.988 (95% CI = 0.985–0.993) to 0.66 (95% CI = 0.34–0.99) between 1994 and 2018. We sampled values from the posterior distributions of the IPM for use in the PTL and estimated that allowable take (e.g., permitted take for energy development, incidental collisions with human made structures, or removal of nests for development) ranged from approximately 12,000 to 20,000 individual eagles depending on risk tolerance and form of density dependence at the scale of the conterminous United States excluding the Southwest. Model‐based thresholds for allowable take can be inaccurate if the assumptions of the underlying framework are not met, if the influence of permitted take is under‐estimated, or if undetected population declines occur from other sources. Continued monitoring and use of the IPM and PTL frameworks to identify key uncertainties in bald eagle population dynamics and management of allowable take can mitigate this potential bias, especially where improved information could reduce the risk of permitting non‐sustainable take.
Zhao, Q., A.K. Fuller, and J.A. Royle. 2022. Spatial dynamic N-mixture models with interspecific interactions. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13936	July 2022
Zhang, Q., J. Jin, P. Budy, S.E. Null, and X. Wang. 2021. Predicting the response of Arctic lake thermal processes to a whole-lake warming manipulation. Geophysical Research Letters, 48, e2021GL092680. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL092680. USGS FSP IP-127181. \| Abstract	December 2021	We investigated how lake thermal processes responded to whole-lake warming manipulation in a lake in the Alaskan Arctic through observations and numerical modeling. The warming manipulation was conducted by artificially heating the epilimnion as a proxy for climate warming. We performed numerical modeling and used an improved lake scheme based on the Community Land Model (CLM). We simulated a control run (CTL) without warming and a warming manipulation simulation (WARM). Results indicated the WARM simulation accurately captured observed lake temperature profiles where water stratification was extended in time, and water stability was strengthened. Two additional sensitivity tests with different warming onset dates and of the same warming duration showed that earlier onsets of warming are predicted to make the lake water column more stable and less easily mixed relative to a later onset of warming. The results of this study provide a more complete understanding of lake thermal processes in arctic freshwater lake systems and how they will respond to predicted future warming.
Zentner, D., D. Shoup, and S.K. Brewer. 2023. Effects of Sucker Gigging on Fish Populations in Oklahoma Scenic Rivers. U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Cooperator Science Series FWS/CSS-151-2023, Washington, D.C. https://doi.org/10.3996/css882119	July 2023
Zentner, D. L., S. L. Wolf, S. K. Brewer and D. E. Shoup. 2021. A review of factors affecting PIT-tag detection using mobile arrays and use of mobile antennas to detect PIT-tagged suckers in a wadeable Ozark stream. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 41: 697-710.	February 2021
Zentner, D. L., J. J. Spurgeon, S. E. Lochmann, C. L. Graham. 2021. Tag type and location-dependent retention impart varied levels of bias on mark-recapture parameter estimates. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 41:474-483.	November 2020
Zeller, K.A., Wattles, D.W., Conlee, L., DeStefano, S.2019. American black bears (Ursus americanus) alter movements in response to anthropogenic features with time of day and season. Movement Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-019-0166-4	July 2019
Zeller, K.A., D.W. Wattles, J.M. Bauder, and S. DeStefano. 2020. Forecasting seasonal connectivity in a developing landscape. Land 9:233. \| Abstract \| Download \| Publisher Website	April 2020	Connectivity and wildlife corridors are often key components to successful conservation and management plans. Connectivity for wildlife is typically modeled in a static environment that reflects a single snapshot in time. However, it has been shown that, when compared with dynamic connectivity models, static models can underestimate connectivity and mask important population processes. Therefore, including dynamism in connectivity models is important if the goal is to predict functional connectivity. We incorporated four levels of dynamism (individual, daily, seasonal, and interannual) into an individual-based movement model for black bears (Ursus americanus) in Massachusetts, USA. We used future development projections to model movement into the year 2050. We summarized habitat connectivity over the 32-year simulation period as the number of simulated movement paths crossing each pixel in our study area. Our results predict black bears will further colonize the expanding part of their range in the state and move beyond this range towards the greater Boston metropolitan area. This information is useful to managers for predicting and addressing human–wildlife conflict and in targeting public education campaigns on bear awareness. Including dynamism in connectivity models can produce more realistic models and, when future projections are incorporated, can ensure the identification of areas that offer long-term functional connectivity for wildlife.
Zebro, L.R., J.T. Mrnak, S.L. Shaw, S.R. Chipps, and G.G. Sass. 2022. Density-Dependent, Cannibalism, and Environmental Influences on Juvenile Walleye Survivorship in Northern Wisconsin Lakes. Fisheries Management and Ecology 29:897-910. \| Abstract	October 2022	Walleye (<i>Sander vitreus</i>) natural recruitment has declined in many populations within the Ceded Territory of Wisconsin (CTWI) over the past twenty years. Using CTWI age-0 and age-1 walleye relative abundance (CPE) data during 1990-2019, we tested for abiotic and biotic (density dependence, cannibalism) factors influencing age-0 to age-1 walleye mortality. Age-0 to age-1 walleye mortality was strongly density-dependent. Juvenile walleye mortality was always elevated at high age-0 CPE and highly variable at low age-0 CPE. Cannibalism effects did not influence age-0 to age-1 walleye mortality. Mixed effects modeling results suggested that age-0 CPE (positive), May surface water temperature (positive), and peak surface water temperature (negative) were the strongest predictors of age-0 to age-1 walleye mortality. Our results suggest that density-dependence and environmental factors influencing spawning and ontogenetic phenology (climate change, variable ice-off dates), trophic mismatches, and metabolic and consumptive demand may dictate age-0 to age-1 walleye mortality. Our results also showed elevated age-0 to age-1 walleye mortality at low age-0 CPE, which supports previous findings of depensatory recruitment dynamics in CTWI walleye populations. Given observed natural recruitment declines observed in CTWI walleye populations over time, stocking has been primarily used to rehabilitate stocks. Our findings suggest that stocking on top of natural recruitment would further increase density-dependent juvenile walleye mortality rates. Additional research is needed to specifically address elevated juvenile walleye mortality at low adult stock sizes and/or with declining natural recruitment to inform conservation management decisions.
Zatkos L., Murphy C.A., Pollock A., Penaluna B.E., Olivos J.A., Mowlds E., Moffitt C., Manning M., Linkem C., Holst L., Cárdenas B., and Arismendi I. 2020. AFS Roots: Dr. Emmeline Moore, All Things to All Fishes. Fisheries 45(8). DOI: 10.1002/fsh.10501	August 2020
Zambory, C. L., H. Ellis, C. L. Pierce, K. J. Roe, M. J. Weber, K. E. Schilling, and N. C. Young. 2018. The development of GIS methodology to identify oxbows and former stream meanders from LiDAR-derived digital elevation models. Remote Sensing https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11010012.	December 2018
Zaluski, S., L.M. Soanes, J.A. Bright, A. George, P.G.R. Jodice, K. Meyer, N. Woodfield-Pascoe, J.A. Green. 2019. Potential threats facing a globally important population of the magnificent frigatebird. Tropical Zoology 32: 188-201. /doi/full/10.1080/03946975.2019.1682352 \| Download	December 2019
Zaidel, P.A., A.H. Roy, K.M. Houle, B. Lambert, B.H. Letcher, K.H. Nislow, and C. Smith. 2020. Impacts of small dams on stream temperature. Ecological Indicators. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106878 \| Publisher Website	September 2020
Yurek S, Eaton MJ, Lavaud R, Laney RW, DeAngelis D, Pine III, WE, La Peyre MK, Martin J, Frederick P, Wang H, Lowe MR, Johnson F, Camp EV, Mordecai R. Modeling structural mechanics of oyster reef self-organization including environmental constraints and community interactions. Ecological Modelling 440:109389 \| Abstract \| Download	January 2021	Self-organization in reef-building systems is a process of establishing reef morphology on aquatic landscapes from substrate generated by the population, and reinforcing these structures through interactions between internal processes and external factors. In oyster reefs, internal dynamics include production of calcareous shell, which serves as settlement substrate for larval recruits. External factors include environmental conditions and predation, which regulate overall population size through growth and mortality, but also regulate settlement dynamics by exposing interior shell surfaces through mortality. Oyster reefs are also highly spatially constrained by aquatic conditions, thus their efficiency for producing settlement habitat under these constraints may be critical to self-organization and long term persistence. We developed an individual based model that simulates engineering of oyster reefs through individual contributions of shell, which slowly degrade and consolidate to form reef structure. Reef habitat has two aspects in this model, one for elevating the population above the benthos, and another for making exposed shell surfaces available for settlement. We applied the model to examine how these two aspects relate to the live population as a coupled system with complex feedbacks. In particular, we examined how temporal dynamics of the reef proceed through time as the size structure of the live population and relative composition of shell types change through time. To represent these dynamics, we simulated single restoration events and tracked ensuing dynamics over subsequent decades without additional enhancement, for an example study site in South Carolina (USA). To estimate uncertainty in restoration performance, we followed a biological ensemble modeling approach, varying selected model parameters over five scenarios of predator community composition. Our goal was to identify trends that were robust across simulations, which could serve as hypotheses and predictions for future field studies. The overall temporal pattern of simulations was three distinct phases: initial transient dynamics of the stocked population, followed by growth and saturation of the life population, and then saturation of settlement habitat several years later. All simulations incurred considerable loss of shell biomass during the transient phase when the live population was establishing and shell degradation exceeded production. Simulations with predators were able to recover from this decline through production of live oysters, while simulations without predators continued to decline throughout simulation runs. These results indicate that reefs can be productive with respect to the live population, but decline overall in reef substrate. We conclude with hypotheses relating the efficiency of generation of settlement habitat to measures of biomass and individual density, which suggest levels that may lead to reef self-organization.
Young, J., A. Butler, J. Holbrook, H. Shamon, and R. C. Lonsinger. 2023. Mesocarnivores of western landscapes in LB McNew, DK Dahlgren, and JL Beck, editors. Rangeland Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34037-6_16. \| Abstract	September 2023	This book chapter reviews the current state of knowledge on mesocarnivores in working landscapes of western North America, including, natural history of mesocarnivores, the ecological role of mesocarnivores, and the influence or ranching, harvest, and predator control on mesocarnivores. This chapter will be included in the book Wildlife Ecology in Working Landscapes of the West
Yoshizawa, M, A Settle, M Hermosura, LJ Tuttle, N Cetraros, CN Passow, and SE McGaugh. 2018. The evolution of a series of behavioral traits is associated with autism-risk genes in cavefish. BMC Evolutionary Biol*ogy 18: 89. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-018-1199-9 \| Publisher Website	December 2018
Yiu, S-W., N. Owen-Smith, and J.W. Cain III. 2022. How do lions move at night when they hunt? Journal of Mammalogy 103:855-864 \| Download	August 2022
Yarra, A.N. and D.D. Magoulick. 2020. Effect of stream permanence on predation risk of lotic crayfish by riparian predators. Southeastern Naturalist 19:673-691. doi.org/10.1656/058.019.0407	November 2020
Yarra, A.N. and D.D. Magoulick. 2019. Modeling effects of invasive species and drought on crayfish extinction risk and population dynamics. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 29:1-11. DOI:10.1002/aqc.2982	January 2019
Yang, Y., S. E. Hobbie, R. R. Hernandez, D. Tilman, S. M. Grodsky, Y-G. Zhu, Y. Luo, T. M. Smith, J. Fargione, J. M. Jungers, M. Yang, W-Q Chen. 2020. Restoring abandoned farmland to mitigate climate change on a full Earth. One Earth. 3:176–186. doi:10.1016/j.oneear.2020.07.019.	August 2020
Yamamoto, Y., Hattori, R.S., Patiño, R., Strüssmann, C.A., 2019. Environmental regulation of sex determination in fishes: Insights from atheriniformes. In, Current Topics in Developmental Biology (Capel, B., editor), chapter 9. Academic Press.	March 2019
Yackulic, CB, LL Bailey, KM Dugger, RJ Davis, AB Franklin, ED Forsman, SH Ackers, LS Andrews, LV Diller, SA Gremel, KA, Hamm, DR Herter, JM Higley, RB Horn, C McCafferty, JA Reid, JT Rockweit, and, SG Sovern. 2019. The past and future roles of competition and habitat in the range-wide occupancy dynamics of northern spotted owls: Ecological Applications, 29(3) e01861, doi.org/10.1002/eap.1861.	April 2019
Xu, W., L.C. Gigliotti, R. Royauté, H. Sawyer, and A.D. Middleton. 2023. Fencing amplifies individual differences in movement with implications on survival for two migratory ungulates. Journal of Animal Ecology 92(3): 677-689. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13879	March 2023
Wszola, L.S., V.L. Simonsen, L. Corral, C.J. Chizinski, and J.J. Fontaine. 2019. Simulating detection-censored movement records for home range analysis planning. Ecological Modelling 392:268-278.	December 2019
Wszola, L.S., L.N. Messinger, L.F. Gruber, E.F. Stuber, C.J. Chizinski, and J.J. Fontaine. 2020. Use and expenditures on public access hunting lands. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism 29:100256.	December 2020
Wszola, L.S., E.F. Stuber, C.J. Chizinski, J.J. Lusk, and J.J. Fontaine. 2019. Prey availability and accessibility drive hunter movement. Wildlife Biology 2019:wlb.00526. https://doi.org/10.2981/wlb.00526	December 2019
Wszola, L. S., A. L. Madsen, E. F. Stuber, C. J. Chizinski, J. J. Lusk, J. S. Taylor, K. L. Pope, and J. J. Fontaine. 2020. Public access for pheasant hunters: understanding an emerging need. Journal of Wildlife Management 84:45-55. \| Download	January 2020
Wright, M. R.L. Sherriff, A.E. Miller, T. Wilson. 2018. Stand basal area and temperature interact to influence growth in white spruce in southwest Alaska. Ecosphere. 9(10): e02462. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2462 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	December 2018	Warming temperatures are having a disproportionate effect on boreal ecosystems, influencing the establishment and growth of tree species across their respective ranges. However, less is known about how competitive interactions influence growth–climate relationships. We used tree‐ring data from 26 study plots (836 trees) to investigate how the growth patterns of white spruce (<i>Picea glauca</i>) respond to variation in competition and climate in southwest Alaska. Using linear mixed‐effects models, we compared growth against covariates for stand basal area, competition, climate (temperature, precipitation), and spruce beetle mortality. We characterized competition at the tree level using two distance‐dependent competition indices: Hegyi index and a height advantage index. Furthermore, we assumed that stand‐level competition increased with basal area. We found that high summer temperatures resulted in reduced growth in stands with higher basal area (i.e., the most crowded stands), but increased growth at sites with low basal area. Our results suggest that historically productive stands may show declines in growth under warmer conditions, with important implications for future stand structure and productivity.
Wright, A., Bernard, R. F., Mosher, B. A., O'Donnell, K., Braunagel, T., DiRenzo, G. V., Fleming, J., Shafer, C., Brand, A., Zipkin, E., Grant, E. H. C. 2020. Moving from decision to action in conservation science. Biological Conservation 249: 108698. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108698 \| Abstract \| Download \| Publisher Website	December 2020	Biodiversity loss is a major threat to the integrity of ecosystems and is projected to worsen, yet the path to successful conservation remains elusive. Decision support frameworks (DSFs) are increasingly applied by resource managers to navigate the complexity, uncertainty, and differing socio-ecological objectives inherent to conservation problems. Most published conservation research that uses DSFs focuses on analytical stages (e.g., identifying an optimal decision), making it difficult to assess and learn from previous examples in a conservation practice context. Here, we (1) evaluate the relationship between the application of decision science and the resulting conservation outcomes, and (2) identify and address existing barriers to the application of DSFs to conservation practice. To do this, we develop a framework for evaluating conservation initiatives using decision science that emphasizes setting attainable goals, building momentum, and obtaining partner buy-in. We apply this framework to a systematic review of amphibian conservation decision support projects, including a follow-up survey of the pertinent conservation practitioners, stakeholders, and scientists. We found that all projects identified optimal solutions to reach stated objectives, but positive conservation outcomes were limited when implementation challenges arose. Further, we identified multiple barriers (e.g., dynamic and hierarchical leadership, scale complexity, limited resource availability) that can inhibit the progression from decision identification to action implementation (i.e., ‘decision-implementation gap’), and to successful conservation outcomes. Based on these results, we provide potential actionable steps and avenues for future development of DSFs to facilitate the transition from decision to action and the realization of conservation successes.
Worthington, T. A., S. K. Brewer, B. Viex, and J. Keenen. 2019. The accuracy of ecological flow metrics derived using a physics-based distributed rainfall-runoff model in the Great Plains, USA. Ecohydrology https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2090. .	July 2019
Worsham, M, VFL Fernandes, A Settle, C Balaan, K Lactaoen, LJ Tuttle, M Iwashita, and M Yoshizawa. 2019. Behavioral tracking and neuromast imaging of Mexican cavefish. *Journal of Visualized Experiments* 146: e59099. http://dx.doi.org/10.3791/59099 \| Publisher Website	December 2019
Wood, J.M., A.K. Tegeler, and B.E. Ross. Vegetation management on private forestland can increase avian species richness and abundance.	August 2020
Wood, C.M., S.T. McKinney, C.S. Loftin, and Z. Loman. 2020. Testing prediction accuracy in a short-term ecological study. Basic and Applied Ecology 43:77-85.	March 2020
Woo, I, MJ Davis, SEW De La Cruz, L Windham-Myers, JZ Drexler, KB Byrd, EJ Stuart-Haëntjens, FA Anderson, BA Bergamaschi, G Nakai, CS Ellings, and S Hodgson. 2021. Carbon flux, storage, and wildlife co-benefits in a restoring estuary: case study at the Nisqually River Delta, Washington, USA. In K Krauss, Z Zhilang, and C Stagg (eds.) Wetland Carbon and Environmental Management. Wiley Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119639305.ch5 \| Publisher Website	October 2021
Woo, I, MJ Davis, CS Ellings, S Hodgson, JY Takekawa, G Nakai, and SEW De La Cruz. 2019. A mosaic of estuarine habitat types with prey resources from multiple environmental strata supports a diversified foraging portfolio for juvenile Chinook salmon. Estuaries and Coasts 42:1938-1954. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-019-00613-2	November 2019
Woo, I, MJ Davis, CS Ellings, G Nakai, JY Takekawa, and SEW De La Cruz. 2018. Enhanced invertebrate prey production following estuarine restoration supports foraging for multiple species of juvenile salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.). Restoration Ecology 26:964-975. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.12658	September 2018
Wolfson, D.W., J.R. Fieberg, and D.E. Andersen. 2020. Juvenile sandhill cranes exhibit wider ranging and more exploratory movements than adults during the breeding season. Ibis 162:556-562 DOI:10.1111/ibi.12786.	October 2020
Wolfson, D.W., D.E. Andersen, and J.R. Fieberg. Using piecewise regression to identify biological phenomena in biotelemetry datasets. Journal of Animal Ecology 91:1755–1769. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13779 \| Publisher Website	September 2022
Wolfenkoehler, W., J.M. Long, R. Gary, R.A. Snow, J.D. Schooley, L. A. Bruckerhoff, and R.C. Lonsinger. 2023. Viability of side-scan sonar to enumerate Paddlefish, a large pelagic freshwater fish, in rivers and reservoirs. Fisheries Research 261:106639. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2023.106639	January 2023
Wolf, S., R. Mollenhauer, and S. K. Brewer. 2019. Coldwater periods in warmwater streams: microhabitat shifts from autumn to winter by Smallmouth Bass. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 39:1360-1372.	December 2019
Wolf, S., D. Swedberg, E. Tanner, S. Fuhlendorf, and D. Brewer. 2022. Using fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing in fisheries applications: An example from the Ozark Highlands. Fisheries Research, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2022.106542	November 2022
Wolf, S. and S. K. Brewer. 2021. Survival and movement patterns of Rainbow Trout stocked in a groundwater-influenced warmwater stream. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. https://doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10566	January 2021
Wolf N, Harris B, Richard N, Sethi SA, Lomac-MacNair K, Parker L. (2018) High-frequency aerial surveys inform the seasonal distribution of Cook Inlet beluga whales. Wildlife Society Bulletin 42:577-586.	October 2018
Wohner,W.J, A. Duarte, J. Wikert, B. Cavallo, S.C. Zeug, and J.T Peterson. Integrating monitoring and optimization modeling to inform flow decisions for Chinook salmon smolts. Ecological Modeling \| Abstract	July 2022	Monitoring is usually among the first actions taken to help inform recovery planning for declining species, but these data are rarely used formally to inform conservation decision making. For example, Central Valley Chinook salmon were once abundant, but anthropogenic activities have led to widespread habitat loss and degradation resulting in significant population declines. Juvenile Chinook salmon survival through the southern Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in particular, may be a limiting factor for juveniles outmigrating from the San Joaquin River and tributaries. However, survival and routing monitoring data have not been formally used to inform water management. Here, we illustrate how estimates derived from monitoring data can be used to inform water management and as a basis for developing adaptive management for flows. Specifically, we conducted a meta-analysis of Chinook salmon smolt survival and routing estimates through the south Delta. We then used the resulting parameter estimates to develop a survival and routing simulation model to estimate optimal flows for the San Joaquin River during smolt outmigration from February–May. We found that large flow pulses at predictable times during the spring are projected to be optimal for increasing Chinook salmon smolt survival to the Bay and that optimal scenarios differed somewhat with water year type. Sensitivity analysis revealed temperature and smolt outmigration timing are driving optimal pulse distribution and that water allocation changes little with parameter uncertainty. This case study highlights the utility of the decision-analytic framework for solving conservation problems.
Wohner, PJ, SA Laymon, JE Stanek, SL King, RJ Cooper. 2021. Challenging our understanding of western Yellow-billed Cuckoo habitat needs and accepted management practices. Restoration Ecology 29(3): e13331. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13331 \| Abstract	March 2021	<b>Riparian restoration in the southwestern United States frequently involves planting cottonwood (<i>Populus</i> spp.) and willow (<i>Salix</i> spp.) cuttings or seedlings. In the absence of flooding and gap-forming disturbance, planted forests often senesce without further young tree recruitment. This has largely been the case in riparian systems in California that historically supported state endangered western Yellow-billed Cuckoo (<i>Coccyzus americanus</i>; Cuckoo). Associated with riparian forest maturation has been around an 85% decline in Cuckoo population numbers in approximately the past thirty years. Other riparian species of concern show a concomitant decline, indicating the problem is not specific to Cuckoo. Although varying hypotheses exist for the recent decline, alternative management practices have not been sufficiently explored to rule out breeding ground habitat quality as a major contributing factor. Few intensive Cuckoo datasets currently exist to test hypotheses about breeding habitat quality due to extremely low populations in the remaining occupied sites. We used a historical (1986–1996) spot mapping dataset from the South Fork Kern River Valley, California to identify vegetation characteristics related to Cuckoo and five other sensitive riparian bird territory densities. We found Cuckoo densities were positively associated with increased vertical vegetative structure 1–5 m above ground with a threshold for mean tree height. Sensitive species densities were also related to vertical structure and started to decline with stand height greater than 6–8 m. Low and mid canopy vertical structure started declining after about age eight. Naturally regenerated sites had higher densities of most sensitive bird species than planted sites. We provide ideas for restoring mature forest with little low to mid canopy vertical structure.</b>
Wohner, P.J., P.D. Scheerer, M.H. Meeuwig, and J.T. Peterson. 2023. A comprehensive multi-state conditional occupancy model for evaluating interactions of non-native and native species. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 10, p.1288. \| Abstract	January 2023	A major challenge in ecology is disentangling interactions of non-native, potentially invasive species on native species. Conditional two-species occupancy models are used to examine the effects of dominant species (e.g., non-native) on subordinate species (e.g., native) while considering the possibility that occupancy of one species may affect occupancy and/ or detection of the other. Although conditional two-species models are useful for evaluating the influence of one species on presence of another, it is possible that species interactions are density dependent. Therefore, we developed a novel two-species occupancy model that incorporates multiple abundance states (i.e., absent, present, abundant) of the native species. We showcase the utility of this model that has the capacity to incorporate random effects and covariates on both occupancy and detection and that can help disentangle species interactions given varying occupancy and detection in different abundance states. As a case study, we use snorkel survey data from the Umpqua basin, Oregon, where it is hypothesized that smallmouth bass <i>Micropterus dolomieu</i>, a non-native piscivore, exclude Umpqua chub <i>Oregonichthys kalawatseti</i>, a small endemic minnow. Our conditional two-species multi-state (2SMS) model allowed us to conclude that in general, average occupancy was low for both fishes, and that when non-native bass were present, overall native chub occupancy in the present (0.18 ± 0.05 SD) and abundant (0.19 ± 0.03) states was higher than when non-natives were absent (0.14 ± 0.02/ 0.08 ± 0.02), indicating the non-native was not excluding the native species. By incorporating a species interaction factor into the model, we found a positive association (6.75 ± 5.54 SD) between native chub and non-native bass. The covariates strongly related to occupancy were elevation, algae, and land cover type (urban and shrub). Detection probability was relatively high for both species (0.21–0.82) and was most strongly related to the covariates day of year, water temperature, gravel substrate, and stream order/ magnitude. Incorporation of detection probability and covariates enabled interpretation of interactions between the two species that may have been missed without their inclusion in the modeling process. Our new 2SMS occupancy model can be used by scientists and managers with a broad range of survey and covariate data to disentangle species interactions problems to help them inform management decisions.
Winship A.J., Thorson J., Clarke E., Coleman H., Costa B., Georgian S., Gillett D., Grüss A., Henderson M., Hourigan T.F., Huff D., Kreidler N., Pirtle J., Olson J.V., Poti M., Rooper C.N., Sigler M.F., Viehman S., and Whitmire C.E. in review . Good practices for species distribution modeling of deep-sea corals and sponges: data collection, analysis, validation, and communication. Submitted to Frontiers in Marine Science. \| Abstract	May 2020	Resource managers in the United States and worldwide are tasked with identifying and mitigating trade-offs between human activities in the deep sea (e.g., fishing, energy development, and mining) and their impacts on habitat-forming invertebrates, including deep-sea corals and sponges (DSCS). Related management decisions require information about where DSCS occur and in what densities. Species distribution modeling (SDM) provides a cost-effective means of identifying potential DSCS habitat over large areas to inform these management decisions and data collection. Here we provide recommendations of good practices for DSCS SDM, especially in the context of data collection and management applications. Managers typically need information regarding DSCS encounter probabilities, densities, and sizes, defined at sub-regional to basin-wide scales and validated using subsequent, targeted data collections. To realistically achieve these goals, we recommend integrating available data sources in SDMs including fine-scale visual sampling and broad-scale resource surveys (e.g., fisheries trawl surveys). When possible, we recommend models fitted to presence-absence and density data rather than models fitted only to presence data, which are difficult to validate and can confound estimated probability of occurrence or density with sampling effort. Ensembles of models can provide robust predictions, while multi-species models leverage information across taxa and facilitate community inference. We also recommend that analysts include environmental predictor variables representing multiple spatial scales, model residual spatial autocorrelation, and quantify prediction uncertainty. To facilitate the use of models by managers, predictions should be expressed in units that are widely understood and should be validated at an appropriate spatial scale using a sampling design that provides strong statistical inference. We present three case studies for the Pacific Ocean that illustrate good practices with respect to data collection, modeling, and validation; these case studies demonstrate it is possible to implement our recommendations in real-world settings.
Winemiller KO, Keppeler FW, Bower LM, Cunha ER, Quintana Y, Saenz DE, Lopez‐Delgado EO, Bokhutlo T, Arantes CC, Andrade MC, Robertson CR, Mayes KB. Can spatial food web subsidies associated with river hydrology and lateral connectivity be detected using stable isotopes? Food Webs. 2023. \| Abstract	March 2023	Hydrology, lateral connectivity and stable isotope ratios of fishes and mussels in the Guadalupe River, Texas, were analyzed for evidence of spatial food web subsidies between the active channel and oxbow lakes in the floodplain. During and following lateral connections, aquatic organisms residing in the channel may assimilate material from sources imported from oxbows, and oxbow residents may consume and assimilate material imported from the channel. During surveys conducted between March 2016 and April 2017, fish, mussel, algae, and riparian plants samples were collected in and around two oxbows and adjacent channel sites for analysis of stable isotope ratios. Biplots of d<sup>13</sup>C and d<sup>15</sup>N were graphed for basal sources and specimens of Longnose Gar <i>Lepisosteus osseus, </i>Gizzard Shad <i>Dorosoma cepedianium, </i>Threadfin Shad <i>Dorosoma petenense, </i>Bullhead Minnow <i>Pimephales vigilax, </i>Smallmouth Buffalo <i>Ictiobus bubalus, </i>White Crappie <i>Pomoxis annularis</i>, sunfishes (<i>Lepomis</i> species combined), and two mussel species (combined) captured from oxbows and the channel. Within each graph, a source polygon was drawn to indicate the space occupied by animals that could have assimilated feasible combinations of source materials from the oxbows or river channel. Based on positions of animals within source polygons, riparian plants were the most important source of organic matter supporting biomass of fishes and mussels both within the channel and oxbows during every survey period, with algae contributing minor percentages. Most organisms had isotopic signatures consistent with assimilation of <i>in situ</i> sources, or else were inconclusive with regard to cross-habitat exchanges. Between-habitat food web subsidies were indicated for 7.6% of 314 organisms from oxbows and 11.2% of 231 from the channel, and these cases followed high flow pulses that connected oxbows for extended periods. Several issues that compromise inferences from stable isotope analysis were identified, and attempts to estimate spatial food web subsidies in fluvial systems could be enhanced by analyzing additional biomarkers, such as isotopic ratios of other elements and compound-specific stable isotopes, as well as additional sources, time-specific biotracers, and experimental approaches that directly track movement of sources and organisms in spatially structured food webs.
Wineland, S. M., R. Fovargue, B. York, A. J. Lynch, C. P. Paukert, and T. M. Neeson. 2020. Is there enough water? How bearish and bullish outlooks shape decision-maker perspectives on environmental flows. Journal of Environmental Management 280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111694	November 2020
Wilson, T.L., T. Shepherd, C. Miller, B.A. Mangipane, and T. Hamon. 2018. Protocol implementation plan for monitoring moose in Southwest Alaska Network Parks. Natural Resource Report NPS/SWAN/NRR—2018/1755. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	December 2018	This is a protocol implementation plan for monitoring moose in the Southwest Alaska Network (SWAN) of the Inventory and Monitoring Division. The SWAN monitors moose population trends in 4 out of the 5 network parks, including Lake Clark National Park & Preserve (LACL), Katmai National Park & Preserve (KATM), Alagnak Wild River (ALAG), and Aniakchak National Monument & Preserve (ANIA). This document summarizes how the protocols developed by the Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network (ARCN; Sorum et al. 2018) and Central Alaska Inventory and Monitoring Network (CAKN; Burch et al. 2012) will be followed in the SWAN parks. The SWAN moose monitoring program’s main objective is to estimate the abundance of moose in the SWAN. Details about the conceptual framework, monitoring objectives, study design, sampling frame, standard operating procedures, and budget, are summarized and cited
Wilson, T.L, J.H. Schmidt, B. Mangipane, R. Kolstrom, K. Bartz. 2018. Nest use dynamics of an undisturbed population of bald eagles. Ecology and Evolution. 8: 7346-7354. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4259 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	December 2018	Management or conservation targets based on demographic rates should be evaluated within the context of expected population dynamics of the species of interest. Wild populations can experience stable, cyclical, or complex dynamics, therefore undisturbed populations can provide background needed to evaluate programmatic success. Many raptor species have recovered from large declines caused by environmental contaminants, making them strong candidates for ongoing efforts to understand population dynamics and ecosystem processes in response to human‐caused stressors. Dynamic multistate occupancy models are a useful tool for analyzing species dynamics because they leverage the autocorrelation inherent in long‐term monitoring datasets to obtain useful information about the dynamic properties of population or reproductive states. We analyzed a 23‐year bald eagle monitoring dataset in a dynamic multistate occupancy modeling framework to assess long‐term nest occupancy and reproduction in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska. We also used a hierarchical generalized linear model to understand changes in nest productivity in relation to environmental factors. Nests were most likely to remain in the same nesting state between years. Most notably, successful nests were likely to remain in use (either occupied or successful) and had a very low probability of transitioning to an unoccupied state in the following year. There was no apparent trend in the proportion of nests used by eagles through time, and the probability that nests transitioned into or out of the successful state was not influenced by temperature or salmon availability. Productivity was constant over the course of the study, although warm April minimum temperatures were associated with increased chick production. Overall our results demonstrate the expected nesting dynamics of a healthy bald eagle population that is largely free of human disturbance and can be used as a baseline for the expected dynamics for recovering bald eagle populations in the contiguous 48 states.
Wilson, R. E., and S. A. Sonsthagen. Species-specific responses to landscape features shaped genomic structure within Alaska galliformes. IUCN Galliformes Specialists Group Newsletter	July 2022
Wilson, R. E., S. M. Matsuoka, L. L. Powell, J. A. Johnson, D. Demarest, D. Stralberg, and S. A. Sonsthagen. 2021. Implications of historical and contemporary processes on genetic differentiation of a declining boreal songbird: the rusty blackbird. Diversity. 13:103.	February 2021
Wilson, R. E., S. A. Sonsthagen, P. Lavretsky, A. Majewski, E. Arnason, K. Halldórsdóttir, A. W. Einarsson, K. Wedemeyer, and S. L. Talbot. 2022. Low levels of hybridization between sympatric cold-water adapted Arctic cod and Polar cod in Beaufort Sea confirms genetic distinctiveness. Arctic Science. doi.org/10.1139/AS-2021-0030	February 2022
Wilson, R. E., S. A. Sonsthagen, N. Sme, A. J. Gharett, A. Majewski, K. Wedemeyer, R. J. Nelson, and S. L. Talbot. 2020. Mitochondrial genome diversity and population mitogenomics of Polar cod (Boreogadus saida) and Arctic dwelling gadoids. Polar Biology. 43:979–994.	June 2020
Wilson, R. E., S. A. Sonsthagen, J. M. DaCosta, M. D. Sorenson, A. D. Fox, M. Weaver, D. Skalos, A. Kondratyev, K. T. Scribner, A. Walsh, C. R. Ely, and S. L. Talbot. 2022. As the goose flies: Migration routes and timing of strategies influence genetic diversity patterns of a circumpolar goose. Diversity. 14:1067. doi.org/10.3390/d14121067	December 2022
Wilson, R. E., S. A. Sonsthagen, J. M. DaCosta, C. R. Ely, M. D. Sorenson, and S. L. Talbot. 2019. Identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms for use in a genetic stock identification system for greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons) subspecies wintering in California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2019-1040, 18 p.	April 2019
Wilson, R. E., G. K. Sage, K. Wedemeyer, S. A. Sonsthagen, D. M. Menning, M. C. Gravley, M. G. Sexson, R. J. Nelson, and S. L. Talbot. 2019. Micro-geographic population genetic structure within Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) in Beaufort Sea of Alaska. ICES Journal of Marine Science. 76:1713–1721.	April 2019
Wilson, L., G. Lonsdale, J.D. Curlis, E.A. Hunter, and C.L. Cox. 2022. Predator-based selection and the impact of edge sympatry on components of coral snake mimicry. Evolutionary Ecology https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-021-10143-8.	January 2022
Williamson, L. T., W. David Walter, S. R. Klinger, and D. R. Diefenbach. 2018. Incorporating detection probability to estimate pheasant density. Journal of Wildlife Management. 82(8):1680–1688; DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21545 \| Download	September 2018
Williams, P.J., M.B. Hooten, G.G. Esslinger, J.N. Womble, J. Bodkin, and M.R. Bower. (2019). The rise of an apex predator following deglaciation. Diversity and Distributions, 25: 895-908.	May 2019
Williams, P. J., W. L. Kendall, and M. B. Hooten. 2019. Choosing ecological models using multi-objective optimization. Ecological Modelling 404:21-26.	July 2019
Williams, J. R., C. S. Guy, T. M. Koel, P. Bigelow. 2020. Targeting aggregations of telemetered lake trout to increase gillnetting suppression efficacy. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 40:225-231.	January 2020
Williams, J. R., C. S. Guy, P. E. Bigelow, and T. M. Koel. 2021. Quantifying the spatial structure of invasive lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in Yellowstone Lake to improve suppression efficacy. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 42:50-62 DOI: 10.1002/nafm.10712.	December 2021
Wilkinson, Christine E., Alex McInturff, Maggi Kelly, and Justin S. Brashares. "Quantifying wildlife responses to conservation fencing in East Africa." Biological Conservation 256 (2021): 109071. \| Abstract	April 2021	The fencing of protected areas is increasing worldwide. However, the implementation of fences for conservation has outpaced scientific assessment of their effectiveness, non-target impacts, and long-term costs. We assessed landscape predictors of fence crossing sites and employed camera traps over a one-year period to investigate wildlife responses to a conservation fence around Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya. Specifically, we measured the impact of the fence on wild mammal movement, and the temporal impacts of fence maintenance on wildlife crossings and behavior. Cameras captured more than 65,000 detections of animals approaching fences, with 3626 observed crossings over 2818 trap nights at 19 sites. Using these data, we developed a guide to classifying fence-specific mammal behaviors. Thirty-eight wild mammal species approached known weak points in the fence, and 27 species were recorded crossing the fence. No single environmental variable predicted detection or fence crossing points for all species, but seasonality, human activity, habitat visibility, and proximity to an adjacent protected area were each correlated with species-specific crossing locations. Additionally, breaches of repaired fence-crossing locations occurred within days of maintenance. We conclude that popular, ‘one-size-fits-all’, conservation fence designs may be ineffective and costly for restraining movement of many wildlife species. We recommend that those deploying conservation fences start with clearly articulated management goals, that fence maintenance be informed by taxa-specific tendencies to breach fences, and that managers consider the strategic creation of wildlife corridors, overpasses, or ungulate-proof fences to link fenced protected areas with surrounding habitat.
Wilkinson, B.P., and P.G.R. Jodice. Support for the fasting endurance hypothesis of partial migration in Brown Pelicans. 2023. Ecosphere 2023;14:e4365. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4365 \| Abstract \| Download	February 2023	Partial migration occurs when only a certain fraction of a population or species migrates instead of all individuals. Considered an evolutionary precursor, understanding why some individuals choose to undertake migration while others do not may serve to inform general migratory theory. While several hypotheses currently exist for explaining the maintenance of partial migration, empirical support for many is limited. To address this gap, we analyzed telemetry data acquired from individual brown pelicans (<i>Pelecanus occidentalis</i>; <i>n</i> = 74), a partially migratory seabird, nesting on six colonies in the South Atlantic Bight over the course of four autumn migrations using a Cox’s proportional hazards model. We estimated that approximately 74% of pelicans nesting within the study area may be migratory on an annual basis, with the remainder staying within the surrounding marine ecoregion year-round. Mean date of migration initiation was 9 November, although movements occurred from September – December. Modeling results indicated significant effects of rising sea-surface temperatures and decreased body condition on migration rate. We suggest that the ontogenetic migration of the primary forage species of brown pelicans from estuarine to pelagic environments causes a seasonal reduction in prey, and that individuals in poor body condition are unable to meet the energetic demands potentially associated with this decrease in prey availability (i.e., the fasting endurance hypothesis of partial migration). Although we did not find evidence for a density-dependent migratory response, the effects of intraspecific competition on migration in pelicans appears to warrant consideration.
Wilkinson, B.P., and P.G.R. Jodice. 2022. Interannual colony exchange among breeding Eastern Brown Pelicans. J. Field Ornithology. 93(1) 5. https://doi.org/10.5751/JFO-00074-930105 \| Download	April 2022
Wilkinson, B.P., Y.G. Satge, J.S. Lamb, P.G.R. Jodice. 2019. Tropical cyclones alter short-term activity patterns of coastal seabird. Movement Ecology 7:30. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-019-0178-0 \| Download	November 2019
Wilkinson, B.P., A.R. Robuck, R. Lohmannm, H.M., Packard, P.G.R. Jodice. 2022. Urban proximity while breeding is not a predictor of perfluoroalkyl substance contamination in the eggs of brown pelicans. Science of the Total Environment 803 (2022) 150110 \| Download	September 2021
Wilkinson, B.P., A.M. Haynes-Sutton, L. Meggs, and P.G.R Jodice. 2020. High spatial fidelity among foraging trips of Masked Boobies from Pedro Bank, Jamaica. PLoOS ONE 15(4): e0231654. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231654 \| Download	April 2020
Wilkinson, B., H. A. Lassiter, A. Abd-Elrahman, R. R. Carthy, P. Ifju, E. Broadbent, and N. Grimes. 2019. Geometric targets for UAS Lidar. Remote Sensing 11(24), 3019; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11243019	December 2019
Wilkins, K., Pejchar, L., Carroll, S. L., Jones, M. S., Walker, S. E., Shinbrot, X. A., ... & Reid, R. S. (2021). Collaborative conservation in the United States: A review of motivations, goals, and outcomes. Biological Conservation, 259, 109165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109165 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	July 2021	For centuries, communities around the globe have worked together to manage resources—a process often referred to as community-based conservation. More recently in the US, diverse stakeholders have partnered to address complex environmental issues that span land ownership or administrative boundaries, calling these efforts collaborative conservation. Reviews of community-based and collaborative conservation have historically focused on developing countries. To synthesize published information on U.S.-focused groups, we conducted a literature review with the following objectives: 1) characterize geographic distribution, types of participants, and sources of funding for these groups; 2) assess issues motivating group formation, goals, activities to achieve those goals, and outcomes; 3) identify whether these goals, activities, and outcomes were biophysical, social, and/or economic. To accomplish these objectives, we searched for relevant peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and reports in online databases from 1800's-2017. Our review resulted in 245 documents describing 296 collaborative conservation groups across all 50 states (primarily the Western U.S.) and the District of Columbia. The top three issues motivating collaborative group formation included impacts of land and resource degradation on livelihoods, water quality and management, and managing land and resources across ownership boundaries. We found that there was little published information on the outcomes of group activities (16% of groups). For the limited number of groups for which the literature reported outcomes, there was no relationship between positive outcomes and group characteristics. Our findings suggest that renewed efforts to evaluate the impact of collaboration on conservation are warranted and could support learning and improved action.
Wilder, Benjamin T; Amanda T. Becker, Adrian Munguia-Vega, Melanie Culver. 2021. Tracking the desert's edge with a Pleistocene relict. Journal of Arid Environments, DOI.org/10.1016/j.jaidenv.2021.104653 \| Abstract	October 2021	A series of 900–1200 m desert peaks surrounded by arid lowlands occur throughout the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico where temperate affiliated species occur at highest elevations. The presence of disjunct long-lived plant taxa on under-explored summits, especially Isla Tiburón at 29º latitude in the Gulf of California, suggests a more southerly extent of Ice Age woodlands than previously understood. The phylogeography of the desert edge species <i>Canotia holacantha</i> (Celastraceae) was investigated to test the hypothesis that insular desert peak populations represent remnants of Pleistocene woodlands rather than recent dispersal events. Sequences of four chloroplast DNA regions totaling 2,032 bp were amplified from 74 individuals of 14 populations across the entire range of <i>C. holacantha</i> as well as nine individuals that represented the other two species in its clade (<i>C. wendtii</i> and <i>Acanthothamnus aphyllus</i>) and two outgroups. Results suggest that a <i>Canotia</i> common ancestor occurred on the landscape, which underwent a population contraction ca. 15 kya. The Isla Tiburón <i>C. holacantha</i> population and the Chihuahuan Desert microendemic <i>C. wendtii</i>have the greatest genetic differentiation, are sister to one another, and basal to all other <i>Canotia</i> populations. Three haplotypes within <i>C. holacantha</i> were recovered, which correspond to regional geography and thus identified as the Arizona, Sonora, and Tiburón haplotypes, within which <i>Acanthothamnus aphyllus</i> is nested rather than as a related genus. These results indicate a once broad distribution of <i>Canotia </i>/<i> Acanthothamnus</i> during the Pleistocene, now present in relict populations on the fringes of the southern desert, in the Chihuahuan Desert, with scattered populations on desert peaks and a common or abundant distribution at the norther ecotone of the Sonoran Desert. These results suggest <i>Canotia</i> has tracked the shift of the desert’s edge both in latitude and elevation since the end of the last Ice Age.
Wiens, JD, KM Dugger, M Higley, DB Lesmeister, AB Franklin, KA Hamm, GC While, KE Dilione, DC Simon, RR Bown, PC Carlson, CB Yackulic, JD Nichols, JE Hines, RJ Davis, DW Lamphear, C McCafferty, TL McDonald, and SG Sovern. 2021. Invader removal triggers competitive release in a threatened avian predator. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 118 (31): e2102859118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2102859118	July 2021
Wiens, J.D., K.M. Dugger, D.B. Lesmeister, K.E. Dilione, and D.C. Simon. 2019. Effects of Barred Owl (Strix varia) removal on population demography of Northern Spotted Owls in Washington and Oregon, 2015-18. U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 2019-1074, 17pp. hppts://doi.org./10.3133/ofr20191074.	July 2019
Whittum, K., Zydlewski, J., Coghlan, Jr., S., Hayes, D., Watson, J., and Kiraly, I. (2023) Fish Assemblages in the Penobscot River: A Decade after Dam Removal. Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science 15:e10227. DOI: 10.1002/mcf2.10227 \| Download	January 2023
Whittier, J., J. Westhoff, C. Paukert, and R. Rotman. 2020. Use of multiple temperature logger models can alter conclusions. Water2(3), 668; doi.org/10.3390/w12030668	March 2020
Whitlock, S.L., T.M. Lewis, and J.T. Peterson. 2020. Using a Bayesian Multistate Occupancy Model to Assess Seabird and Shorebird Status in Glacier Bay, Alaska. Wildlife Society Bulletin https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1100	October 2020
Whitlock, S.L, J.N. Womble, and J.T. Peterson. Modelling Pinniped Abundance and Distribution Using Counts at Terrestrial Sites and In-Water Sightings. Ecological Modelling	March 2020
Whitledge, G.W., R.L. Lance, J.M. Long, B. Neely, and J.D. Schooley. 2019. Applications of emerging fisheries techniques for paddlefish. Pages 127-150 in J.D. Schooley and D. Scharnecchia, editors. Paddlefish: Ecological, Aquacultural, and Regulatory Challenges of Managing a Global Resource. American Fisheries Society Symposium 88, Bethesda, MD. \| Abstract	July 2019	Recent advances in fisheries techniques have provided insights into distribution, abundance, habitat use, and life history for several fish species, many of which are applicable to Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula). We highlight three new, promising techniques for assessing Paddlefish populations, including: hard-part chemistry for identifying sources of recruits (both wild and stocked fish) and reconstructing environmental history of individual fish, advances in sonar technology for habitat mapping and abundance estimation, and development of eDNA as a detection tool where traditional fisheries gears are insufficient. We also identify potential impediments to applications of these techniques and recommend steps needed to further assess and enhance their applicability to Paddlefish management and conservation.
Whitesell, M.J., E.A. Hunter, D.C. Rostal, and J.M. Carroll. 2022. Direct and indirect pathways for environmental drivers of hatching success in the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). Marine Ecology Progress Series 701: 119-132.	November 2022
White, S.L., W.L. Miller, S.A. Dowell, M.L. Bartron, and T. Wagner. Accepted. Limited hatchery introgression into wild brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) populations despite reoccurring stocking. Evolutionary Applications.	December 2018
White, S.L., M.S. Eackles, T. Wagner, M. Schall, G. Smith, J. Avery, and D.C. Kazyak. 2021. Optimization of a suite of flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) microsatellite markers for understanding the population genetics of introduced populations in the northeast United States. BMC Research Notes 14:314.	August 2021
White, S.L., E.M. Hanks, and T. Wagner. 2020. A novel quantitative framework for riverscape genetics. Ecological Applications. https://doi-org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1002/eap.2147	May 2020
White, S.L., D.A. DeMario, L.R. Iwanowicz, V.S. Blazer, and T. Wagner. 2020. Tissue distribution and immunomodulation in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) following dietary exposure to polychlorinated biphenyl Aroclors and food deprivation. Int J Environ Res Public Health: 17(4). pii: E1228. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17041228	February 2020
White, S.L., B.C. Kline, N.P. Hitt, and T. Wagner. 2019. Individual behaviour and resource use of thermally stressed brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis portend the conservation potential of thermal refugia. Journal of Fish Biology 95:1061-1071.	September 2019
White, S.L. and T. Wagner. 2020. Behavior at short temporal scales drives dispersal dynamics and survival in a metapopulation of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). Freshwater Biology.	November 2020
White, S., E. Faulk, C. Tzilkowski, A.S. Weber, M. Marshall, and T. Wagner. 2020. Predicting fish species richness and habitat relationships using Bayesian hierarchical multispecies occupancy models. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 77:602-610.	January 2020
White, S., D. DeMario, L. Iwanowicz, V. Blazer, and T. Wagner. 2020. Tissue distribution and immunomodulation in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) following dietary exposure to polychlorinated biphenyl Aroclors and food deprivation. Int J Environ Res Public Health: 17(4). pii: E1228. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17041228	February 2020
White, K. M., J. D. Stafford, and R. C. Lonsinger. 2023 The first documented interaction between a long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata) and a plains spotted skunk (Spilogale interrupta) carcass. Ecology and Evolution 13(1):e9758. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9758. \| Abstract \| Download	January 2023	A novel interaction between a long-tailed weasel (<i>Mustela frenata</i>) and a plains spotted skunk (<i>Spilogale interrupta</i>) carcass is detailed. In November 2020, a farmer in Edmunds County in north-central South Dakota sent in a video recording of a long-tailed weasel with a spotted skunk carcass. Location of the event, carcass condition, and recorded behavior of the long-tailed weasel offers probable, but unconfirmed, evidence that the spotted skunk was killed by the long-tailed weasel.
White, J.S., Peterson, J.T., Stratton Garvin, L.E., Kock, T.J., and Wallick, J.R., 2022, Assessment of habitat availability for juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead (O. mykiss) in the Willamette River, Oregon: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2022–5034, 44 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20225034 \| Abstract	March 2022	The Willamette River, Oregon, is home to two salmonid species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Chinook salmon and steelhead trout. Streamflow along the Willamette River is largely controlled by upstream dams, 13 of which are operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as part of the Willamette Valley Project. In 2008, these dams were found to have a deleterious effect on ESA-listed salmonids (NOAA Fisheries, 2008), resulting in USACE taking mitigatory actions. Included in these actions was setting seasonal streamflow targets at various locations along the river to improve survival and migration of juvenile salmonids. Though these targets were established with the best available information at the time, recent data and models have advanced understanding of river dynamics and allow a more robust analysis of the affect of streamflow on downstream habitat. This study leverages these recent datasets to build high-resolution models of useable habitat for juvenile Chinook Salmon and steelhead trout to assess how this habitat varies with streamflow. Habitat models rely on hydraulic models developed in White and Wallick, 2021, and temperature models developed in Stratton Garvin and others, 2021b, both paired with literature supplied data on habitat preferences. Findings a non-uniform response to streamflow, where habitat in some reaches of the Willamette consistently increases with additional streamflow, while other reaches see habitat decrease when streamflows increase from low to moderate flows. These differences are explained by local geomorphology in each reach, particularly the transition of the river from a relatively dynamic, multi-threaded river to a simpler and more confined river downstream. The upstream reaches generally have more habitat available per unit stream distance than their counterparts, but all reaches display greatest amounts of habitat at the highest streamflows. Finally, results show that water temperature in summer greatly reduces the amount of habitat available to the focal species, particularly downstream of Corvallis. Together, these findings serve to inform flow management by providing a quantitatve assessment of the affects of streamflow on habitat.
Whitby, M. D., T. J. Kieran, T. C. Glenn, and C. Allen. 2020. Agricultural pests consumed by common bat species in the United States corn belt: The importance of DNA primer choice. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 303:107105.	August 2020
Whitaker, J.M., A.B. Welsh, D.W. Hondorp, J.C. Boase, G.T. Merovich, S. Welsh, and C. Krueger. 2018. Variation in DNA methylation is associated with migratory phenotypes of lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens in the St. Clair River, MI, USA. Journal of Fish Biology 93:942–951. DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13804	September 2018
Whelan, G.E., D.M. Day, J. Casselman, L. Gephart, C.J. Hall, J. Lichatowich, M. Matylewich, L.E. Miranda, L. Roulson, P.D. Shirey, N. Mercado-Silva, J. Waldman, and D. Winters. 2020. Tracking fisheries through time: The American Fisheries Society as an historical lens. Fisheries 45:392-426. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsh.10457 \| Abstract	May 2020	The historical context of current environmental conditions offers vital guidance to North American fisheries professionals as they strive to develop effective management plans and policies. Through this retrospective we highlight the remarkable historic fisheries resources and causative reasons for establishing public fisheries agencies and the American Fisheries Society (AFS). Through a review of primary historical documents and literature for North America, this paper identifies: factors contributing to the founding of AFS and public fish commissions; shows how selected resource issues evolved; and documents how and why selected fisheries and aquatic habitat policies changed in response to those issues. Overexploitation, landscape-scale habitat alterations, mining, and dams were the causative agents for emergence of fisheries agencies and the AFS, and these factors remain relevant today. Beginning in the 1960s, North Americans grew tired of degraded waters and fisheries and forced policy changes that have directly and indirectly affected the fisheries we manage today. The historical events and resulting corrective legislation are taken for granted by those unaware that AFS has actively participated in developing policies to address these environmental issues. Further, AFS continues to play a vital role in identifying key issues, providing conduits for information to cope with impairments, and advocating for policies to conserve intact habitats and improve degraded systems. The struggles documented in this paper offer crucial lessons as we continue to be challenged by legacy resource issues and face emerging environmental stressors such as climate change as well as regression in long-standing environmental protection policies.
Wheeler, M.E., J.A. Barzen, S.M. Crimmins, and T.R. Van Deelen. 2021. Population responses to harvest depend on harvest intensity, demographics, and mate replacement in sandhill cranes. Global Ecology and Conservation 30: e01778 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01778	August 2021
Wheeler, M., J. Barzen, S. Crimmins, and T.R. Van Deelen. 2019. Effects of territorial status and life history on sandhill crane population dynamics in south central Wisconsin. Canadian Journal of Zoology 97:112–120.	December 2019
Wheeler, K., Kuhn, E., Bruckerhoff, L., Udall, B., Wang, J., Gilbert, L., Goeking, S., Kasprak, A., Mihalevich, B., Neilson, B. and Salehabadi, H., 2021. Alternative Management Paradigms for the Future of the Colorado and Green Rivers. Center for Colorado River Studies, White Paper, (6), pp.1-85. https://qcnr.usu.edu/coloradoriver/files/WhitePaper6.pdf	January 2021
Westhoff, J.T., Berkman ,L.K., Klymus, K.E., Thompson, N.L. and Richter, C.A. 2022. A comparison of eDNA and visual survey methods for detection of Longnose Darter Percina nasuta in Missouri. Fishes 2022, 7, 70. https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7020070 \| Abstract	March 2022	The longnose darter Percina nasuta is a rare and cryptic fish that recently disappeared from much of its historic range. We developed and used an environmental DNA (eDNA) assay for longnose darter paired with visual surveys to better determine the species’ range and compare detection probability between sampling approaches in an occupancy modeling framework. We detected longnose darter eDNA further upstream in the mainstem St. Francis River than previously reported and in a tributary for the first time. Our multi-scale occupancy approach compared models where detection was constant against a model that allowed detection to vary by survey method. The constant model received the most support indicating survey method was not a strong predictor and detection was estimated at 0.70 (0.45–0.86; 95% CI) across both methods. Our study produced effective longnose darter eDNA primers and demonstrated the application of eDNA for sampling small-bodied, cryptic fish. We detected longnose darter eDNA 27 km upstream of their known range and determined that snorkel surveys are the most efficient sampling method if water clarity allows. We recommend target sample sizes to achieve various detection goals for both sample methods and our results inform future design of distributional and monitoring efforts.
Westbrook, P., Heffner, L., La Peyre, MK. 2019. Oyster-mediated nutrient bioassimilation, burial and denitrification: effects of timing and location. Marine Biology 166:4. \| Abstract	December 2018	Restoration of oyster habitat across Louisiana may offer a valuable approach to mitigating anthropogenic nutrient inputs to coastal estuaries. The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and the reefs they create provide significant ecosystem services, including potential nutrient mitigation via bioassimilation, burial, and oyster-mediated denitrification. This study measured bioassimilation, burial, and oyster-mediated sediment denitrification in near-shore shallow-water (< 1 m water depth) and deep-water (> 1 m water depth) oyster reefs in Louisiana. Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in shell and tissue was within the range of previous studies, but was found to be influenced by reproductive status, size, and habitat type. Changes in tissue percent N and C post spawning combined with significant reductions in tissue weight from the release of gametes, resulted in 20 and 46% reduction in tissue N and tissue C load (mg) for a 100 mm oyster, respectively. Percent N and C buried in sediments were highest at shallow-water reefs (0.52  0.05% and 8.92  0.89% respectively), likely due to their close proximity to the marsh edge and thus exposure to a greater influx of detrital material. Closed-system ex-situ incubations indicated net denitrification in all habitat types studied, with the highest rates exceeding 600 µmol m-2 hr-1 during the summer, but no enhancement attributable to oyster reefs specifically. Considering the large extent of reefs and oyster production across coastal Louisiana, oyster habitats may still contribute to nutrient mitigation, but their unique contribution likely comes from bioassimilation, and removal of tissue and or shell from the system. Efforts to predict oyster reef nutrient mitigation requires incorporating timing of harvest and habitat context.
Werner, S.J., M. Gottlob, C.D. Deiter, and J.D. Stafford. 2019. Application strategy for an anthraquinone-based repellent and the protection of soybeans from Canada goose depredation. Human-Wildlife Interactions 13:308–316. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26077/w27s-tr04.	October 2019
Wenger, S.J., E.S. Stowe, K.B. Gido, M.C. Freeman, Y. Kanno, N.R. Franssen, J.D. Olden, N.L. Poff, A.W. Walters, P.M. Bumpers, M.C. Mims, M.B. Hooten, and L. Lu. Accepted. Simple statistical models can be useful for testing hypotheses with population time series data. Ecology and Evolution http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9339	September 2022
Weller, F.W., W.S. Beatty, E.B. Webb, D.C. Kesler, D.G. Krementz, K. Asante, L.W. Naylor. Environmental drivers of autumn migration departure decisions in midcontinental mallards. Movement Ecology \| Abstract	January 2022	<i><u>Background</u><br>The timing of autumn migration in ducks is influenced by a range of environmental conditions that may elicit individual experiences and responses from individual birds, yet most studies have investigated relationships at the population level. We used data from individual satellite-tracked mallards (<i>Anas platyrhynchos</i>) to model the timing and environmental drivers of autumn migration movements at the landscape scale.<br><u>Methods</u> <br>We combined two sets of location records (2004-2007, and 2010-2011) from satellite-tracked mallards migrating to winter in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, and identified records that indicated the start of long-range (≥ 30 km) southward movements during the migration period. We developed candidate models to predict the departure date, conditional on daily mean environmental covariates (temperature, snow and ice cover, wind conditions, precipitation, cloud cover, and pressure), at a 32×32 km resolution. We modeled selection of departure date by individual mallards using a discrete choice model accounting for heterogeneity in individual preferences. We ranked model performance with the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC).<br><u>Results</u> <br>Departure was best predicted (60% precision) by a “winter conditions” model containing temperature and snow cover depth and duration. Models conditional on wind speed, precipitation, pressure variation, and cloud cover received lower support. Number of days of snow cover, recently experienced (snow days), and current snow cover had the strongest positive effect on departure likelihood, followed by experienced days of freezing temperature (frost days) and current low temperature. Distributions of dominant drivers and of correct vs incorrect prediction along the movement tracks indicate that these responses applied throughout the latitudinal range of migration. Among recorded departures, most were driven by snow days (65%) followed by current temperature (30%). <br><u>Conclusions</u> <br>Our results indicate that the dominant environmental driver of departure decision in autumn-migrating mallards was the onset of snow conditions, and secondarily the onset of temperatures close to, or below, the freezing point. Mallards are likely to relocate southwards quickly when faced with foraging that is impeded by snow, and could use declining temperatures as a more graduated early cue for departure. Our findings provide further insights into the functional response of mallards to weather and climate factors during the migration period that ultimately determine distribution.</i>
Weller, F.G., E.B. Webb, W.S. Beatty and D.C. Kesler. Agent-based modeling of movements and habitat selection of mid-continent mallards. Final report	September 2022
Weller, F.G., E.B. Webb, S. Fogenburg, W. S. Beatty, D. Kesler, R.H. Blenk, K.M. Ringelman, M.L. Miller and J.M. Eadie. An agent-based model to quantify energetics, movements and habitat selection of mid-continent mallards in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Ecological Modeling \| Abstract	September 2023	The dynamics of wintering waterfowl populations at the landscape scale are the result of complex interactions of environmental, behavioral and energetic drivers. Agent-based models provide a method to directly link these factors in a spatially explicit framework and allow the emergence of subtle or non-linear patterns from the aggregation of individual agent actions. We adapted the Spatially-explicit Waterbird Agent-based Model Program (SWAMP), originally developed for waterbirds in central California, to simulate a basin-scale population of mallards (<i>Anas platyrhynchos</i>) wintering in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley over a four-month period (November–February). Simulated agents move within the landscape, foraging on areas made available conditional on a probabilistic inundation status, and depleting food resources. The model uses a high-resolution map of eastern Arkansas waterfowl habitats and incorporates a hierarchical habitat selection system that enables mallards to relocate at increasing scales in response to changing food availability. We validated the performance of modeled mallard body condition and behavioral metrics under different environmental conditions against expected outcomes, and found that the simulation produced realistic representations of changes in flight distances, energy expenditure, lipid storage, and foraging habitat use in response to depleting food resources over time. We discuss the model's applicability as a tool to quantify waterfowl response to a range of environmental conditions and evaluate scenarios of landscape composition and configuration in the context of waterfowl population management.
Welch-Acosta, B., B.R. Skipper, and C.W. Boal. 2019. Comparative breeding ecology of Mississippi Kites in urban and exurban areas of west Texas. Journal of Field Ornithology 90:248-257	September 2019
Weinstein, S.Y., J.A. Coombs, K.H. Nislow, C. Riley, A.H. Roy, and A.R. Whiteley. 2019. Evaluating the effects of barriers on Slimy Sculpin (Cottus cognatus) movement and population connectivity using novel sibship-based and traditional genetic metrics. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 148: 1117-1131. DOI: 10.1002/tafs.10202 \| Download \| Publisher Website	October 2019
Wegleitner, E., J. Raabe, D. Dembkowski, N. Legler, and D. Isermann. In Press. Wild juvenile salmonid abundance in Wisconsin tributaries indicates limited contributions to Lake Michigan fisheries. Journal of Great Lakes Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2021.10.005	December 2021
Wedgeworth, M.,R. Mollenhauer, and S. K. Brewer. 2023. Spatial and temporal dynamics of successful Prairie Chub spawning in the upper Red River basin. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, https://doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10842	August 2023
Webb, E.B., E.B. Hill, K.M. Malone and D. Mengel. Use of a dynamic occupancy model to evaluate secretive marsh bird habitat associations at spring migration stopover sites. Journal of Wildlife Management \| Abstract	March 2022	Despite several secretive marsh bird (SMB) species being listed as “Critically Imperiled” throughout the mid-continent of North America, there is limited information on SMB distribution and habitat use within primary migratory corridors, resulting in uncertainty on contributions of wetlands in mid-latitude states toward SMB annual cycle needs. Our objectives were to quantify patterns of SMB wetland occupancy during spring migration at a mid-latitude state and evaluate the relationships between SMB colonization probability and water-level management practices, as well as the resulting habitat conditions during spring migration. We conducted a two year dynamic occupancy study (2013-2014) that included six rounds of repeated call-back surveys to detect the presence of five SMB species (Virginia rail (<i>Rallus limicola</i>), sora (<i>Porzana carolina</i>), King rail (<i>R. elegans</i>), least bittern (<i>Ixobrychus exilis</i>) and American bittern (<i>Botaurus lentiginosus</i>)) during spring and summer (April-July) on 107 wetlands across 8 Conservation Areas and 4 National Wildlife Refuges throughout Missouri. Sora were detected most frequently, followed by Least Bittern, American Bittern, Virginia Rail, and King Rail. Colonization probability for all species was positively associated with emergent vegetation cover and negatively associated with amount of open water. Open water was the most important factor for American Bittern site colonization, to which they were negatively associated. Virginia Rail colonization had a strong positive association with vegetation height, whereas Least Bittern and Sora site colonization were influenced positively by water depth and agriculture, respectively. Based on the habitat associations within and among SMB species identified in this study, wetland managers can tailor management strategies to optimize spring migration habitat for single- or multi-species objectives.
Webb, E. B. and M. Brasher. 2021. Changing Distributions of Migrating and Wintering Waterfowl? Studies contribute to a growing understanding of changes in waterfowl patterns during fall and winter. Ducks Unlimited Magazine	December 2021
Weaver, D., Sigourney, D., Delucia, M., Zydlewski, J. (2021) Characterizing Downstream Migration Timing of American Eels Using Commercial Catch Data in the Penobscot and Delaware Rivers. Marine and Coastal Fisheries, 13(5): 534-547. \| Download	October 2021
Weaver, D., Ratten, S., Coghlan, Jr., S., and Sherwood, G., and Zydlewski, J. (2018) Age and growth of a native, lightly exploited, population of lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis in a small natural lake in Maine, USA. Northeastern Naturalist 25(4):599-610. DOI: 10.1656/045.025.0406 \| Download	November 2018
Weaver, D., Brown, M., and Zydlewski, J. (2019) Observations of American Shad Approaching and Using a Vertical Slot Fishway at the Brunswick Head-of-Tide Dam on the Androscoggin River, Maine. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. DOI: /10.1002/nafm.10330 \| Download	July 2019
Watson, K.A., D.U. Greene, and C.W. Boal. 2019. Breeding and diet of white-tailed kites (Elanus leucurus) in the Texas panhandle. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 131:844-849.	December 2019
Watson, J. Coghlan, Jr., S., Zydlewski, J., Hayes, D., and Stich, D. (2019) Implications of Recovering River Herring Alosa spp. Populations on Smallmouth Bass, Micropterus dolomieu, Diet and Growth. “Managing Centrarchids in Rivers and Streams" symposium proceedings of the American Fisheries Society. \| Download	June 2019
Waterhouse, Lynn, Scott A. Heppell, Christy V. Pattengill-Semmens, Croy McCoy, Phillippe Bush, Bradley C. Johnson, and Brice X. Semmens. 2020. Recovery of critically endangered Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) in the Cayman Islands following targeted conservation actions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117(3): 1587-1595. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1917132117 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	January 2020	Many large-bodied marine fishes that form spawning aggregations, such as the Nassau grouper (<i>Epinephelus striatus</i>), have suffered regional overfishing due to exploitation during spawning. In response, marine resource managers in many locations have established marine protected areas or seasonal closures to recover these overfished stocks. The challenge in assessing management effectiveness lies largely in the development of accurate estimates to track stock size through time. For the past 15 y, the Cayman Islands government has taken a series of management actions aimed at recovering collapsed stocks of Nassau grouper. Importantly, the government also partnered with academic and nonprofit organizations to establish a research and monitoring program (Grouper Moon) aimed at documenting the impacts of conservation action. Here, we develop an integrated population model of 2 Cayman Nassau grouper stocks based on both diver-collected mark–resight observations and video censuses. Using both data types across multiple years, we fit parameters for a state–space model for population growth. We show that over the last 15 y the Nassau grouper population on Little Cayman has more than tripled in response to conservation efforts. Census data from Cayman Brac, while more sparse, show a similar pattern. These findings demonstrate that spatial and seasonal closures aimed at rebuilding aggregation-based fisheries can foster conservation success.
Waterhouse, L., White, J., See, K., Murdoch, A., and B. X. Semmens. 2020. A Bayesian nested patch occupancy model to estimate steelhead movement and abundance. Ecological Applications 30(8):e02202. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2202 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	June 2020	Anthropogenic impacts on riverine systems have, in part, led to management concerns regarding the population status of species using these systems. In an effort to assess the efficacy of restoration actions, and in order to improve monitoring of species of concern, managers have turned to PIT (passive integrated transponder) tag studies with in-stream detectors to monitor movements of tagged individuals throughout river networks. However, quantifying movements in a river network using PIT tag data with incomplete coverage and imperfect detections presents a challenge. We propose a flexible Bayesian analytic framework that models the imperfectly detected movements of tagged individuals in a nested PIT tag array river network. This model structure provides probabilistic estimates of up-stream migration routes for each tagged individual based on a set of underlying nested state variables. These movement estimates can be converted into abundance estimates when an estimate of abundance is available for a location within the river network. We apply the model framework to data from steelhead (<i>Oncorhynchus mykiss</i>) in the Upper Columbia River basin and evaluate model performance (precision/variance of simulated population sizes) as a function of population tagging rates and PIT tag array detection probability densities within the river system using a simulation framework. This simulation framework provides both model validation (precision) and the ability to evaluate expected performance improvements (variance) due to changes in tagging rates or PIT receiver array configuration. We also investigate the impact of different network configurations on model estimates. Results from such investigations can help inform decisions regarding future monitoring and management.
Waterhouse, L., L. Ailloud, R. Austin, W. J. Golet, A. Pacicco, A. Andrews, K. Diouf, Y. Ndiour, K. Krusic-Golub, G. da Silva, and J. M. Hoenig. 2022. Updated Integrated Growth Model for Bigeye Tuna (Thunnus obesus) in the Atlantic Ocean. Fisheries Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2022.106317 \| Abstract \| Download	December 2022	The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) concluded the Atlantic Ocean tropical Tuna Tagging Programme (AOTTP) in 2021. This project had the objectives of enhancing food security, stimulating economic growth, and improving management through research on tropical tuna resources in the Atlantic Ocean, including bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus). Here, we combine tagging data and otolith data from the AOTTP program, Panama City Lab and the Pelagic Fisheries Lab at the University of Maine with historical tagging data and otolith data from ICCAT and other sources to fit integrated growth models with the goal of providing the most complete growth curve (in terms of data inclusion and validation of age-at-length) for bigeye tuna in the Atlantic Ocean. Both Richards and von Bertalanffy growth models were fitted. A variety of models were fitted to subsets of the data to investigate the consistency of growth information. In all cases for the integrated model, the Richards and von Bertalanffy models were very similar with the von Bertalannfy model being preferred for parsimony. The preferred model, based on fit to old fish, was the von Bertalanffy curve based on length-age pair data from multiple sources. The addition of tagging data to create an integrated model showed patterns of lack of fit to both the tagging and otolith data suggesting conflict between the tagging and otolith data. The preferred model (length-age pair data only) gave the estimates: asymptotic length L∞ (fork length) equals 161.21 cm (95% bootstrap CI 154.39, 166.84), growth parameter K equals 0.392 yr− 1 (95% bootstrap CI 0.355, 0.441), and the time-axis intercept t0 equals − 0.239 yr (95% bootstrap CI –0.306, − 0.175). For the best fitting integrated model, the asymptotic length L∞(fork length, in cm) was estimated to be 185.78 (SD 6.298), the growth parameter K was 0.252 yr− 1 (SD 0.014), and the time-axis intercept t0 was − 0.524 yr (SE 0.025). The value for asymptotic length L∞ from the integrated model was larger than the lengths of all the old fish in the sample whereas the value for the curve based on otoliths passes through the cloud of points for old fish.
Warlick, AJ, Johnson, D., Gelatt, T., Converse, SJ. 2022. Environmental drivers of demography and potential factors limiting the recovery of an endangered marine top predator. Ecosphere 13:e4325. \| Abstract	January 2023	Understanding what drives changes in wildlife demography over time is fundamental to the conservation and management of depleted or declining populations, though making inference about the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence survival and reproduction is challenging as they can change over time and space. Here we use almost 20 years of mark-resight data from 2000-2018 to examine the effects of environmental variability on age-specific survival and natality for the endangered western distinct population segment of Steller sea lions (<i>Eumetopias jubatus</i>) in Alaska, USA. Though this population has been studied extensively over the last four decades, the causes of divergent abundance trends that have been observed across the range of this population remain unknown. We developed a Bayesian multi-event mark-resight model that accounts for female reproductive state uncertainty. Results indicated that survival rates for male pups (0.44; 0.36-0.53), female yearlings (0.63; 0.49-0.73), and male yearlings (0.62; 0.51-0.71) born in the western portion of the range, estimated here for the first time, were lower than those estimated for male pups (0.69; 0.65-0.74), female yearlings (0.76; 0.71-0.81), and male yearlings (0.71; 0.65-0.78) born in the eastern portion of the range. Additionally, pup mass had a positive effect on pup survival in the eastern portion of the range and a negative effect in the western portion of the range. Local and basin-scale oceanographic features such as the Aleutian Low, the Arctic Oscillation Index, the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation, chlorophyll concentration, upwelling, and wind in certain seasons exhibited correlations with vital rates. However, strong inference is challenging given that relationships between ocean conditions and an adaptive top predator in a highly dynamic ecosystem are exceedingly complex. This study provides the first demographic rate estimates for the western portion of the population range where abundance estimates continue to decline. This work can inform ongoing research and management and will advance efforts to identify factors driving regionally divergent abundance trends with implications for population-level responses to future climate variability.
Ward, M.J. and S.R. Chipps. 2020. Availability and timing of Fathead Minnow supplementation influence Largemouth Bass survival and production in rearing ponds. Open Journal of Animal Science 10:337-345.	May 2020
Wampole. E, Farris, Z, and Gerber, BD. 2021. A synthesis of life-history, functionaltraits, and consequences of anthropogenic pressures on Madagascar’s threatened carnivorans,Eupleridae. Mammal Review, 51: 402-419 https://doi.org/10.1111/mam.12234 \| Download	January 2021
Wampole, EM, Gerber, BD, Farris, ZJ, Razafimahaimodison, JC, Andrianarisoa, MH, Ralazampirenena, CJ, Wright, PC, et al. 2022. Madagascar Terrestrial Camera Survey Database 2021: A collation of protected forest camera surveys from 2007-2021. Ecology, 103:e3687. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3687	March 2022
Walther, E.J., Zimmerman, M.S., Falke, J.A., and P.A.H. Westley. Species distributions and the recognition of risk in restoration planning: A case study of salmonid fishes in the Chehalis River, Washington, USA.	August 2022
Walters, A.W., C.E. Girard, R.H. Walker, A.M. Farag, and D.A. Alvarez. 2019. Multiple approaches to surface water quality assessment provide insight for small streams experiencing oil and natural gas development. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 9999:1-13. doi.org/10.1002/ieam.4118.	January 2019
Walters, A.W., C. Peterson, F. Rahel. 2018. The interaction of exposure and sensitivity determines fish species vulnerability to warming stream temperatures. Biology Letters 14:20180342. doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0342.	September 2018
Walter, W.D., T.S. Evans, D. Stainbrook, B.D. Wallingford, C.S. Rosenberry, and D.R. Diefenbach. 2018. Heterogeneity of a landscape influences size of home range in a North American cervid. Scientific Reports 8:14667. DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-32937-7. \| Abstract \| Download \| Publisher Website	September 2018	Spatial heterogeneity, or composition and configuration of a landscape, plays a role in many biological and ecological processes. In spatial ecology, understanding movements of a species in relation to the landscape can assist wildlife managers in better understanding other processes, including habitat use and disease transmission. In the northeastern United States (Northeast), chronic wasting disease has been detected in populations of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and understanding the relationship between landscape and size of home range may provide a basis for disease surveillance and containment efforts. The objectives of our study were to (1) compare size of home range between sexes and among study areas for white-tailed deer occupying a continuum of forested landscapes from highly fragmented to contiguous and (2) investigate relationships between size of home range and measures of landscape composition and configuration. We observed differences in size of 95% home range between males (3.77 km2) and females (1.83 km2) across all study areas, as well as between deer in highly fragmented and contiguous landscapes. We developed 20 linear regression models that contained measures of landscape that were correlated with size of home range, and the best model showed that size of home range increased with connectivity of forest cover. Understanding this relationship may provide a foundation for disease surveillance efforts, because size of home range may represent the scale at which disease will spread. Therefore surveillance should be conducted in a manner that reflects connectivity of landscape at a local scale.
Walsworth, T. and P. Budy. 2021. Hydrologic controls on abundance and distribution of a highly imperiled desert fish. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Volume 78. doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2020-0353. USGS FSP IP-121942. \| Abstract	May 2021	Increasing water demand, water development, and on-going climate change have driven extensive changes to the hydrology, geomorphology and biology of arid-land rivers globally, driving an increasing need to understand how annual hydrologic conditions affect the distribution and abundance of imperiled desert fish populations. We analyzed the relationship between annual hydrologic conditions and the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow in the Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico, USA, using hurdle models to predict both presence and density as a function of integrated annual hydrologic metrics. Both presence and density were positively related to spring high flow magnitude and duration and negatively related to summer drying, as indicated by an integrated flow metric. Simulations suggest hydrologic conditions near the wettest observed in the data set would be required to meet recovery goals in a single year in all reaches. We demonstrate how the models developed herein can be used to examine alternative water management strategies, including strategies that may currently be socially and logistically infeasible to implement, to identify strategies minimizing trade-offs between conservation and other management goals.
Walsh, H.L., V.S. Blazer and P.M. Mazik. 2022. Development of a multiplex fluorescence in situ hybridization to identify coinfections in young-of-the-year smallmouth bass. Journal of Aquatic Animal Health 34:12-19 https://doi.org/10.1002/aah.10144	January 2022
Walsh, H.L., V.S. Blazer and P.M. Mazik. 2021. Identification of Aphanomyces invadans, the cause of epizootic ulcerative syndrome, in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) from the Cheat River, West Virginia, USA. Journal of Fish Diseases 44:1639-1641.	August 2021
Wallin, T. and C.A. Caldwell. Comparative assessment of laboratory-derived thermal maxima of Gila Trout (Oncorhynchus gilae) with current stream temperatures. The Southwestern Naturalist 66(4):317-326. \| Abstract	February 2022	Gila Trout (<i>Oncorhynchus gilae</i>) represents an iconic species of the American Southwest. The salmonid has survived extensive logging, livestock grazing, and mining, and is currently threatened by climate change, wildfire, and extended drought. Long term conservation and recovery of the species and its unique lineages rely on stocking and translocation into historically inhabited streams. Thus, the fish’s thermal tolerance is essential in determining suitable habitat and potential vulnerability to a warming climate. We compared laboratory-derived temperature metric, critical thermal maximum (CTMax), in hatchery-reared Gila Trout from three lineages (Main Diamond, South Diamond, and Whiskey Creek) to determine if CTMax differed among the lineages. The average initial (28.9, SD = 0.81°C) and final (29.2, SD = 0.74°C) loss of righting responses did not differ across the lineages. We compared the CTMax values with stream temperatures across three drainages representative of extant Gila Trout populations from spring 2015 to fall 2018. The East Fork Gila River drainage was represented by more extreme stream temperatures. The maximum daily maximum temperature (i.e., single highest temperature) varied from 24.1 to 33.4°C, exceeding CTMax in four of the five streams. The maximum daily temperature range varied from 12.1 to 28.6°C, and the mean weekly maximum temperature varied from 19.9 to 31.1°C. Mean weekly maximum temperature in Lower Diamond Creek exceeded CTMax on eleven occasions. Stream temperatures were cooler within the Middle and the West Fork Gila River drainages and did not exceed CTMax. Intermittency loggers within the East Fork Gila River Drainage, which supports Main Diamond and South Diamond lineages of Gila Trout, recorded over 300 days of intermittency during a drought. Continued long term monitoring of stream temperature and comparison to CTMax of Gila Trout could assist with decisions of which streams in the Gila Drainage are suitable for Gila Trout recovery, stocking, and translocation.
Wallin, T. and C.A. Caldwell. Comparative assessment of laboratory-derived thermal maxima of Gila Trout (Oncorhynchus gilae) with current stream temperatures. The Southwestern Naturalist 66(4):317-326. \| Abstract	February 2022	Gila Trout (<i>Oncorhynchus gilae</i>) represents an iconic species of the American Southwest. The salmonid has survived extensive logging, livestock grazing, and mining, and is currently threatened by climate change, wildfire, and extended drought. Long term conservation and recovery of the species and its unique lineages rely on stocking and translocation into historically inhabited streams. Thus, the fish’s thermal tolerance is essential in determining suitable habitat and potential vulnerability to a warming climate. We compared laboratory-derived temperature metric, critical thermal maximum (CTMax), in hatchery-reared Gila Trout from three lineages (Main Diamond, South Diamond, and Whiskey Creek) to determine if CTMax differed among the lineages. The average initial (28.9, SD = 0.81°C) and final (29.2, SD = 0.74°C) loss of righting responses did not differ across the lineages. We compared the CTMax values with stream temperatures across three drainages representative of extant Gila Trout populations from spring 2015 to fall 2018. The East Fork Gila River drainage was represented by more extreme stream temperatures. The maximum daily maximum temperature (i.e., single highest temperature) varied from 24.1 to 33.4°C, exceeding CTMax in four of the five streams. The maximum daily temperature range varied from 12.1 to 28.6°C, and the mean weekly maximum temperature varied from 19.9 to 31.1°C. Mean weekly maximum temperature in Lower Diamond Creek exceeded CTMax on eleven occasions. Stream temperatures were cooler within the Middle and the West Fork Gila River drainages and did not exceed CTMax. Intermittency loggers within the East Fork Gila River Drainage, which supports Main Diamond and South Diamond lineages of Gila Trout, recorded over 300 days of intermittency during a drought. Continued long term monitoring of stream temperature and comparison to CTMax of Gila Trout could assist with decisions of which streams in the Gila Drainage are suitable for Gila Trout recovery, stocking, and translocation.
Walker, R.H., G.D. Smith, S.B. Hudson, S.S. French, and A.W. Walters. 2020. Warmer temperatures interact with salinity to weaken physiological facilitation to stress in freshwater fishes. Conservation Physiology https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coaa107	December 2020
Walker, R.H., C.E. Girard, S.L. Alford, and A.W. Walters. 2020. Individual and interactive effects of hydrology and surface disturbance on fish populations. Journal of Applied Ecology 57: 149-159. doi:10.1111/1365-2664.13517	January 2020
Walker, R.H.* and A.W. Walters. 2019. A mechanistic understanding of ecological responses to anthropogenic surface disturbance in headwater streams. Ecosphere 10(10):e02907. 10.1002/ecs2.2907.	October 2019
Waldrop, T., S. Summerfelt, P. Mazik, P.B. Kenney and C. Good. The effects of swimming exercise and dissolved oxygen on growth performance, fin condition and survival of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Aquaculture Research https://doi.org/10.1111/are.14600h	July 2020
Wagner, T., N.R. Lottig, M.L. Bartley, E.M. Hanks, E.M. Schliep, N.B. Wikle, K.B.S. King, I. McCullough, J. Stachelek, K.S. Cheruvelil, C.T. Filstrup, J.F. Lapierre, B. Liu, P.A. Soranno, P-N. Tan, Q. Wang, K. Webster, and J. Zhou. 2019. Increasing accuracy of lake nutrient predictions in thousands of lakes by leveraging water clarity data. Limnology and Oceanography Letters. https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10134	December 2019
Wagner, T., McLaughlin, P., Smalling, K., Breitmeyer, S., Gordon, S., and Noe, G.B., 2021. The statistical power to detect regional temporal trends in riverine contaminants in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA. Science of the Total Environment 812:152435. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152435	December 2021
Wagner, T., G.J.A. Hansen, E. Schliep, B. Bethke, A. Honsey, P. Jacobson, B.C. Kline, and S.L. White. 2020. Improved understanding and prediction of freshwater fish communities through the use of joint species distribution models. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 77(9): 1540-1551. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2019-0348	August 2020
Wagner, T., E.M. Schliep, J.S. North, H. Kundel, J.K. Ruzich, C.A. Custer, and G.J.A. Hansen. 2023. Predicting climate change impacts on poikilotherms using physiologically guided species abundance models. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: 15: e2214199120 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2214199120	April 2023
Voss, N. S., R. Al-Chokhachy, A. J. Sepulveda, C. E. Verhille, M. P. Ruggles, and A. V. Zale. 2022. The importance of phenology and thermal exposure to early life history success of non-native Smallmouth Bass in the Yellowstone River. Transactions of the American Fisheris Society 151:527-542. DOI: 10.1002/tafs.10364 \| Abstract	July 2022	Knowledge of the potential spread of an introduced species is critical to direct management efforts to where they will provide the greatest benefits. The Smallmouth Bass <i>Micropterus dolomieu</i>, is an example of a fish that has been introduced globally, often spreads following introduction, and has substantial predatory impacts on fish assemblages. We evaluated Smallmouth Bass spread in the free-flowing Yellowstone River, Montana, where this non-native fish has expanded from warmer, downstream sections of river into colder, upstream sections. We hypothesized that progressively colder upstream climates would limit age-0 growth and overwinter survival in the Yellowstone River, thereby curbing potential upstream spread. We documented the phenology, growth, and overwinter survival of age-0 Smallmouth Bass across a gradient of temperature and population densities. Age-0 individuals were rare or absent throughout the uppermost upstream distribution of adults, suggesting that something limits or discourages reproduction farther upstream. However, we found no support for colder water temperatures alone as the limiting factor. Age-0 body size at the onset of winter did not differ significantly among the uppermost 200 km of their distribution. Rather, the earlier hatching timing exhibited by some age-0 individuals in colder, upstream sections allowed them to experience longer growing seasons than many individuals in warmer, downstream sections. This counter-intuitive hatching phenology mediated much of the negative effect of colder upstream climates on growth. Furthermore, evidence of successful overwinter survival and simulations of age-0 starvation mortality indicated that age-0 individuals at the upstream extent of their distribution successfully recruited to the age-1 year-class in four consecutive years. Taken together, our results suggest that Smallmouth Bass have not yet reached the thermal limit of their upstream distribution in the Yellowstone River, and that further spread will probably be driven by complex interactions between density dependence, spawn timing, and ambient thermal and hydrologic regimes.
Voorhees, J.M., M.E. Barnes, S.R. Chipps, and M.L. Brown. 2018. Dietary Bioprocessed Soybean Meal Does Not Affect the Growth of Exercised Juvenile Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Journal of Animal Research and Nutrition 3:2:6.	December 2018
Volski, L., McInturff, A., Gaynor, K. M., Yovovich, V., & Brashares, J. S. (2021). Social Effectiveness and Human-Wildlife Conflict: Linking the Ecological Effectiveness and Social Acceptability of Livestock Protection Tools. Frontiers in Conservation Science, 42. \| Abstract	August 2021	Human-wildlife interactions are embedded within socio-ecological systems (SES), in which animal behavior and human decision-making reciprocally interact. While a growing body of research addresses specific social and ecological elements of human-wildlife interactions, including conflicts, integrating these approaches is essential for identifying practical and effective solutions. Carnivore predation on livestock can threaten human livelihoods, weaken relationships among stakeholders, and precipitate carnivore declines. As carnivores have received greater protection in recent decades, researchers and managers have sought non-lethal tools to reduce predation and promote coexistence between livestock producers and carnivores. For these tools to be successful, they must effectively deter carnivores, and they must also be adopted by producers. Relatively few studies examine the practical and context-specific effectiveness of non-lethal tools, and even fewer simultaneously consider their social acceptability among producers. To address this gap, we suggest that a tool's ecological effectiveness and social acceptability be analyzed concurrently to determine its <i>social effectiveness</i>. We thus paired an experimental study of a carnivore predation deterrent called Foxlights<sup>®</sup> with qualitative interviews of livestock producers in Northern California. We placed camera traps in sheep pastures to measure the response of coyotes (<i>Canis latrans</i>) to experimentally deployed Foxlights and interviewed livestock producers before and after the experiment. Our experiment revealed weak evidence for reducing coyote activity with Foxlights, but interviews revealed that the potential adoption of tools had as much to do with their social acceptability and implementation feasibility as with evidence-based measurements of tool effectiveness. Interviewees viewed Foxlights as potentially effective components of husbandry systems, despite the data suggesting otherwise, demonstrating that scientific reductionism may lag behind producer practices of systems-thinking and that isolated demonstrations of a tool's ecological effectiveness do not drive tool adoption. Future empirical tests of non-lethal tools should better consider producers' perspectives and acknowledge that data-based tests of ecological effectiveness alone have a limited place in producer decision-making. Iteratively working with producers can build trust in scientific outputs through the research process itself.
Volkel, S., K.F. Robinson, D.B. Bunnell, M. Connerton, D. Hondorp, J. Holden, B. Weidel. 2021. Slimy sculpin depth distribution shifts and habitat squeeze following round goby invasion in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Journal of Great Lakes Research 47:1793-1803. DOI: 10.1016/j.jglr.2021.08.017	December 2021
Vogel, S., Jansujwicz, J., Sponarski, C and Zydlewski, J. (2020) Science in action or science inaction? Evaluating the implementation of "best available science" in hydropower relicensing. Energy Policy 143:1-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111457 \| Download	August 2020
Vitale, N., J. Brush, and A. Powell. 2021. Factors limiting reproductive success of American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus) in Florida’s Southern Big Bend. Waterbirds 44(4): 449-462.	December 2021
Vitale, N., Brush, J. and A. Powell. 2021. Loss of coastal islands along Florida’s Big Bend Region: Implications for breeding American Oystercatchers. Estuaries and Coasts 44:1173–1182. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00811-3	September 2020
Vilella, F.J., and R. Gonzalez. 2023. Multi-resolution habitat models of the Puerto Rican Nightjar Antostromus noctitherus. Bird Conservation International. Bird Conservation International 33: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270923000278 \| Abstract \| Download	September 2023	The Puerto Rican Nightjar <i>Antrostomus </i><i>noctitherus</i> is an endemic Caprimulgid found in dry coastal and lower montane forests of southwestern Puerto Rico. Information on the species (abundance, nesting biology) has been mostly restricted to forest reserves (i.e., Guánica Forest, Susúa Forest) with limited information available from private lands. We collected stand-level vegetation structure and geographic information to model habitat suitability and distribution for the Nightjar. Results of the stand-level model indicated forest type and midstory vegetation density best predicted Nightjar habitat. Our spatial model predicted considerably more Nightjar habitat (17,819.64ha) was located outside protected areas than previously reported. Further, the model highlighted several localities of importance for the species across southern Puerto Rico, all located within private lands. We used a patch occupancy approach to assess regions identified by the landscape-level model as suitable for the Nightjar and documented presence of the species in 32 of 55 sites, located in 12 of 18 municipalities across southern Puerto Rico. The protection and restoration of forest across the southern coast of Puerto Rico would help ensure the long-term persistence of the Nightjar across a considerable portion of its range. Addressing habitat needs may be the single most effective mechanism to achieve recovery of the species.
Vilella, F.J., and R. Gonzalez. 2023. Multi-resolution habitat models of the Puerto Rican Nightjar Antostromus noctitherus. Bird Conservation International. Bird Conservation International 33: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270923000278 \| Abstract \| Download	September 2023	The Puerto Rican Nightjar <i>Antrostomus </i><i>noctitherus</i> is an endemic Caprimulgid found in dry coastal and lower montane forests of southwestern Puerto Rico. Information on the species (abundance, nesting biology) has been mostly restricted to forest reserves (i.e., Guánica Forest, Susúa Forest) with limited information available from private lands. We collected stand-level vegetation structure and geographic information to model habitat suitability and distribution for the Nightjar. Results of the stand-level model indicated forest type and midstory vegetation density best predicted Nightjar habitat. Our spatial model predicted considerably more Nightjar habitat (17,819.64ha) was located outside protected areas than previously reported. Further, the model highlighted several localities of importance for the species across southern Puerto Rico, all located within private lands. We used a patch occupancy approach to assess regions identified by the landscape-level model as suitable for the Nightjar and documented presence of the species in 32 of 55 sites, located in 12 of 18 municipalities across southern Puerto Rico. The protection and restoration of forest across the southern coast of Puerto Rico would help ensure the long-term persistence of the Nightjar across a considerable portion of its range. Addressing habitat needs may be the single most effective mechanism to achieve recovery of the species.
Vilella, F.J., J.A. Cruz-Burgos, R.M. Kamisnki, H.R. Murkin, J.B. Davis, S.L. Weitzel, and F. Vizcarra. 2020. Avian community response to vegetation and water level management in restored wetlands at the Humacao Nature Reserve, Puerto Rico. Caribbean Naturalist 72:1-24. \| Abstract \| Download	February 2020	Coastal wetlands of the Caribbean have been greatly reduced in area and quality, and information on wildlife responses to management is lacking. We applied wetland management practices (disking, water level management) in a site historically disturbed by <i>Saccharum spp.</i> L. (sugarcane) cultivation at the Humacao Nature Reserve, southeastern Puerto Rico, and evaluated avian community response. We conducted weekly bird surveys and nest searches on disked and non-disked plots within recently constructed impoundments. The avian community shifted from 16 upland dominated species pre-restoration, to 67 wetland-dependent species at the end of our study (2001-2002). Ordination analysis indicated avian guild use of plots varied with environmental variables. Bird species diversity was not influenced by treatment, month, or salinity levels but was influenced by water depth and vegetation cover. Bird abundance was influenced by water depth, but not by treatment, month, salinity or vegetation cover. Furthermore, water depths of 0.10 – 0.20 m and salinity ≤ 15 ppt promoted habitat conditions suitable for a diverse wetland avian community. We located 268 nests of 8 wetland bird species and observed adults with young of various other waterbirds, including species of conservation concern such as <i>Dendrocygna arborea</i> (West Indian Whistling Duck) and <i>Porzana flaviventer</i> (Yellow-breasted Crake). Bird community responses suggest that management practices (i.e., water level management and soil disturbance) can improve wetland biodiversity in abandoned sugarcane fields of Puerto Rico. Moreover, these practices may benefit wetland biodiversity in other Caribbean islands with a similar history of land use and habitat degradation.
Vidal, T., B. J. Irwin, C. P. Madenjian, and S. J. Wenger. 2019. Age truncation of alewife in Lake Michigan. Journal of Great Lakes Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2019.06.006	July 2019
Vest, J.L., D.A. Haukos, N.D. Niemuth, C.M. Setash, J.H. Gammonley, J.H. Devries, and D.K. Dahlgren. 2023. Waterfowl and wetland birds. Chapter 13 in L.B. McNew, D.K. Dahlgren, and J.L. Beck, editors. Rangeland Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. Springer Publishing, New York, New York, USA.	September 2023
Verheijen, B.H.F., D.M. Varner, and D.A. Haukos. 2020. Future losses of playa wetlands decrease network structure and connectivity of the Rainwater Basin, Nebraska. Landscape Ecology 35:453–467. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-019-00958-w	January 2020
Verheijen, B.H.F., D.M. Varner, and D.A. Haukos. 2018. Effects of large-scale wetland loss on network connectivity of the Rainwater Basin, Nebraska. Submitted to Landscape Ecology	October 2018
Verheigen, B.H.F., R.T. Plumb, C.K.J. Gulick, C.A. Hagen, S.G. Robinson, D.S. Sullins, and D.A. Haukos. 2021. Breeding season space use by lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) varies among ecoregions and breeding stages. American Midland Naturalist 185:149-174. \| Abstract	April 2021	Large-scale declines of grasslands ecosystems in the conterminous United States since European settlement have led to substantial loss and fragmentation of lesser prairie-chicken (<i>Tympanuchus pallidicinctus</i>) habitat and decreased their occupied range and population numbers by ~85%. Breeding season space use is an important component of lesser prairie-chicken conservation, because it could affect both dynamics and carrying capacity of local populations. Previous estimates of breeding season space use are largely limited to one of the four currently occupied ecoregions, but potential extrinsic drivers of breeding space use, such as landscape fragmentation, vegetative structure and composition, and density of anthropogenic structures, can show large spatial variation. Moreover, habitat needs vary greatly among the lekking/prelaying, nesting, brooding, and postbreeding stages of the breeding season, but space use by female lesser prairie-chickens during these stages remain relatively unclear. We tested whether home range area and daily displacement of female lesser prairie-chickens varied among ecoregions and breeding stages at four study sites in Kansas and Colorado, USA, representing three of the four currently occupied ecoregions. We equipped females with very-high-frequency (VHF, <i>n</i> = 39) or GPS transmitters (<i>n</i> = 157), and estimated home range area with kernel density estimators or biased random bridge models, respectively. Across all ecoregions, breeding season home range area averaged 190.4 ha (± 19.1 ha SE) for birds with VHF and 283.6 ha (± 23.1 ha) for birds with GPS transmitters, while daily displacement averaged 374.8 m (± 14.3 m). Average home range area and daily displacement were greater in the Short-Grass Prairie/CRP Mosaic Ecoregion (VHF: 233.0 ± 34.7 ha, GPS: 420.8 ± 52.8 ha, 468.5 ± 29.4 m) compared to sites in the Mixed-Grass Prairie Ecoregion (VHF: 146.4 ± 16.4, 158.6 ± 25.2 ha, GPS: 183.9 ± 21.2, 183.3 ± 13.9 ha, 281.0 ± 16.0, 319.5 ± 13.8 m). Home range area and daily displacement were greatest during lekking/prelaying (252.8 ± 23.0 ha, 539.7 ± 223.0 m) and smallest during the brooding stage (81.4 ± 11.5 ha, 221.3 ± 63.7 m), when female movements are restricted by mobility of chicks. Ecoregion- and breeding stage-specific estimates of space use by lesser prairie-chickens will help managers determine the spatial configuration of breeding stage-specific habitat on the landscape. Furthermore, ecoregion- and breeding stage specific estimates are crucial when estimating the amount of breeding habitat needed for lesser prairie-chicken population to persist.
Veon, J.T., E. Lassiter, E. Johansson, M. Shaw, L. McTgue, R. Gibson, A. Massey, and B.A. DeGregorio. 2023. Influence of Human Development and Predator Abundance on Virginia Opossum Occupancy, Abundance, and Activity Patterns. Journal of Zoology. doi:10.1111/jzo.13111 \| Abstract \| Download	August 2023	As human development increases across the globe, wildlife are either pushed out of developed areas or adapt to survive in these novel, human-dominated landscapes. Many mammalian mesopredators, such as the Virginia opossum (<i>Didelphis virginiana</i>), have adapted to living alongside human development in order to take advantage of human-subsidized food, water, and shelter and may also benefit from being “shielded” by humans from their natural predators if those predator species are less able to coexist with humans or if they alter their behavior when living in proximity to humans (the human shield hypothesis). The human shield hypothesis has been used to explain the co-existence of dominant and subordinate mesopredators in some of North America’s largest cities. Our objective was to evaluate if patterns of Virginia opossum occupancy, abundance, and activity conformed to patterns consistent with the presence of a human shield. We used data from a coordinated continent-wide camera trapping study, Snapshot USA to estimate Virginia opossum occupancy, abundance, and activity and relate these measures to surrounding landscape and urbanization variables. We found that opossum occupancy was positively associated with an index of human activity (anthropogenic sound), although at very high levels of sound, opossum occurrence decreased. Furthermore, opossum in heavily forest areas were more likely to be detected in areas with nearby anthropogenic sound indicating a preference towards settling near humans. In areas with a high density of human housing, opossum relative abundance and predator abundance both increased suggesting that opossum were shielded from predators, whereas at low or moderate levels of housing density, opossum abundance did not increase although predator abundance did. We found that opossum were strictly nocturnal (99% of detections) and that they shifted their activity to being active earlier in the evening in the presence of high predator abundance. We found evidence that Virginia opossum are likely shielded by humans from their predators and this was most apparent when examining abundance and to some extent occupancy. These results help to explain why the Virginia opossum is such a successful urban-exploiter.
Veon, J.T., B.A. DeGregorio, L.W. Naylor, K.J. Reinecke, B.C. Dabbert, D.W. Demarest, K.M. Hartke, and D.G. Krementz. 2023. Body mass dynamics in wintering mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) in the lower mississippi alluvial valley. Global Ecology and Conservation 41: e02368 \| Download	January 2023
Vega-Castillo, S. I., J. A. Collazo, A. R. Puente-Rolón, and E. Cuevas. 2020. Influence of habitat structure and prey abundance on occupancy and abundance of two anoles ecomorphs, Anolis cristatellus and Anolis krugi, in Secondary Karst Forests in Northern Puerto Rico. J. of Herpetology 54(1) : 107-117. doi.org/10.1670/19-009	March 2020
Vargas K, Brown DE, Wisely E, and M. Culver. 2019. A resurrection of the Tamaulipas white-sided jackrabbit, Lepus altamira, based on DNA sequence data. Revista. Mexicana. Biodiv. vol.90, http://dx.doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2019.90.2520; Epub May 27, 2019	January 2019
VanderBloemen, S. L.E. Miranda, G.G. Sass, M. Colvin, and N. Faucheux. 2023. Influence of invasive bigheaded carps on Gizzard Shad in the Tennessee River. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. https://doi.org/10.1002/tafs.10442 \| Abstract	August 2023	The Tennessee River basin and its cascade of reservoirs are home to some of the most diverse fish assemblages in the world. This unique system is threatened by the ongoing invasion of Silver Carp <i>Hypophthalmichthys molitrix</i> and Bighead Carp <i>H. nobilis</i>, hereafter bigheaded carps. Bigheaded carps may directly compete for food resources with native clupeid species such as Gizzard Shad <i>Dorosoma cepedianum</i>, and this potential interaction could have damaging ecological and economic consequences. High relative abundances of Gizzard Shad are crucial to the Tennessee River food web and associated fisheries because of their role as a forage base for piscivorous species. We analyzed an extensive dataset of annual gillnetting and electrofishing data extending from 1990 to 2017, to test whether Gizzard Shad relative abundances have changed in Tennessee River reservoirs since the invasion of bigheaded carps. Our analyses indicate that Gizzard Shad abundances have been declining and were already declining prior to the discovery of bigheaded carps in the Tennessee River. The Tennessee River system needs to be continually monitored for any signs of possible interactions between bigheaded carps and Gizzard Shad.
Van Doren, B.M., Willard, D.E., Hennen, M., Horton, K.G., Stuber, E.F., Sheldon, D., Sivakumar, A.H., Wang, J., Farnsworth, A. and Winger, B.M., 2021. Drivers of fatal bird collisions in an urban center. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(24). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2101666118	April 2021
Van Buskirk, A., C. S. Rosenberry, B. D. Wallingford, E. J. Domoto, M. E. McDill, P. Drohan, and D. R. Diefenbach. 2021. Modeling how to achieve localized areas of reduced white-tailed deer density. Ecological Modelling 442:109393 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2020.109393 \| Download	February 2021
Valente JJ, Gannon D, Hightower J, Kim H, Leimberger K, Macedo R, Rousseau J, Weldy M, Zitomer R, Fahrig L, Fletcher R, Wu J, Betts MG. Toward conciliation in the habitat fragmentation and biodiversity debate. Landscape Ecology. \| Abstract \| Download \| Publisher Website	September 2023	Landscape-scale conservation planning is urgent given the extent of anthropogenic land-use change and its pervasive impacts on Earth’s biodiversity. However, such efforts are hindered by disagreements over the effects of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity that have persisted since the mid-1970s. We contend that nearly 50 years later, these disagreements have become a locked-in debate characterized by polarized, unproductive discourse and a lack of consistent guidance for landscape managers and policy makers. Here, we highlight the need for a unified set of principles regarding conservation in fragmented landscapes, identify potential reasons for disparate conclusions in fragmentation research, and suggest ways for the ecological community to advance research that leads to consensus rather than the perpetuation of disagreement. Explicit efforts to develop and test multiple competing hypotheses, inter-laboratory collaborations, and acknowledgement of multiple interacting effects will be vital for moving the fragmentation debate forward. We argue that we in the ecology community should be responsible for helping to reconcile different views across scales, systems, and methodological approaches to advance conservation planning within a landscape ecology framework.
Vaisvil, A., C.A. Caldwell, and E. Frey. Effects of water-level fluctuations and water temperature on young-of-year Largemouth Bass in a southwest Irrigation reservoir. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 12(2):534-543. \| Abstract	August 2022	The effects of a warming climate will alter the hydrological cycles of arid southwestern U.S. reservoirs which primarily support agricultural needs, provide flood control, and generate hydroelectric power while secondarily supporting fish communities and sport fishing opportunities. The success of littoral spawning fishes depends on the timing and variability of water levels. The onset of drought between 2017 and 2018 provided an opportunity to evaluate the timing of hatch dates and relative abundance of young-of-year Largemouth Bass<i> Micropterus salmoides </i>across two water years of varying water temperatures and water levels in a southwestern U.S. reservoir. A retrospective analysis of otoliths in young-of-year Largemouth Bass revealed similar hatch dates in 2017 (14 April–29 May) and 2018 (13 April–28 May) despite differences in water temperature and water level rate-of-change. Median water temperature during hatch dates was greater in 2017 (median 19.0°C, range 14.3–24.4°C) than 2018 (17.6°C, range 13.5–21.7°C). Water level rate-of-change during hatch dates in 2017 was positive (+3.1– +13.1 cm/d), which reflected reservoir filling. In contrast, water level rate-of-change during hatch dates in 2018 was negative (-8.5– -0.6 cm/d), which reflected reservoir receding. Relative abundance of young-of-year fish was greater in 2017 (21.7 fish/h) when the reservoir was filling compared to relative abundance in 2018 (6.8 fish/h) when the reservoir was receding. The median growth rate was greater in 2017 (1.02 mm/d) when the reservoir was filling than in 2018 (0.82 mm/d) when the reservoir was receding. Despite differences in water temperature and contrasting reservoir levels between the two water years, the Largemouth Bass population in a southwest U.S. reservoir exhibited similar hatch dates reported for the species in southeastern and northeastern U.S. reservoirs. While water demand in the 21<sup>st</sup> century may exceed availability, the opportunity exists to collaborate with water managers to benefit Largemouth Bass populations in southwestern reservoirs.
Uthe, P., R. Al-Chokhachy, B. B. Shepard, A. V. Zale, and J. Kershner. 2019. Effects of climate-related stream factors on patterns of individual summer growth of Cutthroat Trout. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 148:21-34.	January 2019
Uphoff, C. S., C. W. Schoenebeck, K. D. Koupal, K. L. Pope, and W. W. Hoback. 2019. Age-0 walleye Sander vitreus display length-dependent diet shift to piscivory. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 34:27-36. \| Download	January 2019
Ulrich, T. L., and S. A. Bonar. 2020. Inexpensive, Underwater Filming of Rare Fishes in High Definition. Fisheries 45:121-130.	March 2020
Ulaski, M. E., and M. C. Quist. 2021. Filling knowledge gaps for a threatened species: age and growth of Green Sturgeon of the southern Distinct Population Segment. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 12:234-240.	August 2021
Ulaski, M. E., S. E. Blackburn, Z. J. Jackson, and M. C. Quist. 2022. Management goals for conserving White Sturgeon in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River basin. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 13:334-343.	January 2023
Tábora-Sarmiento, S., Patiño, R., Portillo-Quintero, C., Coldren, C. 2022. Air, land, and water variables associated with the first appearance and current spatial distribution of toxic Prymnesium parvum blooms in reservoirs of the Southern Great Plains, USA. Science of the Total Environment 836, 155567. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155567 \| Publisher Website	May 2022
Twining, J.P., V.L. Springer, E.G. Cooch, and A.K. Fuller. Landscape-scale drivers of tayra abundance in the Ecuadorian Andes. Biodiversity and Conservation.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-023-02636-5	June 2023
Twardek, W. M., I.G. Cowx, N. Lapointe, C. P. Paukert, T. D. Beard, E. M. Bennett, D. Browne, A. K. Carlson, K. D. Clarke, Z. Hogan, K. Lorenzen, A. J. Lynch, P. B. McIntyre, P. Pompeu, M. Rogers, A. Sakas, W. W. Taylor, T. D.Ward, Z. Basher, and S. J.Cooke. 2022. Bright spots for inland fish and fisheries to guide future hydropower development. Water Biology and Security .https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watbs.2022.100009.	February 2022
Twardek, W. M., I. G. Cowx, N. Lapointe, C. Paukert, T. D. Beard, E. M. Bennett, D. Browne, A. K. Carlson, K. D. Clarke, Z. Hogan, K. Lorenzen, A. J. Lynch, P. B. McIntyre, P. Pompeu, M. Rogers, A. Sakas, W. W. Taylor, T. D. Ward, Z. Basher, and S.J. Cooke^. Bright spots for inland fish and fisheries to guide future hydropower development. Water Biology and Security 1(1):100009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watbs.2022.100009	February 2022
Tuttle, LJ, and MJ Donahue. 2022. Effects of sediment exposure on corals: a systematic review of experimental studies. *Environmental Evidence*. 11(4). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-022-00256-0	December 2022
Tuttle, LJ, RW Lamb, and AL Stringer. 2021. Differential learning by native versus invasive predators to avoid distasteful cleaning mutualists. *Functional Ecology*. 35(7): 1481-1490. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13806	December 2021
Tuttle, LJ, HE Robinson, D Takagi, JR Strickler, PH Lenz, and DK Hartline. 2019. Going with the flow: Hydrodynamic cues trigger directed escapes from a stalking predator. *Journal of the Royal Society Interface* 16: 20180776. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2018.0776 \| Publisher Website	December 2019
Tuttle, LJ, C Johnson, S Kolinski, D Minton, and MJ Donahue. 2020. How does sediment exposure affect corals? A systematic review protocol. *Environmental Evidence*. 9: 17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-020-00200-0	December 2020
Turner, W.C., S. Périquet, C.E. Goelst, K. Vera, E.Z. Cameron, K.A. Alexander, J.L. Belant, C.C. Cloete, P. du Preez, W.M. Getz, R.S. Hetem, P.L. Kamath, M. Kasaona, M. Mackenzie, J. Mendelsohn, J.K.E. Mfune, J.R. Muntifering, R. Portas, H.A. Scott, W. M. Strauss, W. Versfeld, B. Wachter, G. Wittemyer, and J.W. Kilian. 2022. Africa’s drylands in a changing world: Challenges for wildlife conservation under climate and land-use changes in the Greater Etosha Landscape. Global Ecology and Conservation, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02221. \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	July 2022	Proclaimed in 1907, Etosha National Park in northern Namibia is an iconic dryland system with a rich history of wildlife conservation and research. A recent research symposium on wildlife conservation in the Greater Etosha Landscape (GEL) highlighted increased concern of how intensification of global change will affect wildlife conservation based on participant responses to a questionnaire. The GEL includes Etosha and surrounding areas, the latter divided by a veterinary fence into large, private farms to the south and communal areas of residential and farming land to the north. Here, we leverage our knowledge of this ecosystem to provide insight into the broader challenges facing wildlife conservation in this vulnerable dryland environment. We first look backward, summarizing the history of wildlife conservation and research trends in the GEL based on a literature review, providing a broad-scale understanding of the socioecological processes that drive dryland system dynamics. We then look forward, focusing on eight key areas of challenge and opportunity for this ecosystem: climate change, water availability and quality, vegetation and fire management, adaptability of wildlife populations, disease risk, human-wildlife conflict, wildlife crime, and human dimensions of wildlife conservation. Using this model system, we summarize key lessons and identify critical threats highlighting future research needs to support wildlife management. Research in the GEL has followed a trajectory seen elsewhere reflecting an increase in complexity and integration across biological scales over time. Yet, despite these trends, a gap exists between the scope of recent research efforts and the needs of wildlife conservation to adapt to climate and land-use changes. Given the complex nature of climate change, in addition to locally existing system stressors, a framework of forward-thinking adaptive management to address these challenges, supported by integrative and multidisciplinary research could be beneficial. One critical area for growth is to better integrate research and wildlife management across land-use types. Such efforts have the potential to support wildlife conservation efforts and human development goals, while building resilience against the impacts of climate change. While our conclusions reflect the specifics of the GEL ecosystem, they have direct relevance for other African dryland systems impacted by global change.
Turner, W.C., P.L. Kamath, H. van Heerden, Z. Barandongo, Y.-H. Huang, S.A. Bruce and K. Kausrud. 2021. The roles of environmental variation and parasite survival in virulence-transmission relationships. Royal Society Open Science, 8: 210088. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.210088 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	June 2021	Disease outbreaks are a consequence of interactions among the three components of a host-parasite system: the infectious agent, the host, and the environment. While virulence and transmission are widely investigated, most studies of parasite life history trade-offs are conducted with theoretical models or tractable experimental systems where transmission is standardized and the environment controlled. Yet, biotic and abiotic environmental factors can strongly affect disease dynamics, and ultimately, host-parasite coevolution. Here we review research on how environmental context alters virulence-transmission relationships, focusing on the off-host portion of the parasite life cycle, and how variation in parasite survival affects the evolution of virulence and transmission. We review three inter-related “approaches” that have dominated the study of the evolution of virulence and transmission for different host-parasite systems: i) evolutionary trade-off theory, ii) parasite local adaptation, and iii) parasite phylodynamics. These approaches consider the role of the environment in virulence and transmission evolution from different angles, which entail different advantages and potential biases. We suggest improvements to how to investigate virulence-transmission relationships, through conceptual and methodological developments and taking environmental context into consideration. By combining developments in life history evolution, phylogenetics, adaptive dynamics, and comparative genomics, we can improve our understanding of virulence-transmission relationships across a diversity of host-parasite systems that have eluded experimental study of parasite life history.
Turner, R.M., C. Loftin, A. Revello, L.R. Kline, M.A. Lewis, and S.Y. Sekeh. 2021. Modeling and Using Context, vol. 21 no. 4 (CONTEXT-21 Special Issue).	July 2021
Tuma, M. E. and A. N. Powell. 2021. The southeastern U.S. as a complex of use sites for nonbreeding rufa Red Knots: fifteen years of band-encounter data. Wader Study 128(3): 265-273. doi:10.18194/ws.00256 \| Abstract	December 2021	Shorebirds have been banded for decades and monitoring programs have helped to accumulate large band-encounter datasets from across the globe; however, many of these datasets are left largely unused, particularly those collected by citizen scientists. These datasets can provide valuable insight into<br>the migration and movement strategies of shorebirds and the threats they face throughout their migratory cycle. We used long-term (2003–2018) band-encounter data of Red Knots Calidris canutus rufa in North America to determine: (1) the spatiotemporal distribution during the nonbreeding season, (2) site fidelity to nonbreeding sites, and (3) migratory connectivity of knots using the southeastern United States (Southeast), an important overwintering and stopover area for this subspecies. Annual mean site fidelity ranged from 0% to 86% across 24 sites. We found movement between sites across the Southeast during migratory and wintering periods, indicating that knots are using the region as interconnected sites, as opposed to relying on a single site or a cluster of adjacent sites. We identified ‘hop migration’ as a common strategy for knots in the region, and showed regular within-year movement between sites in South Carolina, Georgia,<br>and Florida. The Southeast is an understudied part of the rufa range; our results show the importance of the region to the subspecies both as a stopover and wintering area. Despite the inherent biases in the data and imperfect detection due to inconsistent survey effort, the data showed large-scale movements and confirmed the region as a complex of sites connected by knots.
Tucker, A.M., C.P McGowan, B.L. Nuse, J.E. Lyons, C.T. Moore, D.R. Smith, J.A. Sweka, K.A. Anstead, A. DeRose-Wilson, and N.A. Clark. 2023. Estimating recruitment rate and population dynamics at a migratory stopover site using an integrated population model. Ecosphere. \| Abstract	February 2023	Consideration of the full annual cycle population dynamics can provide useful insight for conservation efforts but collecting data needed to estimate demographic parameters is often logistically difficult. For species that breed in remote areas, monitoring is often conducted during migratory stopover or at nonbreeding sites and the recruitment rate of new breeding adults can be difficult to estimate directly. Here we present an integrated population model that uses mark-resight and count data collected during migratory stopover to estimate population growth rate and recruitment rate for an Arctic-breeding shorebird of conservation concern, the red knot (<i>Calidris canutus rufa</i>), from data collected during spring stopover in Delaware Bay, USA from 2005-2018. At this site, red knot feed primarily on the eggs of spawning horseshoe crabs (<i>Limulus polyphemus</i>), a legally harvested species. We used this model to estimate the relationship between horseshoe crab abundance and red knot demographics, which informed a recent revision to framework used to establish horseshoe crab harvest regulations. Our analysis indicates that the red knot population was most likely stable from 2005-2018 (average l = 1.04, 95% CRI: 0.997, 1.07) despite low recruitment rates (average = 0.093, 95% CRI: 0.036, 0.015). Adult survival probability was positively associated with horseshoe crab abundance (β = 0.35, 95% CRI: 0.09, 0.63), but we found no effect of horseshoe crab abundance on recruitment (β = -0.08, 95% CRI: -0.41, 0.38). Our approach demonstrates the utility of integrated population models for understanding full annual cycle population dynamics, even when data are only available from one point of the annual cycle.
Tucker, A.M. and M.C. Runge. 2021. Optimal strategies for managing wildlife harvest under system change. Journal of Wildlife Management, 85(5): 847-854. https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.22047	April 2021
Tucker AM, McGowan CP, Mulero E, Angeli N, Zegarra JP. 2020. A demographic projection model to support conservation decision making for an endangered snake with limited monitoring data. Animal Conservation 24 (2): 291-301. https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12641	October 2020
Tucker AM, McGowan CP, Lyons JE, Derose-Wilson A, Clark NA. 2021. Species-specific demographic and behavioral responses to food availability during migratory stopover. Population Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1002/1438-390X.12094	July 2021
Tucker AM, McGowan CP, Catalano M, Derose-Wilson A, Robinson R, Zimmerman J. 2019. Foraging ecology mediates response to ecological mismatch during migratory stopover. Ecosphere 10 (10): e02898. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2898	November 2019
True, M.C., R.W. Perry and W.M. Ford. 2021. Forecasting the Distribution of a Range-Expanding Bat Reveals Future Response to Climate Change and Habitat. Acta Chiropterlogica 23(1) : 139-152	July 2021
True, M.C., R.J. Reynolds and W.M. Ford. 2021. Monitoring and Modeling Tree Bat (Genera: Lasiurus, Lasionycteris) Occurrence Using Acoustics on Structures Off the Mid-Atlantic Coast—Implications for Offshore Wind Development. Animals 11(11), 3146; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11113146	November 2021
True, M.C., K.M. Gorman, H. Taylor, R.J. Reynolds and W.M. Ford. 2023. Fall migration, oceanic movement, and site residency patterns of the eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) on the mid-Atlantic Coast. Movement Ecology 2023) 11:35https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-023-00398-x	June 2023
Triano, B., K. M. Kappenman, T. E. McMahon, M. Blank, K. C. Heim, A. E. Parker, A. V. Zale, and K. Plymesser. 2022. Attraction, entrance, and passage efficiency of Arctic Grayling, trout, and suckers at Denil fishways in the Big Hole River Basin, Montana. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 151:453-473. https://doi.org/10.1002/tafs.10362 \| Abstract	May 2022	The Big Hole River basin in southwest Montana supports the only indigenous, self-sustaining fluvial population of Arctic Grayling <i>Thymallus arcticus</i> in the conterminous United States. Denil fishways were installed at 63 low-head irrigation diversion dams in the basin to provide grayling and other fishes year-round access to critical habitats; however, their efficiency has not been evaluated comprehensively. We quantified all components of fishway efficiency (approach, attraction, entrance, and passage) for hatchery-reared grayling, wild trout (Brook Trout <i>Salvelinus fontinalis </i>and Brown Trout <i>Salmo trutta</i>), and wild suckers (White Sucker <i>Catostomus commersonii</i> and Longnose Sucker <i>C. catostomus</i>) during 14 field trials conducted at six Denil fishways over a representative range of fishway slopes and hydraulic conditions using passive integrated transponder telemetry. Attraction (60.4-84.3%) and entrance (44.3-78.6%) efficiencies were variable across test conditions and reduced overall fishway efficiencies (19.1-55.8%). In contrast, upon entry, passage efficiencies were high (96.2-97.0%) for all taxa across all test conditions. Attraction of hatchery-reared grayling was limited at fishways with shallow upstream depths (low fishway discharges) and low attraction flows, but wild fish were less limited by these conditions. Entrance of grayling and trout was limited at deep upstream depths (high fishway discharges) and fishways with steep slopes, especially when plunging entrance conditions associated with shallow downstream depths were present. However, both grayling and trout were more likely to enter fishways with deep downstream depths than those with shallow downstream depths, and deep downstream depths demonstrated promise for increasing entrance at fishways with high discharges and steep slopes. Our results indicate that Denil fishways have enhanced aquatic connectivity for fishes in the Big Hole River basin, and maintaining high attraction flows and deep downstream depths could increase attraction and entrance, thereby improving overall fishway efficiency.
Tracy, E. E, C. N. Teal, S. J. Ingram, C. J. Jenney, J. D. Grant, and S. A. Bonar. 2021. The Impact of COVID-19 on Freshwater Fisheries Fieldwork and Data Collection. Fisheries. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsh.10636	July 2021
Tracy, E. E, C. N. Teal, S. J. Ingram, C. J. Jenney, J. D. Grant, and S. A. Bonar. 2021. The Impact of COVID-19 on Freshwater Fisheries Fieldwork and Data Collection. Fisheries. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsh.10636	July 2021
Torvinen, E.S., Falke, J.A., Arp, C.D., Jones, B.M., Whitman, M.S., and C.E. Zimmerman. Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) otoliths indicate effects of climate and lake morphology on growth patterns in Arctic lakes. Ecology of Freshwater Fish.	September 2022
Tornabene, B. J., M. E. Jaeger, R. G. Bramblett, M. Nelson, N. McClenning, T. Watson, A. Ankrum, K. Frazer, A. M. Reinhold, and A. V. Zale. 2019. Riverine turtles select habitats maintained by natural discharge regimes in an unimpounded large river. River Research and Applications https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.3496	July 2019
Tonkin, J.D., J.D. Olden, D.M. Merritt, L.V. Reynolds, J.S. Rogosch, and D.A. Lytle. 2021. Designing flow regimes to support entire river ecosystems. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, fee.2348. https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2348	May 2021
Ton, R., and T. E. Martin. 2019. Nest Predation and Adult Mortality Relationships with Post-natal Metabolic Rates and Growth among Temperate and Tropical Songbirds. Journal of Experimental Biology 223: doi: 10.1242/jeb.226563. \| Abstract	September 2020	Variation in life history expression is thought to arise from selection acting through physiological mechanisms, but selection pressures may differ or even conflict between life stages. High offspring predation risk can favor fast growth rates among species that may be achieved by faster post-natal metabolic rates. Faster metabolism, on the other hand, may create costs for adults, such that species with low adult mortality rates may be expected to minimize such adult costs through slower metabolism. Thus, mortality at the two different life stages may differentially influence offspring metabolism. We tested these possibilities among 43 songbird species studied on three continents. We found that nest predation risk and adult mortality probability were indeed interactive in their association with offspring metabolic rates across species. Our results provide a rare example of ecological sources of mortality during different life stages being correlated with post-natal metabolic rate as a mechanism underlying offspring growth.
Toews, D.P.L., G.R. Kramer, A.W. Jones, C.L. Brennan, B.E. Cloud, D.E. Andersen, I.J. Lovette, and H. Streby. 2020. Genomic identification of intergeneric hybrids in New World wood-warblers (Aves: Parulidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 131:183–191. doi10.1093/biolinnean/blaa085 \| Publisher Website	July 2020
Todd Zaragoza MI, AJ DuVall, JA Howard, DM Mazurkiewicz, and SJ Converse. 2023. Laying sequence and oceanographic factors affect egg size in Scripps's Murrelets Synthliboramphus scrippsi at Santa Barbara Island. Marine Ornithology 51:1-9.	April 2023
Tipton, J.R., M.B. Hooten, C. Nolan, R.K. Booth, and J. McLachlan. (2019). Predicting paleoclimate from compositional data using multivariate Gaussian process inverse prediction. Annals of Applied Statistics, 13: 2363-2388.	February 2019
Tingley, R. W., Hansen, J. F., Isermann, D. A., Fulton, D. C., Musch, A. and Paukert, C. P. (2019), Characterizing Angler Preferences for Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Walleye Fisheries in Wisconsin. North Am J Fish Manage 39:676-692. doi:10.1002/nafm.10301	May 2019
Tingley III, R. W., C. Paukert, G. G. Sass, P. C. Jacobson, G. J. A. Hansen, and A. J. Lynch. 2019. Adapting to climate change: Guidance for the management of inland glacial lake fisheries. Lake and Reservoir Management 35: 435-452. https://doi.org/10.1080/10402381.2019.1678535	November 2019
Thurow, R.F., J.T. Peterson, G.L. Chandler, C. M. Moffitt, and T. C. Bjornn. 2020 Concealment of Juvenile Bull Trout in Response to Temperature, Light, and Substrate: Implications for Detection. PloS ONE https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237716	September 2020
Thurner SD, SJ Converse, and TA Branch. 2021. Modeling opportunistic exploitation: increased extinction risk when targeting more than one species. Ecological Modelling 454:109611.	August 2021
Thorne, E.D., K.E. Powers, R.J. Reynolds, M.E. Beckner, K.A. Ellis and W.M. Ford. 2022. Comparison of survey methods to maximize detection of a declining rodent, the Allegheny woodrat Neotoma magister, in Virginia. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management.13:396-406	December 2022
Thorne, E.D., K.E. Powers, R.J. Reynolds, M.E. Beckner, K.A. Ellis and W.M. Ford. 2022. Comparison of survey methods to maximize detection of a declining rodent, the Allegheny woodrat Neotoma magister, in Virginia. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management.13:396-406	December 2022
Thorne, E.D. and W.M. Ford. 2021. Contemporary *Distribution of the Eastern Spotted Skunk (Spilogale putorius) in Virginia* . Southeastern Naturalist 20:39-51	July 2021
Thompson, T.J., M.A. Briggs, P.J. Phillips, V.S. Blazer, K.L. Smalling, D.W. Kolpin, T. Wagner. 2020. Groundwater discharges as a source of phytoestrogens and other agriculturally derived contaminants to streams. Science of the Total Environment.	October 2020
Thompson, T.J., M.A. Briggs, P.J. Phillips, V.S. Blazer, K.L. Smalling, D.W. Kolpin, T. Wagner. 2020. Groundwater discharges as a source of phytoestrogens and other agriculturally derived contaminants to streams. Science of the Total Environment.	October 2020
Thompson, L. M., A. J. Lynch, E. A. Beever, A. C. Engman, J. A. Falke, S. T. Jackson, T. J. Krabbenhoft, D. J. Lawrence, D. Limpinsel, R. T. Magill, T. A. Melvin, J. M. Morton, R. A. Newman, J. Peterson, M. T. Porath, F. J. Rahel, S. A. Sethi, J. L. Wilkening. 2021. When is resistance futile? Resisting, accepting, or directing ecosystem transformation. Fisheries. 46:8-21. DOI: 10.1002/fsh.10506	January 2021
Thompson BK, SJ Converse and JD Olden. 2021. Mechanistic invasive species management models and their application in conservation. Conservation Science and Practice 3:e533. \| Abstract	September 2021	Management strategies to address the challenges associated with invasive species are critical for effective conservation. An increasing variety of mathematical models offer insight into invasive populations, and can help managers identify cost effective prevention, control, and eradication actions. Despite this, as model complexity grows, so does the inaccessibility of these tools to conservation practitioners making decisions about management. Here, we seek to narrow the science-practice gap by reviewing invasive species management models (ISMMs). We define ISMMs as mechanistic models used to explore invasive species management strategies, and include reaction-advection-diffusion models, integrodifference equations, gravity models, particle transport models, non-spatial and spatial discrete-time population growth models, cellular automata, and individual-based models. For each approach, we describe the model framework and its implementation, discuss strengths and weaknesses, and give examples of conservation applications. We conclude by discussing how ISMMs can be used in concert with adaptive management to address scientific uncertainties impeding action and with multiple objective decision processes to evaluate tradeoffs among management objectives. We undertook this review to support more effective decision-making involving invasive species by providing conservation practitioners with the information they need to identify tools most useful for their applications.
Thomas, N. A., C. S. Guy, T. M. Koel, and A. V. Zale. 2019. In-situ evaluation of benthic suffocation methods for suppression of invasive Lake Trout embryos in Yellowstone Lake. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 39:104-111.	January 2019
Themelin, M., C. A. Ribic, K. Melillo-Sweeting, and K. M. Dudzinski. 2020. A new approach to the study of relationship quality in dolphins: framework and preliminary results. Behavioural Processes 181:104260. doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104260	December 2020
Tetzlaff, S.J., Sperry, J.H. and DeGregorio, B.A., 2022. You can go your own way: No evidence for social behavior based on kinship or familiarity in captive juvenile box turtles. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 248, p.105586. \| Download	February 2022
Tetzlaff, S.J., J.H. Sperry, B.A. Kingsbury, and B.A. DeGregorio. 2019. Captive-rearing duration might be more important than environmental enrichment for enhancing turtle head-starting success. Global Ecology and Conservation 20, p.e00797. \| Download	September 2019
Tetzlaff, S.J., Estrada, A., DeGregorio, B.A. and Sperry, J.H., 2020. Identification of Factors Affecting Predation Risk for Juvenile Turtles Using 3D Printed Models. Animals, 10(2), p.275. \| Download	February 2020
TenHarmsel, H. J., B. B. Boley, B. J. Irwin, and C. A. Jennings. 2021. Perceived constraints and negotiations to trout fishing in Georgia based on angler specialization level. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 41:115-129. doi:10.1002/nafm.10540 \| Abstract	February 2021	Anglers face constraints that influence participation and dropout rates. Some recreational anglers may be able to negotiate constraints by altering the timing or frequency of participation, acquiring new skills, or modifying non-recreational aspects such as family or work responsibilities. We consider data collected via a mail survey from Georgia-resident trout license holders to identify both perceived constraints and strategies used to negotiate them. To capture variation among anglers, survey responses were grouped by level of angler specialization using K-means cluster analysis, which resulted in a three-cluster solution of most, moderate, and least specialized anglers. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were used to detect potential differences among the three specialization clusters. Tests revealed the least specialized anglers experienced constraints more frequently (mean=1.74 on a 4-point scale) than the most (1.55) or moderately (1.64) specialized anglers. Likewise, lease specialized anglers negotiated constraints (mean=2.81 on a 5-point scale) less frequently than the most (3.00) or moderately (2.75) specialized anglers. The least specialized anglers used negotiation strategies involving overcoming perceived lack of skill more frequently than their counterparts. The most commonly experienced constraints overall were lack of time due to work or family obligations and distance of Georgia’s trout waters from home. The most frequently used negotiation strategies overall were “learn to enjoy being outside and stress less about catching fish” (mean=3.86/5) and “encourage family or friends to go fishing with me” (mean=3.61/5). This research benefits fishery managers by providing a method of identifying angling groups that perceive more constraints and are less likely to overcome these constraints through constraint negotiation strategies. With this information, managers may choose to tailor efforts towards reducing constraints for angling groups that have low participation and may drop out of the activity all together.
TenHarmsel, H. J., B. B. Boley, B. J. Irwin, and C. A. Jennings. 2021. Perceived constraints and negotiations to trout fishing in Georgia based on angler specialization level. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 41:115-129. doi:10.1002/nafm.10540 \| Abstract	February 2021	Anglers face constraints that influence participation and dropout rates. Some recreational anglers may be able to negotiate constraints by altering the timing or frequency of participation, acquiring new skills, or modifying non-recreational aspects such as family or work responsibilities. We consider data collected via a mail survey from Georgia-resident trout license holders to identify both perceived constraints and strategies used to negotiate them. To capture variation among anglers, survey responses were grouped by level of angler specialization using K-means cluster analysis, which resulted in a three-cluster solution of most, moderate, and least specialized anglers. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were used to detect potential differences among the three specialization clusters. Tests revealed the least specialized anglers experienced constraints more frequently (mean=1.74 on a 4-point scale) than the most (1.55) or moderately (1.64) specialized anglers. Likewise, lease specialized anglers negotiated constraints (mean=2.81 on a 5-point scale) less frequently than the most (3.00) or moderately (2.75) specialized anglers. The least specialized anglers used negotiation strategies involving overcoming perceived lack of skill more frequently than their counterparts. The most commonly experienced constraints overall were lack of time due to work or family obligations and distance of Georgia’s trout waters from home. The most frequently used negotiation strategies overall were “learn to enjoy being outside and stress less about catching fish” (mean=3.86/5) and “encourage family or friends to go fishing with me” (mean=3.61/5). This research benefits fishery managers by providing a method of identifying angling groups that perceive more constraints and are less likely to overcome these constraints through constraint negotiation strategies. With this information, managers may choose to tailor efforts towards reducing constraints for angling groups that have low participation and may drop out of the activity all together.
TenHarmsel, H. J., B. B. Boley, B. J. Irwin, and C. A. Jennings. 2019. An importance-satisfaction analysis of trout license holders in Georgia. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 39(6):1227-1241. https://doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10353	October 2019
Teige, E.C., N.J. Parker, M.P. Vhay, and D.A. Haukos. 2022. Durability and longevity of Tympanuchus pallidicinctus (Lesser Prairie-Chicken) fence tags in Kansas and Colorado. Ecological Restoration 40:83-87. doi:10.3368/er.40.2.83	June 2022
Teal, C. N., D. Katharine Coykendall, Matthew R. Campbell, Thomas A. Delomas, Daniel L. Eardley, John A. Erwin, Daniel J. Schill, Javan M. Bauder, Scott A. Bonar and Melanie Culver. 2023. The development of genetic sex identification markers and evidence of a male heterogametic sex determination system in Red Shiner Cyprinella lutrensis. North American Journal of Aquaculture 85:(1)74-86.	October 2022
Teal, C. N., D. J. Schill, S. B. Fogelson, C. M. Roberts, K. Fitzsimmons, J. M. Bauder, W. T. Stewart and S. A. Bonar. 2023. The effects of estradiol-17β on the sex reversal, survival, and growth of green sunfish Lepomis cyanellus. Aquaculture. 562, 738853	January 2023
Teal, C. N., D. J. Schill, S. B. Fogelson, C. M. Roberts, K. Fitzsimmons and S. A. Bonar 2022. Development of Aquaculture Protocols and Gonadal Differentiation of Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus). Aquaculture 547 (2022) 737515	January 2022
Teal, C. N., D. J. Schill, S. B. Fogelson, C. M. Roberts, K. Fitzsimmons and S. A. Bonar 2022. Development of Aquaculture Protocols and Gonadal Differentiation of Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus). Aquaculture 547 (2022) 737515	January 2022
Teal, C. N., D. J. Schill, S. B. Fogelson and S. A. Bonar. 2021. Development of aquaculture protocols and gonadal differentiation of Red Shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis). North American Journal of Aquaculture. Early View.	January 2021
Taylor, W. W., M. Good, A. K. Carlson, T. Scholze, H. A. Triezenberg, and R. Lambe. 2019. The changing face of Great Lakes fisheries. Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management 22(3):355–367. https://doi.org/10.1080/14634988.2019.1657688	September 2019
Taylor, W. W., C. P. Ferreri, A. K. Carlson, and A. Bennett. 2020. Preface. In: Lessons in Leadership: Integrating Courage, Vision, and Innovation for the Future of Sustainable Fisheries. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. https://doi.org/10.47886/9781934874608	August 2020
Taylor, W. W., A. K. Carlson, A. Bennett, and C. P. Ferreri, editors. 2020. Lessons in Leadership: Integrating Courage, Vision, and Innovation for the Future of Sustainable Fisheries. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. 418 pages.	August 2020
Taylor, R. B., Mather, M. E., Smith, J. M., Gerber-Boles, K. 2021. Can identifying discrete behavioral groups with individual-based acoustic telemetry advance the understanding of fish distribution patterns? Frontiers in Marine Science (section Global Change and the Future Ocean). https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.723025 \| Abstract	October 2021	Complex relationships between human and natural ecosystems in human-dominated coastalscapes can be negotiated through science-based, data-driven conservation. To be effective for biodiversity and other issues, however, conservation needs to address processes related to field-based patterns of organismal distribution. Organismal distribution patterns in geographically-large, spatially-heterogeneous, and temporally-dynamic field environments can be challenging to identify using existing approaches. Here we show how dynamic-distribution telemetry data<b> </b>can provide a detailed temporal record of how individuals are distributed that provides new directions for a range of basic and applied questions beyond those issues traditionally explored by telemetry. To illustrate the advantages that accrue from this approach, we explored the connection between discrete groups of coexisting, same-species, same-size individuals and patterns of field distribution. We quantified locations of 59 acoustically-tagged striped bass (<i>Morone saxatilis) </i>within a 26-stationary unit telemetry receiver estuarine array in Plum Island Estuary. We then used cluster analyses on spatial and temporal-spatial metrics from this dataset to (1) assess if distinct groups of individuals coexisted, (2) quantify group characteristics, and (3) test associations between groups and distribution (e.g., physical site types and regions). Four discrete, co-occurring groups of similar-sized, individual striped bass were defined by different patterns of spatio-temporal use of physical habitat types and estuarine regions. Thus, our approach provides a different view of spatial distribution patterns, in a geographic area adjacent to dense human settlements, that has relevance to a wide range of ecological, evolutionary, behavioral, and conservation questions relevant to human-dominated coastalscapes.
Taylor, R. B., M. E. Mather, J. M. Smith, and K. M. Gerber. 2019. Confluences function as ecological hotspots: geomorphic and regional drivers can identify patterns of fish predator distribution within a seascape. Marine Ecology Progress Series. MEPS 629:133-148. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13088.	December 2019
Taylor, J.M., N.M. Roberts, and S.M. Crimmins. 2022. Assessing Winter Habitat by River Otters Using Aerial Surveys. Wildlife Society Bulletin 46:e1349 https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1349.	September 2022
Taylor, D.A.R., R.W. Perry, W.M. Ford and D.A. Miller. 2020. Bats and forest management. Bat Conservation International, Austin, TX and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service White-nose Syndrome Program, Hadley, MA. 25 p.	November 2020
Taylor, C.M., Miyazono, S., Cheek, C.A., Edwards, R.J., Patiño, R. 2018. The spatial scale of homogenisation and differentiation in Chihuahuan Desert fish assemblages. Freshwater Biology 64, 222–232. https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.13211	December 2018
Taylor, C., La Peyre MK, Sable S., Kiskadon E, Baustian M. 2020. Gear Comparison Study for Sampling Nekton in Barataria Basin Marshes. 66 pp. https://thewaterinstitute.org/reports	June 2020
Taylor, AT, MR Bangs, and JM. Long. 2021. Sibship reconstruction from single-nucleotide polymorphisms illuminates the scope of a cryptic aquatic species invasion. Biological Invasions 23:569-580. doi:10.1007/s10530-020-02384-5	November 2020
Taylor, A.T., T. Hafen, C.T. Holley, A. Gonzalez, and J.M. Long. 2020. Spatial sampling bias and model complexity in stream-based species distribution models: a case study of Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) in the Arkansas River basin, U.S.A. Ecology and Evolution 10:705-717. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5913	January 2020
Taylor, A.T., J.M. Long, R.A. Snow, and M.J. Porta. 2020. Hybridization and population genetics of Alligator Gar in Lake Texoma. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 40:544-554.	June 2020
Taylor, A.T., J.M. Long, M.T. Tringali, and B.L Barthel. 2019. Conservation of black bass diversity: an emerging management paradigm. Fisheries 44:20-36. DOI: 10.1002/fsh.10187	January 2019
Taylor, A.T., J.M. Long, M.R. Schwemm, and S.K. Brewer. 2018. Hybridization and Genetic Structure of Neosho Smallmouth Bass in the Ozark Highlands. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 38:1226-1240 DOI: 10.1002/nafm.10225	October 2018
Taylor, A.T., H. von Schmeling, and J.M. Long. 2018. Photographs of Wading Bird Depredation Update Invasion Extent of Asian Swamp Eel (Monopterus albus). Southeastern Naturalist 17:N72-N76.	November 2018
Taylor, A.T., A.M. Peeper, B. Chapagain, O. Joshi, and J.M. Long. 2022. Modern reporting methods for angler tag-return studies: trends in data quality, choice of method, and future consideration. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 42:189-199. DOI: 10.1002/nafj.10738	January 2022
Taylor, A. T., and J. M. Long. 2022. Assessment of invasion extent of Asian Swamp Eels in ponds and backwater marshes adjacent to the Chattahoochee River, with consideration of management and control strategies. Natural Resource Report NPS/CHAT/NRR—2022/2357. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado.	February 2022
Taylor CB, Nyman JA, La Peyre MK. 2022. Effects of freshwater inflow on nekton assemblages and blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, populations in southeastern Louisiana. Aquatic Biology DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00748 \| Abstract	January 2022	High fisheries production within estuaries is associated with coastal upwelling, tidal mixing, and land-based runoff including river inflows that vary from climate and human activities. Understanding how estuarine nekton respond to changing river flows remains critical to manage these systems to maintain fisheries production. To compare effects of different river inflows on nekton, we quantified nekton assemblages in marsh edge and open water sites within an active and inactive delta system. Crustaceans dominated assemblages with Palaemonid shrimp contributing 44% to 65% of total catch, differing only by season, and not delta; summer and fall generally supporting higher densities. In contrast, fish density and assemblages differed seasonally between deltas with the largest differences occurring during extended and high spring river discharge into the active delta. During this period, the active delta experienced lowered salinity, temperature, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) biomass, and reduced fish densities and richness compared to the inactive delta. Active delta sites supported greater biomass of <i>Callinectes sapidus</i> during the fall at marsh edge sites compared to other season and delta combinations. Nekton densities and habitat use patterns across deltas and seasons reflect a combination of life history characteristics of dominant species and habitat conditions. The high spring river discharge in 2019 impacted habitat availability (reduced SAV biomass), habitat quality (decreased temperatures and salinity), and potentially displaced nekton to un-sampled habitat areas (i.e., interior marsh surface) within the active delta. Understanding how altered inflow impacts environmental and habitat variables supporting estuarine nekton production remains critical to support management.
Tang, Z., Y. Zhang, Y. Wang, Y. Shang, R. Viegut, E. Webb, A. Raedeke and J. Sartwell. Drones and Machine Learning Integration in Waterfowl Population Surveys. Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Tools With Artificial Intelligence \| Abstract	December 2021	The rapid technological development of drones has led to an increase in capabilities of aerial image collection and analysis for wildlife monitoring. Historically, wildlife abundance estimates were based on manual counts from the ground or from the air using fix-winged aircraft over the regions, both of which are expensive and potentially dangerous methods. However, drones can help easily collect aerial images with a limited budget and increased flexibility, as it creates less disturbance to the wildlife, allowing us to get closer to the target animals and providing clearer images. In this paper, we propose a new, integrated system of drones and machine learning for waterfowl population surveys, which provides a user-friendly interface for data collection and integrates data post-processing using deep learning methods to detect and count waterfowl automatically. Our system has proved to be an efficient and accurate approach of collecting, analyzing, and providing outputs of waterfowl abundance estimates using drones and machine learning.
Takahashi, F., F. Sanders, and P.G.R. Jodice. 2021. Spatial and Temporal Overlap between Foraging Shorebirds and Spawning Horseshoe Crabs (Limulus polyphemus) in the Cape Romain - Santee Delta Region of the U.S. Atlantic Coast. Wilson Journal of Ornithology. https://doi.org/10.1676/21-00009 \| Download	October 2021
Syslo, J. M., T. O. Brenden, C. S. Guy, T. M. Koel, P. E. Bigelow, P. D. Doepke, J. L. Arnold, and B. E. Ertel. 2020. Could ecological release buffer suppression efforts for non-native lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park? Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 77:1010-1025.	June 2020
Swindall, J.E., H.K. Ober, M.M. Lamont and R.R. Carthy. 2019. Informing sea turtle outreach efforts to maximize effectiveness. Wildlife Society Bulletin 1–11; 2019; DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1004 \| Download	September 2019
Sweka, J.A. and T. Wagner. 2021. Influence of seasonal extreme flows on Brook Trout recruitment. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. https://doi.org/10.1002/tafs.10347	December 2021
Sweikert, L.A., and L.M. Gigliotti. 2018. A values-based landowner typology to improve grassland conservation initiatives. Society & Natural Resources, 32(2):167-183.	December 2018
Sweikert, L. A., and Gigliotti, L. M. (2018). Evaluating the role of Farm Bill conservation program participation in conserving America's grasslands. Land Use Policy, 81:392-399	December 2018
Sweikert, L. A. , and L. M. Gigliotti. 2019. Understanding conservation decisions of agriculture producers. Journal of Wildlife Management 83(4):993-1004.	July 2019
Sweet, A. D., R. E. Wilson, S. A. Sonsthagen, and K. P. Johnson. 2020. Lousy grouse: Comparing evolutionary patterns in Alaska galliform lice to understand host evolution and host-parasite interactions. Ecology and Evolution. 10:8379–8393.	July 2020
Swanson, J. E., C. L. Pierce, S. J. Dinsmore, K. L. Smalling, T. W. Stewart, M. W. Vandever, and E. Muths. 2019. Factors influencing anuran wetland occupancy in an agricultural landscape. Herpetologica https://doi.org/10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-18-00013.1.	January 2019
Swam L, Marshall D, La Peyre MK. 2022. Five years of monitoring of bio-engineered living shoreline oyster reef development. Cooperator Science Series 139-2022.	February 2022
Susan A. Schroeder, Louis Cornicelli, David C. Fulton & Steven S. Merchant (2019) The influence of motivation versus experience on recreation satisfaction: How appreciative- versus achievement-oriented recreation experience preferences relate to hunter satisfaction, Journal of Leisure Research, 50:2, 107-131, DOI: 10.1080/00222216.2018.1557502	February 2019
Suraci, Justin P., et al. "Disturbance type and species life history predict mammal responses to humans." Global change biology 27.16 (2021): 3718-3731. \| Abstract	August 2021	Human activity and land use change impact every landscape on Earth, driving declines in many animal species while benefiting others. Species ecological and life history traits may predict success in human-dominated landscapes such that only species with “winning” combinations of traits will persist in disturbed environments. However, this link between species traits and successful coexistence with humans remains obscured by the complexity of anthropogenic disturbances and variability among study systems. We compiled detection data for 24 mammal species from 61 populations across North America to quantify the effects of (1) the direct presence of people and (2) the human footprint (landscape modification) on mammal occurrence and activity levels. Thirty-three percent of mammal species exhibited a net negative response (i.e., reduced occurrence or activity) to increasing human presence and/or footprint across populations, whereas 58% of species were positively associated with increasing disturbance. However, apparent benefits of human presence and footprint tended to decrease or disappear at higher disturbance levels, indicative of thresholds in mammal species’ capacity to tolerate disturbance or exploit human-dominated landscapes. Species ecological and life history traits were strong predictors of their responses to human footprint, with increasing footprint favoring smaller, less carnivorous, faster-reproducing species. The positive and negative effects of human presence were distributed more randomly with respect to species trait values, with apparent winners and losers across a range of body sizes and dietary guilds. Differential responses by some species to human presence and human footprint highlight the importance of considering these two forms of human disturbance separately when estimating anthropogenic impacts on wildlife. Our approach provides insights into the complex mechanisms through which human activities shape mammal communities globally, revealing the drivers of the loss of larger predators in human-modified landscapes.
Sura, S. A., Smith, L. L., Ambrose, M. R., Amorim, C. E. G., Beichman, A. C., Gomez, A. C. R., Juhn, M., Kandlikar, G. S., Miller, J. S., Mooney, J., Mummah, R. O., Lohmueller, K. E., & Lloyd-Smith, J. O. (2019). Ten simple rules for giving an effective academic job talk. PLOS Computational Biology, 15(7), e1007163. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007163	July 2019
Sundmark, Aaron P., and Gigliotti, Larry M. 2019. Economic activity generated by angling at small South Dakota lakes. Fisheries, 44(7):321-330.	April 2019
Sun, C.C., J.E. Hurst, and A.K. Fuller. 2021. Citizen science data collection for integrated wildlife population analyses. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2021.682124	June 2021
Sun, C.C., A.K. Fuller, and J.A. Royle. Incorporating citizen science data in spatially explicit integrated population models. Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2777	July 2019
Sullivan, L., Jones, M. S., Jimenez, M. F., Dodgson, K. R., & Storrs, E. L. (2022). Justice discourses in the mainstream environmental movement, 30 years after the SWOP letter. Environmental Justice. https://doi.org/10.1089/env.2022.0025 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	November 2022	Calls for the mainstream environmental movement to engage more closely with the work of social justice have been pervasive for over three decades, marked by demands for large environmental organizations to diversify their staff and center the voices of those living in frontline communities. These calls, first made prominent by the Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) in 1990, have grown in intensity in recent years as rampant inequalities compound environmental crises, illustrating that environmental protection cannot be decoupled from social justice. In this paper, we draw on public statements released by large environmental organizations in the wake of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests to examine how their use of language around racial and social justice today reflects early calls for the environmental movement to address its own problematic legacies and align its aims with the work of environmental justice. Our findings suggest that organizations are leaning into four distinct discourses around justice that evoke ideas of <i>solidarity, heroism, internal reform, and redress of problematic legacies</i>, but also indicate a relative lack of attention to ideological or structural change within the movement. We explore the historical context of these findings, paying particular attention to the ways in which the neoliberalization of the non-profit sector over the last 30 years may have limited opportunities for more emancipatory discourses to emerge. We conclude with a call for mainstream environmental organizations to revisit the SWOP letter and explore new ways to couple internal cultural change with deeper institutional reform.
Sullivan, C.J., K.E. Whitlock, J.F. Hansen, and D.A. Isermann. 2020. Assessing the potential to mitigate climate-related expansion of largemouth bass populations using angler harvest. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 77:520-533. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2019-0035	January 2020
Sullivan, C.J., H.S. Embke, K.M. Perales, D.A. Isermann, S.R. Carpenter, and M.J. Vander Zanden. 2019. Comparison of Bluegill catch rates and total length distributions among four sampling gears in two Wisconsin lakes. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. https://doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10305	April 2019
Sullivan, C. J., M. J. Weber, C. L. Pierce, and C. A. Camacho. A comparison of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) population characteristics upstream and downstream of Lock and Dam 19 of the Upper Mississippi River. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 11(1):99-111. https://doi.org/10.3996/062019-JFWM-046.	June 2020
Sullivan, C. J., C. A. Camacho, M. J. Weber, C. L. Pierce. 2018. Influence of river discharge on grass carp occupancy dynamics in southeastern Iowa rivers. River Research and Applications 2018:1-8. DOI: 10.1002/rra.3385	November 2018
Sullins, D.S., W.C. Conway, D.A. Haukos, and C.E. Comer. 2019. Using pointing dogs and hierarchical models to evaluate American woodcock winter habitat. Proceedings of American Woodcock Symposium 11:154-167.	December 2019
Sullins, D.S., D.A. Haukos, J.M. Lautenbach, J.D. Lautenbach, S.G. Robinson, M.B. Rice, B.K. Sandercock, J.D. Kraft, R.T. Plumb, J.H. Reitz, J.M.S. Hutchinson, and C.A. Hagen. 2019. Strategic regional conservation for lesser prairie-chickens among landscapes of varying anthropogenic influence. Biological Conservation https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108213	September 2019
Suarez B & TB Grabowski. 2021. Estimating detection and occupancy coefficients for the Pacific Islands coral reef fish species. Hawaii Cooperative Fishery Research Unit Technical Report Series HCFRU-001. University of Hawaii at Hilo. Available online at: hdl.handle.net/10790/5553 \| Abstract \| Download \| Publisher Website	January 2021	The data-limited stock assessment models used to monitor the status of coral reef fish species in the Western Pacific region are dependent upon accurate estimates of standing stock biomass generated from underwater visual surveys of reefs. However, the imperfect detection of and variable occupancy of habitat by reef fishes are not currently accounted for in these estimates. Therefore, the objective of this project was to estimate detection and occupancy coefficients for the species listed in the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s Fishery Ecosystem Plans by analyzing the Pacific Island Fishery Science Center-Coral Reef Ecosystem Program Reef Fish Dataset. These detection and occupancy coefficients would then be applied to refine standing stock biomass estimates. In general, species with higher detection probabilities and/or lower occupancy rates tended to exhibit the greatest differences in the estimates of standing stock biomass calculated with and without accounting for detection and occupancy. The standing stock biomass of most reef fish species seem to be underestimated when detection and occupancy are not accounted for. However, the standing stock biomass of larger-bodied targeted species, such as jacks, snappers, and groupers, seem to be over-estimated relative to the estimates generated when accounting for occupancy and detection. Based on the re-estimated standing stock biomass. While there are still issues to resolve regarding how well the current data collection methods meet the underlying assumptions of the detection and occupancy modeling approach, the inclusion of detection and occupancy coefficients seems likely to improve estimates of standing stock biomass of coral reef fish species.
Stuber, EF, BC Carlson, and B Jesmer. 2022. Many avenues for spatial personality research: a response to comments on Stuber et al. 2022. Behavioral Ecology 33(3): 492-3 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac018 \| Abstract	June 2022	NA
Stuber, E.F., O. Robinson, E.R. Bjerre, M.C. Otto, B.A. Millsap, G.S. Zimmerman, M. G. Brasher, K. M. Ringelman, A.M.V. Fournier, A. Yetter, J.E. Isola, V. Ruiz-Gutierrez. The potential of semi-structured citizen science data as a supplement for conservation decision-making: Validating the performance of eBird against targeted avian monitoring efforts. 270, p.109556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109556	June 2022
Stuber, E.F., Gruber, L.F. 2020. Recent Methodological Solutions to Identifying Scales of Effect in Multi-scale Modeling. Current Landscape Ecology Reports 5, 127–139. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40823-020-00055-8	January 2020
Stuber, E.F., C.J. Chizinski, J.J. Lusk, and J.J. Fontaine. 2019. Multivariate models and analyses. Pp. 32-62 in L.A. Brennan, A.N. Tri, and B.G. Marcot (editors). Quantitative Analyses in Wildlife Science. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD.	December 2019
Stuber, E.F. and J.J. Fontaine. 2019. How characteristic is the species characteristic selection scale? Global Ecology and Biogeography 28:1839-1854. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12998	December 2019
Stuber, E., B. Carlson, and B. Jesmer. Spatial Personalities: a meta-analysis of consistent individual differences in spatial behavior. Behavioral Ecology. 33(3): 477-86. DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab147 \| Abstract	June 2022	Individual variation in behavior, particularly consistent among-individual differences (i.e., personality), has important ecological and evolutionary implications for population and community dynamics, trait divergence, and patterns of speciation. Nevertheless, individual variation in spatial behaviors, such as home range behavior, movement characteristics, or habitat use has yet to be incorporated into the concepts or methodologies of ecology and evolutionary biology. To evaluate evidence for the existence of consistent among-individual differences in spatial behavior – which we refer to as “spatial personality” – we performed a meta-analysis of 200 repeatability estimates of home range size, movement metrics, and habitat use. We found that the existence of spatial personality is a general phenomenon, with consistently high repeatability (r) across classes of spatial behavior (r = 0.67 - 0.82), taxa (r = 0.31 - 0.79), and time between repeated measurements (r = 0.54 - 0.74). These results suggest: (1) repeatable spatial behavior may either be a cause or consequence of the environment experienced and lead to spatial personalities that may limit the ability of individuals to behaviorally adapt to changing landscapes; (2) interactions between spatial phenotypes and environmental conditions could result in differential reproduction, survival, and dispersal, suggesting that among-individual variation may facilitate population-level adaptation; (3) spatial patterns of species’ distributions and spatial population dynamics may be better understood by shifting from a mean field analytical approach towards methods that account for spatial personalities and their associated fitness and ecological dynamics.
Strickfaden, K.S., A. Marshall, L. Svancara, D.E. Ausband and T. Link. 2023. Identifying snow refugia in complex forested terrain using camera data. Environmental Research Letters. 18:044014. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/acbb90 \| Abstract	March 2023	Knowledge of snow cover properties on fine scales is imperative both for estimation of hydrologic processes and for habitat management for wildlife species that rely on snow cover. Identification of snow refugia, or places with relatively late snow disappearance dates compared to surrounding areas, are especially important as climate change continues to alter snow cover timing and duration. However, many snow data products are either too coarse-scale to capture variations in snow cover or are too expensive or logistically challenging to collect over broad spatial extents. The purpose of this study was to use remote cameras to collect snow data at fine spatial and temporal scales in a complex forested terrain for the identification of snow refugia. We built generalized linear models to relate the snow disappearance dates (SDDs) at the camera sites to their topographic and vegetation characteristics. We built a model to describe SDDs of camera sites which contained elevation, aspect, and an interaction between canopy cover and cold-air pooling potential. This model could predict SDDs to within 2 weeks and to within 1 week of true SDD for 93% and 71% of the camera sites, respectively. This model contains only data which are readily available as spatially distributed datasets, which allowed for mapping of SDDs across the entire study site. This model and map can be used to guide forest management for the retention of snow, increase the accuracy of hydrologic models, and inform habitat management for snow-dependent wildlife species.
Strickfaden, K.M., M.L. Behan, A.M. Marshall, L.K. Svancara, D.E. Ausband, and T. Link. 2023. Virtual snow stakes: a new method for snow depth measurement at remote camera stations. Wildlife Society Bulletin. http://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1481 \| Abstract	August 2023	Remote cameras are used to study demographics, ecological processes, and behavior of wildlife populations. Cameras have also been used to measure snow depth with physical snow stakes. However, concerns that physical instruments at camera sites may influence animal behavior limit installation of instruments to facilitate collecting such data. Given that snow depth data are inherently contained within images, potential insights that could be made using these data are lost. To facilitate camera‐based snow depth observations without additional equipment installation, we developed a method implemented in an R package called edger to superimpose virtual measurement devices onto images. The virtual snow stakes can be used to derive snow depth measurements. We validated the method for snow depth estimation using camera data from Latah County, Idaho, USA in winter 2020–2021. Mean bias error between the virtual snow stake and a physical snow stake was 5.8 cm; the mean absolute bias error was 8.8 cm. The mean Nash Sutcliffe Efficiency score comparing the fit of the 2 sets of measurements within each camera was 0.748, indicating good agreement. The edger package provides researchers with a means to take critical measurements for ecological studies without the use of physical objects that could alter animal behavior, and snow data at finer scales can complement other snow data sources that have coarser spatial and temporal resolution.
Streker, R.A., J.S. Lamb, J. Dindo, and P.G.R. Jodice. 2021. Fine-scale weather patterns drive reproductive success in the Brown Pelican. Waterbirds 44:153-166. \| Download	January 2022
Stratton, M.E., Finkle, H., Falke, J.A., and P.A.H. Westley.Tracking adult Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) to investigate the presence of stock structure and extent of premature migration in the Buskin River Watershed, Alaska. North American Journal of Fisheries Management.	July 2021
Stout, J.B., M.M. Conner, P. Budy, P. Mackinnon, and M. McKinstry. 2020. Keeping it classy: Classification of live fish and ghost PIT tags detected with a mobile PIT tag interrogation system using an innovative analytical approach. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 77:1564-1573. \| Abstract	June 2020	The ability of PIT tag data to improve demographic parameter estimates has led to the rapid advancement of PIT tag systems. However, ghost tags create uncertainty about detected tag status (i.e. live fish or ghost tag) when using mobile interrogation systems. We developed a method to differentiate between live fish and ghost tags using a random forest classification model with a novel data input structure based on known fate PIT tag detections in the San Juan River, NM, CO, and UT, USA. We used our model to classify detected tags with an overall error rate of 6.8% (1.6% ghost tags error rate and 21.8% live fish error rate). The important variables for classification were related to distance moved and response to flood flows; however, habitat variables did not appear to influence model accuracy. Our results and approach allow the use of mobile detection data with confidence and allow for greater accuracy in movement, distribution, and habitat use studies, potentially helping identify influential management actions improving our ability to conserve and recover endangered fish.
Stout, J.B, M.M. Conner, P. Budy, P. Mackinnon, and M. McKinstry. 2019. We ain’t afraid of no ghosts: Tracking habitat interactions and movement dynamics of ghost tags under differing flow conditions in a sand bed river. 21 September, 2019 Accepted. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, Management Brief 39:1337-1347	September 2019
Stoczynski, L., Scott, M. C., Bower, L., & Peoples, B. Effects of environment and metacommunity delineation on multiple dimensions of stream fish beta diversity. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 11, 182. \| Abstract	March 2023	In a metacommunity context, beta diversity is driven by the interplay between abiotic factors and dispersal as represented by spatial distance among communities. Most existing studies have considered only ‘natural’ abiotic factors and have ignored anthropogenic factors such as land cover change and pollution. Most studies have focused only on taxonomic beta diversity, and few have considered functional or phylogenetic beta diversity. Including anthropogenic factors and multiple dimensions of biodiversity may explain additional variation in beta diversity, providing new insight into how metacommunities are structured across the landscape. In this study, we used a 350 site stream fish abundance dataset from South Carolina, USA to quantify variation in beta diversity explainable by dispersal, as well as natural and anthropogenic abiotic variables. We investigated metacommunity drivers along three spatial delineations by breaking up the dataset into a metacommunity at the whole state level, two geomorphologically distinct metacommunities of the upstate and lowlands, and four natural watershed metacommunities. Within each of these metacommunities we calculated taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic beta diversity and used variation partitioning to determine explained variation. We explained 25-81% of beta diversity for stream fish metacommunities. We observed differing importance of spatial, natural, or anthropogenic factors based on the spatial delineation and diversity dimension. We detected distinct structuring of stream fish communities in South Carolina occurring between the upstate and the lowlands. When accounting for the geomorphic differences the fall line creates, we observed a significant anthropogenic signal in the upstate and lowland metacommunities. Spatial, environmental, and anthropogenic factors explained slightly more variation in beta diversity for the taxonomic dimension compared to the functional and phylogenetic dimensions. Our study highlights the importance of including anthropogenic factors when trying to determine mechanisms for stream fish community structure and the significance of spatial delineation in how researchers interpret their results.
Stock, B.C., Heppell, S. A., Waterhouse, L., Dove, I. C., Pattengill-Semmens, C. V., McCoy, C. M., Bush, P. G., Ebanks-Petrie, G., and B. X. Semmens. 2021. Pulse recruitment and recovery of Cayman Islands Nassau Grouper (Epinephelus striatus) spawning aggregations revealed by in situ length-frequency data. ICES Journal of Marine Science 78(1): 277-292. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsaa221 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	January 2021	Fish spawning aggregations (FSAs) are vulnerable to overexploitation, yet quantitative assessments of FSA populations are rare. We document an approach for how to conduct such an assessment, evaluating the response of Critically Endangered Nassau Grouper (<i>Epinephelus striatus</i>) to protections in the Cayman Islands. We assessed pre-protection status on all islands using length data from fishery catch. We then used 17 years of noninvasive length-frequency data, collected via diver-operated laser calipers, to estimate recruitment and spawning biomass of Nassau Grouper on Little Cayman following protection. Bimodal length distributions in 2017–2019 indicated a large recruitment pulse (4–8× average) derived from spawning in 2011. Biomass recovered to 90–106% of the pre-exploitation level after 16 years, largely driven by the strong 2011 year class. Length distributions were also bimodal in 2017–2019 on nearby Cayman Brac, implying a synchronous recruitment pulse occurred on both islands. Our results demonstrate that: (i) <i>in situ</i> length data can be used to monitor protected FSAs; (ii) spatiotemporal FSA closures can be effective, but success takes time if population recovery depends upon sporadic recruitment; and (iii) FSA fishery management targets may need to be higher than commonly recommended (i.e. spawning potential ratio >0.6 instead of 0.4).
Stiller, J.C., W.F. Siemer, K.A. Perkins, and A.K. Fuller. 2022. Choosing an optimal duck season: Integrating hunter values and duck abundance. Wildlife Society Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1313 \| Abstract	June 2022	State wildlife agencies have long struggled to identify optimal hunting season dates for migratory game bird species that meet the diverse and often competing interests of stakeholders. Many approaches have been used to ensure the regulated community is involved in the decision-making process, including public hearings, hunter season-date preference surveys, and hunter task forces or committees. Although these approaches include portions of the regulated community (i.e., typically the most avid) they may not necessarily reflect the opinions and values of all stakeholders. Additionally, these approaches rely heavily on limited anecdotal observations that may be unduly influenced by hunter avidity (e.g. days spent afield), hunter density, species preferences, and property access. To address these challenges, we used a structured decision-making framework that included a duck hunter survey to elucidate values of a representative sample of the regulated community in each duck hunting zone in New York State. Rather than asking duck hunters about their specific duck hunting season date preferences, we asked them to rank 6 objectives describing what they value in their hunting experience (e.g., maximizing the opportunity to see mallards [<i>Anas platyrhynchos</i>] and black duck [<i>Anas rubripes</i>], maximizing the number of weekend days, etc.). Four of the 6 objectives described duck species availability (i.e., abundance or immigration). We used spatiotemporal abundance models derived from eBird citizen science data to estimate abundance and immigration rates of ducks in each waterfowl zone. We evaluated up to 9 unique season date alternatives developed by duck hunter task forces to determine which season date alternative best satisfied the competing objectives of duck hunters in each zone. The approach we developed allowed for selection of optimal duck hunting season dates and successfully involved avid duck hunters in the development stages, while ensuring that the values of a representative sample of all stakeholders were directly considered through a clear and transparent decision-making process.
Stich, D., Sheehan, T., and Zydlewski, J. (2018) A Dam Passage Performance Standard Model for American Shad. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. DOI:10.1139/cjfas-2018-0008 \| Download	February 2019
Stevens, B., and C.J. Conway. 2020. Predictive multi-scale occupancy models at range-wide extents: effects of habitat and human disturbance on distributions of wetland birds. Diversity and Distributions 26:34-48. doi: 10.1111/ddi.12995	December 2019
Stevens, B., and C.J. Conway. 2019. Predicting species distributions: unifying model selection and scale optimization for multi-scale occupancy models. Ecosphere 10(5):e02748. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.2748	July 2019
Stevens, B. S., and C. J. Conway. 2021. Mapping habitat quality and threats for eastern black rails. Waterbirds 44:245-256.	October 2021
Stevens, B. S., and C. J. Conway. 2020. Mapping habitat suitability at range-wide scales: spatially-explicit distribution models to inform conservation and research for marsh birds. Conservation Science and Practice 2:e178. doi: 10.1111/csp2.178	February 2020
Stevens, B. S., and C. J. Conway. 2019. Identifying important military installations for continental-scale conservation of marsh bird breeding habitat. Journal of Environmental Management 252:e109664. doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109664	November 2019
Stevens, B. S., S. B. Roberts, C. J. Conway, and D. K. Englestead. 2023. Effects of large-scale disturbance on animal space use: Functional responses by sage-grouse after megafire. Ecology and Evolution 13:ece3.9933.	April 2023
Stevens, B. S., C. J. Conway, K. Luke, A. Weldon, C. Hand, A. Schwarzer, F. Smith, C. Watson, and B. D. Watts. 2022. Large-scale distribution models for optimal prediction of Eastern black rail habitat within tidal ecosystems. Global Ecology and Conservation 38:e02222.	July 2022
Stevens, B. S., C. J. Conway, J. M. Knetter, S. B. Roberts, and P. Donnelly. 2023. Multi-scale effects of land cover, weather, and fire on Columbian sharp-tailed grouse. Journal of Wildlife Management 87:e22349. https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.22349	January 2023
Sterrett, S., A. Roy, P. Hazelton, B. Watson, B. Swartz, T.R. Russ, L. Holst, M. Marchand, J. Wisniewski, M. Ashton, and B. Wicklow. 2018. Brook Floater Rapid Assessment Monitoring Protocol. U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Cooperator Science Series FWS/CSS-132-2018, Washington, D.C. \| Publisher Website	September 2018
Sterrett, S., A. Roy, P. Hazelton, B. Swartz, E. Nedeau, J. Carmignani, and A. Skorupa. 2022. Standard Operating Protocol for Mark and Recapture Monitoring of Brook Floater in Streams. U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Cooperator Science Series FWS/CSS-142-2022, Washington, D. C. https://doi.org/10.3996/css67282137 \| Publisher Website	July 2022
Sterling, E., Sigouin, A., Betley, E., Zavaleta Cheek, J., Solomon, J., Landrigan, K., . . . Jones, M. (2021). The state of capacity development evaluation in biodiversity conservation and natural resource management. Oryx, 1-12. doi:10.1017/S0030605321000570 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	December 2021	Capacity development is critical to long-term conservation success, yet we lack a robust and rigorous understanding of how well its effects are being evaluated. A comprehensive summary of who is monitoring and evaluating capacity development interventions, what is being evaluated and how, would help in the development of evidence-based guidance to inform design and implementation decisions for future capacity development interventions and evaluations of their effectiveness. We built an evidence map by reviewing peer-reviewed and grey literature published since 2000, to identify case studies evaluating capacity development interventions in biodiversity conservation and natural resource management. We used inductive and deductive approaches to develop a coding strategy for studies that met our criteria, extracting data on the type of capacity development intervention, evaluation methods, data and analysis types, categories of outputs and outcomes assessed, and whether the study had a clear causal model and/or used a systems approach. We found that almost all studies assessed multiple outcome types: most frequent was change in knowledge, followed by behaviour, then attitude. Few studies evaluated conservation outcomes. Less than half included an explicit causal model linking interventions to expected outcomes. Half of the studies considered external factors that could influence the efficacy of the capacity development intervention, and few used an explicit systems approach. We used framework synthesis to situate our evidence map within the broader literature on capacity development evaluation. Our evidence map (including a visual heat map) highlights areas of low and high representation in investment in research on the evaluation of capacity development.
Stephenson, M.D., L.A. Schulte, and R.W. Klaver. 2019.Quantifying thermal imager effectiveness for detecting bird nest on farms. Wildlife Society Bulletin 43:302-307 \| Abstract \| Download	June 2019	We conducted a designed experiment to test whether having a thermal‐imaging camera available affected researchers’ nest detection rates when searching for bird nests in cropland and grassland habitat in an agricultural landscape of Iowa, USA, in 2016. With known active nests present, naïve observers searched for nests with and without a thermal imager available. We did not find a difference in detection probabilities, although only a large difference would have been detectable with our sample size. Extraneous heat signatures from reflected solar radiation and dense vegetation were key factors limiting the usefulness of thermal imagers for locating nests.
Steffensmeier, Z.D., M. Wedgeworth, L. Yancy, N. Santee, S. K. Brewer, and J. S. Perkin. 2022. Paradigm versus paradox on the prairie: Testing competing stream fish movement frameworks using a highly imperiled Great Plains minnow. Movement Ecology 10, https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-022-00306-9.	August 2022
Steffensmeier, Z., S. K. Brewer, M. Wedgeworth, T.A. Starks, A. Rodger, E. Nguyen, and J. Perkin. 2023. Conservation at the Nexus of Niches: Multidimensional Niche Modelling to Improve Management of Prairie Chub (Macrhybopsis australis). North American Journal of Fisheries Management 00, 1–1. https://doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10860	September 2023
Stears, K., M.H. Schmitt, W.C. Turner, D.J. McCauley, E.A. Muse, H. Kiwango, D. Matheyo and B.M. Mutayoba. Hippopotamus movements structure the spatiotemporal dynamics of an active anthrax outbreak, Ecosphere, 12(6):e03540. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3540 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	June 2021	Anthrax outbreaks across Africa pose serious threats to people, livestock, and wildlife and can be exacerbated by environmental change. However, little is known about how the quantitative spatial dynamics of host movement and environmental change may affect the spread of <i>Bacillus anthracis</i> – the causative agent of anthrax. Here, we use real-time observation and high-resolution tracking data from a population of common hippopotamus (<i>Hippopotamus amphibius</i>) to explore the relationship between changing river hydrology, <i>H. amphibius</i> movement, and the spatiotemporal dynamics of an active anthrax outbreak. We found that changes in water availability indirectly facilitated the spread of <i>B. anthracis</i> by modulating <i>H. amphibius</i> movements. Our findings reveal that anthrax spread upstream in the Great Ruaha River, which followed the movement patterns of infected <i>H. amphibius</i>, who moved upstream as the river dried in search of remaining aquatic refugia. Moreover, infection by <i>B. anthracis</i> did not appear to influence <i>H. amphibius</i> movement behaviours. Contact rates between <i>H. amphibius </i>and <i>B. anthracis-</i>infected river pools are heterogeneous and the frequency and duration of contacts increase the probability of mortality. While difficult to obtain, the quantitative insights that we gathered during a real-time anthrax outbreak are critical to better understand, predict, and manage future outbreaks.
Starkloff, N. C., W. C. Turner, A. M. FitzGerald, M. C. Oftedal, E. S. Martinsen, and J. J. Kirchman. 2021. Disentangling the effects of host relatedness and elevation on haemosporidian parasite turnover in a clade of songbirds. Ecosphere. 12(5):e03497 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	May 2021	The persistence of a parasite species in an ecological community is determined together by its environmental tolerance and host breadth. The relative contribution of these niche characteristics to parasite community structure is challenging to parse because host persistence is also a consequence of extrinsic environmental factors. We investigated haemosporidian parasites (genera Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon and Haemoproteus) in a clade of avian hosts in eastern North America. This clade of Catharus thrushes contains species that occupy specific elevational bands in a non-phylogenetically determined manner. This allowed us to tease apart the effects of host relatedness and elevation on parasite diversity, community structure and infection prevalence. We screened blood and tissue samples from 414 birds from four mountain ranges in the Appalachian Highlands for blood parasites using a cytochrome-b nested PCR protocol and identified parasite lineages by sequencing. We found an overall infection prevalence of 88.4% and identified a total of 38 parasite lineages including seven novel lineages. Host relatedness rather than elevational zone predicted the beta turnover and phylobetaturnover of Leucocytozoon parasites, where closely related host species had more similar parasites. While this pattern was not seen in Plasmodium parasites, the diversity of this parasite genus varied considerably in the high elevational zones among mountain ranges, i.e. a sky-island effect. Additionally, the alpha diversity of Haemosporidians did not vary by host species or elevational zone, Plasmodium and Leucocytozoon infection prevalence was determined by one or two of these predictors, respectively. Haemoproteus parasites were rare in this study system. Our study suggests that the mechanisms that underlie the community structuring vary between haemosporidian genera due to differences in the degree of host sharing among lineages.
Stantial, M.L., A.J. Lawson, A.M.V. Fournier, P.J. Kappes, C.S. Kross, M.C. Runge, M.W. Woodrey, and J.E. Lyons. 2023. Qualitative value of information provides a transparent and repeatable method for identifying critical uncertainty. Ecological Applications:e2824. \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	February 2023	Conservation decisions are often made in the face of uncertainty because the urgency to act can preclude delaying management while uncertainty is resolved. In this context, adaptive management is attractive, allowing simultaneous management and learning. An adaptive program design requires the identification of critical uncertainties that impede the choice of management action. Quantitative evaluation of critical uncertainty, using the expected value of information, may require more resources than are available in the early stages of conservation planning. Here, we demonstrate the use of a new qualitative index to the value ofinformation (QVoI) to prioritize which sources of uncertainty to reduceregarding the use of prescribed fire to benefit Eastern Black Rails(Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis), Yellow Rails (Coterminous noveboracensis), and Mottled Ducks (Anas fulvigula; hereafter, focal species) in high marshes of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Prescribed fire has been used as a management tool in Gulf of Mexico high marshes throughout the last 30+ years; however, effects of periodic burning on the focal species and the optimal conditions for burning marshes to improve habitat remain unknown. We followed a structured decision making framework to develop conceptual models, which we then used to identify sources of uncertainty and articulate alternative hypotheses about prescribed fire in high marshes. We used QVoI to evaluate the sources of uncertainty based on their magnitude, relevance for decision making, and reducibility. We found that hypotheses related to the optimal fire return interval and season were the highest priorities for study, whereas hypotheses related to predation rates and interactions among management techniques were lowest. These results suggest that learning about the optimal fire frequency and season to benefit the focal species might produce the greatest management benefit. In this case study, we demonstrate that QVoI can help managers decide where to apply limited resources to learn which specific actions will result in a higher likelihood of achieving the desired management objectives. Further, we summarize the strengths and limitations of QVoI and outline recommendations for its future use for prioritizing research and to reduce uncertainty about system dynamics and the effects of management actions.
Stahlecker, D.W., Z.P. Wallace, D.G. Mikesic, C.W. Boal, R.K. Murphy, W.H. Howe, and M.B. Ruehmann. 2022. Golden Eagle Breeding Distribution in Wind Energy Landscapes of the Southern Great Plains. Journal of Raptor Research 54:1-11. \| Abstract	September 2022	Abstract.–– Deaths of four Golden Eagles (<i>Aquila chrysaetos</i>) due to collision trauma at a new wind energy facility in east central New Mexico during 2004–2005 prompted concerns about the species’ population status in the encompassing Southern Great Plains region, primarily because its breeding distribution there was poorly documented and wind energy was expanding. Therefore, we conducted aerial searches for Golden Eagle nests across northeastern New Mexico, northwestern Texas and western Oklahoma, and adjacent portions of Colorado and Kansas during 2006–2009 and 2015–2020. We delineated five Golden Eagle Nest Search Areas (NSAs) with unique physiographic/geological origins. Individual NSAs were searched partly or entirely for up to 8 yr. Collectively, we identified 123 breeding areas (BAs) occupied by Golden Eagles ≥1 yr, 95 (77.2%) of which were in northeastern New Mexico. The most BAs (40) were in the 11,720-km<sup>2</sup> Highlands NSA. Greatest BA density (126.6 km<sup>2</sup>/BA) and shortest BA nearest neighbor distance (7.4 km) were in the 3,533-km<sup>2</sup> Northern Caprock NSA. Wind energy was developing rapidly in the region. Wind turbines existed near (within 3.2 km) 21 nests distributed among six of 28 BAs in the Northern Caprock and were planned for siting near another BA. Elsewhere, only planned turbines were near nests and only within six BAs. Our findings indicate that the Southern Great Plains supports many Golden Eagle pairs at the eastern margin of the species’ breeding range in western North America. Our data provide a solid basis for protecting breeding habitat from potential threats, particularly those posed by wind and fossil-fuel energy development, and provides a foundation for long-term population monitoring.
Stacy, J., R.L. Ryan, A.H. Roy, and A. Milman. 2021. Homeowners' willingness to adopt environmentally beneficial landscape practices in an urbanizing watershed. Cities and the Environment 14(1). DOI: 10.15365/cate.2021.140102 \| Publisher Website	July 2021
Stachelek, J. W. Weng, C.C. Carey, A.R. Kemanian, K.M. Cobourn, T. Wagner, K.C. Weathers, P.A. Soranno. 2020. Granular measures of agricultural land-use influence lake nitrogen and phosphorus differently at macroscales. Ecological Applications 30, e02123.	April 2020
Spurgeon, J.J. 2022. Defining habitat: implications for management of altered freshwater systems. Lakeline 42: 6-9.	April 2022
Spurgeon, J., J. Kaiser, C. Graham, and S. Lochmann. 2022. Trout responses to stocking rates and river discharge within a southeast U.S. hydropeaking tailwater. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 42:926-938.	April 2022
Spurgeon, J. J., M. A. Pegg, K. L. Pope, and L. Xie. 2020. Ecosystem-specific growth responses to climate pattern by a temperate freshwater fish.Ecological Indicators 112:106130. \| Download	January 2020
Spurgeon, J, M. Rhodes, J. W. Neal, and K. Evans. 2021. Aquatic habitat changes within the channelized and impounded Arkansas River, Arkansas, USA. River Research and Applications 37:462-474.	December 2020
Sparks, M.M., Falke, J.A., Westley, P.A.H., Adkison, M.D., Bartz, K., Quinn, T.P., Schindler, D.E., and D. Young. 2019. Influences of spawning timing, water temperature, and climatic warming on early life history phenology in western Alaska sockeye salmon. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 76:123-135. dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2017-0468	March 2019
Sovern, S.G., D.B. Lesmeister, K.M. Dugger, M.S. Pruett, R.J. Davis, and J.M. Jenkins. 2019. Activity Center Selection by Northern Spotted Owls. Journal of Wildlife Management 83:714-727; https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.21632	January 2019
Sorensen, G.E., D.W. Kramer, J.W. Cain III, C.A. Taylor, P.S. Gibson, M.C. Wallace, R.D. Cox, and W.B. Ballard. 2020. Mule deer habitat selection following vegetation thinning treatments in New Mexico. Wildlife Society Bulletin 44:122-129. \| Download	March 2020
Sorensen, A.E., J. Brown, A. Alred, J.J. Fontaine, and J.M. Dauer. 2020. Student representations and conceptions of ecological versus social sciences in a conservation course. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences 2020:1-11.	December 2020
Sorel, M. H., A. R. Murdoch, R.vW. Zabel, J. J. Jorgensen, C. M. Kamphaus, and S. J. Converse. 2023. Juvenile life history diversity is associated with lifetime demographic heterogeneity in a migratory fish. Ecosphere. \| Abstract	January 2023	Differences in the life history pathways of juvenile animals are often associated with differences in demographic rates in later life stages. For migratory animals, different life-history pathways often result in animals from the same population occupying distinct habitats subjected to different environmental drivers. Understanding how demographic rates differ among animals expressing different life history pathways may reveal fitness tradeoffs that drive the expression of alternative life history pathways and enable better prediction of population dynamics in a changing environment. To understand how demographic outcomes and their relationships with environmental variables differ among animals with different life history pathways, we analyzed a long-term mark-recapture dataset for Chinook salmon (<i>Oncorhynchus tshawytscha</i>) from the Wenatchee River, Washington, USA. Distinct life history pathways represented in this population include either remaining in the natal stream until emigrating to the ocean as a one-year-old (<i>natal-reach rearing</i>) or emigrating from the natal stream and rearing in downstream habitats for several months before completing the emigration to the ocean as a one-year-old (<i>downstream rearing</i>). We found that downstream-rearing fish emigrated to the ocean 19 days earlier on average and returned as adults from the ocean at higher rates. We detected a positive correlation between rate of return from the ocean by downstream-rearing fish and coastal upwelling in their spring of outmigration, whereas for natal-reach-rearing fish we detected a positive correlation with sea surface temperature during their first marine summer. Different responses to environmental variability should lead to asynchrony in adult abundance among juvenile life history pathways. A higher proportion of downstream-rearing fish returned at younger ages compared to natal-reach-rearing fish, which contributed to more variability in age at reproduction and greater mixing across generations. Our results provide an example of how diversity in juvenile life history pathways is associated with heterogeneity in demographic rates during subsequent life stages. This demographic heterogeneity can in turn affect variance in the aggregate population abundance and population response to environmental change. Our findings underscore the importance of considering life history diversity in demographic analyses and lay the foundation for the development of population models that account for different life history pathways.
Sorel, M. H., A. R. Murdoch, R.W. Zabel, C. M. Kamphaus, E. R. Buhle, M. D. Scheuerell, and S. J. Converse. 2023. Effects of population density and environmental conditions on life-history expression in a migratory fish. Ecology and Evolution 13:e11087. \| Abstract	May 2023	Individual variation in life-history traits can have important implications for the ability of populations to respond to environmental variability and change. In migratory animals, flexibility in the timing of life-history events, such as juvenile emigration from natal areas, can influence the effects of population density and environmental conditions on population dynamics. We evaluated the functional relationships between population density and environmental covariates and the abundance of juveniles expressing different life-history pathways in a migratory fish, Chinook salmon (<i>Oncorhynchus tshawytscha</i>), in a river basin in Washington State, USA. We found that the abundance of younger emigrants from natal streams was best described by an accelerating or near-linear function of spawners, whereas the abundance of older emigrants was best described by a decelerating function of spawners. This supports the hypothesis that emigration timing varies in response to density in natal areas, with younger-emigrating life-history pathways comprising a larger proportion of emigrants when densities of conspecifics are high. We also observed positive relationships between winter stream discharge and abundance of younger emigrants, supporting the hypothesis that habitat conditions can also influence the expression of different life-history pathways. Our results suggest that early emigration, and a resultant increase in the use of downstream rearing habitats, may increase if winter precipitation increases in the future as is projected due to climate warming. Characterizing relationships between life-history expression and environmental conditions is a necessary first step in understanding the dynamics of species with diverse life-history strategies. As environmental conditions change – due to climate change, management, or other factors – resultant life-history changes are likely to have important demographic implications that will be challenging to predict if life-history diversity is not accounted for in population models.
Sorel MH, RW Zabel, DS Johnson, AM Wargo Rub, and SJ Converse. 2021. Estimating population-specific predation effects on Chinook salmon via data integration. Journal of Applied Ecology 58:371-381. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13772 \| Abstract	February 2021	1) Recent success in the conservation of many marine mammals has resulted in new management challenges due to increasing conflict with fisheries. Increasing predation by pinnipeds on threatened salmon is of particular concern. Seemingly, pinniped conservation is now in conflict with the recovery of threatened salmon, creating a dilemma for managers. <br><br>2) We use the Lower Columbia River as a case study for examining the relationship between seasonal California sea lion (<i>Zalophus californianus</i>) abundance and survival of threatened salmon. To quantify mortality associated with increasing sea lion abundance, we examined the effect of seasonal sea lion abundance on adult Chinook salmon<i> </i>(<i>Oncorhynchus tshawytscha</i>)<i> </i>survival during migrations through the Lower Columbia River. We integrated data on survival with data on population-specific migration timing, allowing quantification of the relationship between sea lion abundance and survival in 18 populations of spring-summer Chinook salmon listed as Threatened or Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.<br><br>3) Of the 18 populations examined, earlier migrating populations experienced lower survival in association with increased exposure to higher sea lion abundance. We estimated that in years with high sea lion abundance, the nine earliest-migrating populations experienced an additional 21.1% (16.3, 26.1) mortality compared to years with baseline sea lion abundance, while the nine latest migrating populations experienced an additional 10.1% (7.5, 13.0). <br><br>4)<i> Synthesis and Application.</i> Integrating datasets on seasonal survival and migration timing made it possible for us to estimate population-specific mortality associated with increased sea lion abundance in the Lower Columbia River. This information could not be produced from any one data set, highlighting the utility of data integration approaches. The mortality experienced by early migrating Chinook salmon suggests the potential for demographic and evolutionary consequences. Management actions such as hazing, relocating, or removing individuals that are frequent predators on salmon have been proposed. Identifying the management actions that will allow for socially and legally acceptable tradeoffs between multiple conservation and other social values will be facilitated by development of explicit multi-species management frameworks. Continued monitoring will help to reduce the substantial uncertainty about the effect of pinnipeds on salmon and the predicted outcomes of alternative management actions.
Soranno, P.A., K.S. Cheruvelil, B. Liu, Q. Wang, P-N. Tan, J. Zhou, K.B.S. King, I.M. McCullough, J. Stachelek, M. Bartley, C.T. Filstrup, E.M. Hanks, J-F. Lapierre, N.R. Lottig, E.M. Schliep, T. Wagner, K.E. Webster. 2020. Ecological prediction at macroscales using big data: Does sampling design matter? Ecological Applications 30:e02123.	September 2020
Soranno, P.A., T. Wagner, S.M. Collins, J-F Lapierre, N.R. Lottig, and S.M. Oliver. 2019. Spatial and temporal variation of ecosystem properties at macroscales. Ecology Letters 22:1587-1598. (* co-leads)	September 2019
Sonsthagen, S.A., Wilson, R.E., and Underwood, J.G., 2018, Interisland genetic structure of two endangered Hawaiian waterbirds: The Hawaiian Coot and Hawaiian Gallinule, The Condor, 120:863-873, https://doi.org/10.1650/CONDOR-18-98	October 2018
Sonsthagen, S., C. Haughey, M. Sexson, D. Solovyena, M. Petersen, and A. Powell. 2020. Temporal variation in genetic structure within the endangered spectacled eider. Conservation Genetics 21:175-179. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-019-01234-9	November 2019
Sonsthagen, S. A., T. Swem, S. Ambrose, M. Flamme, C. M. White, G. K. Sage, and S. L. Talbot. 2022. The DDT-induced decline influenced genetic diversity in two naturally recovered populations of peregrine falcons nesting within the Alaska Arctic and eastern Interior. The Ibis. 164:1265-1272. doi.org/10.1111/ibi.13095	July 2022
Sonsthagen, S. A., R. E. Wilson, and S. L. Talbot. 2022. Species-specific responses to landscape features shaped genomic structure within Alaska galliformes. Journal of Biogeography, 49:261-273. doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14294	January 2022
Sonsthagen, S. A., R. E. Wilson, P. Lavretsky, and S. L. Talbot. 2019. Coast to coast: High genomic connectivity in North American scoters. Ecology and Evolution. 9:7246–7261.	June 2019
Sonsthagen, S. A., C. Jay, R. S. Cornman, A. Fischbach, J. Grebmeier, and S. L. Talbot. 2020. DNA metabarcoding to infer summer diet of Pacific walrus. Marine Mammal Science. 36:1196-1211.	July 2020
Sonsthagen, S. A., C. Haughey, M. G. Sexson, D. V. Solovyeva, M. R. Petersen, and A. Powell. 2020. Temporal variation in genetic structure within the threatened spectacled eider. Conservation Genetics. 21:175–179.	January 2020
Songsasen N, SJ Converse, and ME Brown. 2019. Reproduction and reproductive technologies relevant to management of whooping cranes ex situ. Pages 373-387 in French Jr JB, SJ Converse, and JE Austin, editors. Whooping Cranes: Biology and Conservation. Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscapes. Academic Press, London, UK.	September 2018
Song, C., O’Malley, A., Roy, S., Zydlewski, J., Barber, B., and Mo, W. (2019) Managing dams for energy and fish tradeoffs: What does a win-win solution take? Science of the Total Environment 669:833-843. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.042 \| Download	February 2019
Song, C, O’Malley, A., Zydlewski,J., and Mo, W (2020) Balancing fish-energy-cost tradeoffs through strategic basin-wide dam management. Resources, Conservation & Recycling.Resources, Conservation & Recycling 161:1-12. DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.104990 \| Download	April 2020
Soller, J.M., D.E. Ausband, and M.S. Gunther. 2020. The curse of observer experience: error in noninvasive genetic sampling. PLOS ONE. 15(3): e0229762. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229762	March 2020
Sofaer, Helen R., C. S. Jarnevich, I. S. Pearse, R. Lyons Smyth, S. Auer, G. L. Cook, T. C. Edwards, Jr., G. F. Guala, T. G. Howard, J. T. Morisette, and H. Hamilton. 2019. The development and delivery of species distribution models to inform decision-making. BioScience 69:544–557. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz045	September 2019
Sofaer, HR, CS Jarnevich, EK Buchholtz, BS Cade, JT Abatzoglou, CL Aldridge, PJ Comer, D Manier, LE Parker, and JA Heinrichs. 2022. Potential cheatgrass abundance within lightly invaded areas of the Great Basin. Landscape Ecology 37, 2607–2618. doi.org/10.1007/s10980-022-01487-9 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	October 2022	<b>Context: </b>Anticipating where an invasive species could become abundant can help guide prevention and control efforts aimed at reducing invasion impacts. Information on potential abundance can be combined with information on the current status of an invasion to guide management towards currently uninvaded locations where the threat of invasion is high.<br><b>Objectives: </b>We aimed to support management by developing predictive maps of potential cover for cheatgrass (<i>Bromus tectorum</i>), a problematic invader that can transform plant communities. We integrated our predictions of potential abundance with mapped estimates of current cover to quantify invasion potential within lightly invaded areas.<br><b>Methods: </b>We used quantile regression to model cheatgrass abundance as a function of climate, weather, and disturbance, treating outputs as low to high invasion scenarios. We developed a species-specific set of covariates and validated model performance using spatially and temporally independent data.<br><b>Results: </b>Potential cheatgrass abundance was higher in areas that had burned, at low elevations, and when fall germination conditions were more favorable. Our results highlight the extensive areas across the Great Basin where cheatgrass abundance could increase to levels that can alter fire behavior and cause other ecological impacts.<br><b>Conclusions:</b> We predict potential cheatgrass abundance to quantify relative invasion risk. Our model results provide high and low scenarios of cheatgrass abundance to guide resource allocation and planning efforts across shrubland ecosystems of the Great Basin that remain relatively uninvaded. Combining information on an invasive species’ current and potential abundance can yield spatial predictions to guide resource allocation and management action.
Snow, R.A., J.M. Long, and M.J. Porta. 2020. Marking otoliths of Alligator Gar by immersion in oxytetracycline. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 40:669-674.	June 2020
Snow, R.A., D.R. Stewart, M.J. Porta, and J.M. Long. 2020. Feeding ecology of age-0 gar at Lake Texoma inferred from analysis of stable isotopes. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 40:638-650. DOI: 10.1002/nafm.10436	June 2020
Snavely, B.M., and R.C. Lonsinger. 2023. The Factors Affecting Female Black Bear Harvest Rates in Pennsylvania. Final Report to the Pennsylvania Game Commission: Cooperative Agreement #4000024645. U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Cooperator Science Series FWS/CSS-150-2023, Washington, D. C. https://doi.org/10.3996/css88880882 .	July 2023
Smith, Kyle, A.C. Landon, D.C. Fulton. A self-determination approach to understanding leisure identity salience among lapsed hunters. Leisure Science. \| Abstract	June 2023	This study extended a framework based on self-determination theory (SDT) to study hunting identity salience in lapsed hunters. SDT suggests that multiple forms of motivation can influence levels of self-determination and subsequent behavioral intentions and addresses how social-contextual factors support or thwart individual satisfaction of needs. In the context of hunting, SDT posits that individuals initially interested in the activity will habitually seek out positive hunting experiences and, when supported, will integrate deer hunting as part of their identity. Data were drawn from a survey of lapsed hunters in Minnesota, United States conducted during the winter of 2021. Results suggested that socio-contextual constraints were negatively associated with intrinsic motivation and support amotivation. Subsequently, these differing forms of motivation had a variable influence on identity salience. These findings have implications for recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) efforts and highlight the need to understand the influence of social-contextual factors and individual motivation in the context of continued hunting participation.
Smith, K., S.A. Schroeder, A.C. Landon, L.J. Cornicelli, D.C. Fulton, and L.E. McInenly. (2020). A replication of proximity to chronic wasting disease, perceived risk, and social trust in managing between hunters in Minnesota and Illinois. Human Dimensions of Wildlife (published online without volume/page numbers). DOI: 10.1080/10871209.2020.1860270	December 2020
Smith, G.D., Massie, D.L., Perillo, J., Wagner, T. and Pierce, D., 2021. Range expansion and factors affecting abundance of invasive Flathead Catfish in the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers, Pennsylvania, USA. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 41:S205-S220. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10628	April 2021
Smith, G.D., Massie, D.L., Perillo, J., Wagner, T. and Pierce, D., 2021. Range expansion and factors affecting abundance of invasive Flathead Catfish in the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers, Pennsylvania, USA. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 41:S205-S220. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10628	April 2021
Smith, D.M., S.A. Welsh, and C. HIlling. 2021. Seasonal Movement Patterns and Distribution of Walleye in a Central Appalachian Hydropower Reservoir. Pages 209-237 in J. Bruner and R. DeBruyne (eds.) Biology, Management, and Culture of Walleye, Sauger, and Yellow Perch: Status and Needs, Springer	November 2021
Smith, D.M., S.A. Welsh, C.D. Hilling. Environmental correlates of spawning related movements of walleye in an Appalachian hydropower reservoir. Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 10:36-44.	January 2023
Smith, D., Newhard, J., McGowan, C. and Butler, A., 2020. The Long-Term Effect of Bleeding for Limulus Amebocyte Lysate on Annual Survival and Recapture of Tagged Horseshoe Crabs. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7, p.1133.	December 2020
Smith, D. M., C. D. Hilling, S. A. Welsh, and D. I. Wellman, Jr. 2022. Differences in population characteristics and modeled response to harvest regulations in reestablished Appalachian Walleye populations. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 46:612–629.	June 2022
Smith, B.J., S.R. Chipps, T. Rapp, J.D. Grote, J. Mecham, and T.M. Stevens. 2019. Comparison of aquatic invertebrate communities in near-shore areas with high or low boating activity. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 34:189-198.	January 2019
Smith, A.B. and 68 others. 2019. Alternatives to genetic affinity as a context for within-species response to climate. Nature Climate Change 9:787-794.	October 2019
Smeltz TS, Harris B, Olson J, Sethi SA. A seascape scale habitat model to support management of fishing impacts on benthic ecosystems. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 76:1836-1844. \| Abstract	September 2019	Minimizing fishing impacts on seafloor ecosystems is a growing focus of ocean management; however, few quantitative tools exist to guide seascape scale habitat management. To meet these needs, we developed a model to assess benthic ecosystem impacts from fishing gear contact. The habitat impacts model is cast in discrete-time and can accommodate overlapping fisheries as well as incorporate gear-specific contact dynamics. We implemented the model in the North Pacific using fishing data from 2003 – 2017, estimating that habitat in 3.1% of the 1.2 million km2 study area was disturbed at the end of the simulation period. A marked decline in habitat disturbance was evident since 2010 attributable to a single regulatory gear change which lifted trawl gear components off the seafloor. Running scenarios without these gear modifications showed these policies may have contributed to a 24% reduction in habitat disturbance since their implementation. Ultimately, model outputs provide direct estimates of the spatial and temporal trends of habitat effects from fishing – a key component of regulatory policies for many of the world’s fisheries.
Smalling, K.L., Romanok, K.M., Bradley, P.M, Morriss, M.C., Gray, J.L., Kanagy, L.K., Gordon, S.E., Williams, B.W., Breitmeyer, S.E., Jones, D.K., DeCicco, L.A., Eagles-Smith, C.A., and Wagner, T., 2023, Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in United States Tapwater: Comparison of Underserved Private-Well and Public-Supply Exposures and Associated Health Implications, Environment International, p. 108033, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2023.108033	June 2023
Smalling, K.L., O.H. Devereux, S. Gordon, P. Phillips, V.S. Blazer, M.L. Hladik, D.W. Kolpin, M.T. Meyer, A. Sperry, and T. Wagner. 2021. Environmental and anthropogenic drivers of contaminants in agricultural watersheds with implications for land management. Science of the Total Environment 145687.	February 2021
Slevin, M. C., E. E. Bin Soudi, and T. E. Martin. 2020. Breeding Biology of Mountain Wren-Babbler (Gypsophila crassus). Wilson Journal of Ornithology 132(1):124-133.	January 2020
Sleezer, L.J., P.L. Angermeier, E.A. Frimpong, and B.L. Brown. 2021. A new composite abundance metric detects stream fish declines and community homogenization during six decades of invasions. Diversity and Distributions 27: 2136-2156. http://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13393	September 2021
Skorupa, A.J., D. Perkins, A.H. Roy, and J.E. Ryan. 2023. Watershed selection to support freshwater mussel restoration: An open-loop decision guide. U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Cooperator Science Series FWS/149-2023, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.3996/css85533320 \| Publisher Website	May 2023
Skorupa, A.J., A.H. Roy, P.D. Hazelton, D. Perkins, and T. Warren. 2022. Evaluation of host fishes for the Brook Floater (Alasmidonta varicosa) from populations in Massachusetts and Maine. Freshwater Mollusk Biology and Conservation 25:91-102. DOI:10.31931/fmbc-d-21-00011 \| Download \| Publisher Website	November 2022
Skipper, B.R., and C.W. Boal. 2019. Nest-defense Behavior of Mississippi Kites in Urban and Exurban Areas. Human-Wildlife Interactions 13:142-149.	May 2019
Sirch, M.W., D.S. Sullins, N.J. Parker, D.A. Haukos, J.D. Kraft, C.A. Hagen, and K.A. Fricke. 2022. Woody species mortality due to a megafire within the mixed-grass prairie. Prairie Naturalist 54:11-23. https://www.eaglehill.us/prna-pdfs-regular/prna-54/prna-008-Sirch.pdf \| Abstract	July 2022	Lack of fire in contemporary grasslands has contributed to the invasion of woody plants that often survive low- to moderate-intensity fire upon maturity. Knowledge of the effect of megafires (>40,000 ha) on grassland tree mortality and role of megafires in maintaining large grasslands is limited. We first quantified severity and spatial extent of a megafire using remote sensing techniques and then evaluated the effect of the megafire on woody canopy cover and tree mortality within the mixed-grass prairie of Clark County, Kansas, USA. We also used remote sensing techniques to estimate woody cover change and performed ground surveys to estimate woody species mortality, top-kill rates of woody species, size of remaining woody vegetation, postfire herbaceous composition, and the influence of herbicide and wildfire interaction on non-native saltcedar (<i>Tamarix ramosissima </i>Ledeb.). The megafire killed 33 ± 2% of saltcedar and 18 ± 1% (mean ± SD) of all other trees, including all eastern redcedar (<i>Juniperus virginiana</i> L.), and another 54 ± 2% of trees were top-killed and resprouted. Herbicide treatments in the burned area before the fire did not reliably increase saltcedar mortality. We conclude that further postfire management may be required to limit woody encroachment following megafire.
Sipe, H.A., Keren, I.N., and S.J. Converse. 2022. Integrating community science and agency-collected monitoring data to expand monitoring capacity at large spatial scales. Ecology and Evolution 14: e4585 \| Abstract	June 2023	Monitoring species to better understand their status, ecology, and management needs is a major expense for agencies tasked with biodiversity conservation. Community science data have the potential to improve monitoring for minimal cost, given appropriate analytical frameworks are established. We describe a framework for integrating data from the eBird community science platform with agency-collected monitoring data using a multi-state occupancy model. Our novel occupancy model accounts for the structural differences in eBird data and agency-collected monitoring data and allows for estimation of both occupancy and breeding probabilities. The framework was applied to Common Loons (Gavia immer) in Washington State. Common Loons are state listed in Washington as Sensitive and identified as a species of greatest conservation need, and little is known about their breeding distribution beyond the locations of known nesting pairs. Based on our model, we predicted that only 6.5% (95% Bayesian credible interval, BCI = 1.6%, 50.9%) of the 2324 sites in our sampling frame were occupied by Common Loons, though Common Loons were predicted to be breeding at 95% (95% BCI = 71.2%, 99.9%) of the lakes they occupied. We identified only 1 abiotic covariate – elevation – that was a useful predictor of occupancy or reproduction probabilities in Common Loons; improvements in the predictive power of our model might be achieved with information on difficult-to-monitor biotic covariates, such as fish community metrics. We found that state agency biologists were 16 times more likely to detect breeding Common Loons during a visit than were eBird users (94.2%, 95% BCI = 77.9%, 98.9% for agency biologists vs. 8.2%, 95% BCI = 6.3%, 10.4% for eBird users). However, the amount of effort expended by eBird users meant that they confirmed Common Loons at 94 sites while agency biologists confirmed them at just 24 sites. Importantly, though, certain information – namely, evidence of reproduction – was only contributed by agency biologists. Our results provide a better understanding of the distribution of Common Loons in Washington, while further demonstrating that community science data can be a valuable complement to agency-collected data, if appropriate frameworks are developed to integrate these data sources.
Simpson, N. T., A. P. Bybel, M. J. Weber, C. L. Pierce, and K. J. Roe. Occurrence, abundance, and associations of Topeka shiners (Notropis topeka) in restored and unrestored oxbows in Iowa and Minnesota, USA.	August 2019
Simonsen, V., E. Stuber, and J.J. Fontaine. (2022) Examining the effects of patch size and nest density on artificial nest survival. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology -* 134(2): 182–192. https://doi.org/10.1676/19-00063	May 2022
Silver-Georges, I., S. A. Ceriani,M. Ware, M. Lamb, M. Lamont, J. Becker, R.R. Carthy, C, Matechik, J. Mitchell, R. Pruner, M. Reynolds, B. Smith, C. Snyder, and M. M. P. B. Fuentes. 2021. Using systems thinking to inform management of imperiled species: a case study with sea turtles. Biological Conservation 260: 109201 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	June 2021	Management of imperiled species facing spatiotemporally dynamic threats is difficult. Systems thinking can inform their management by quantifying the impacts that they face. We apply systems thinking to the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGM) loggerhead (Caretta caretta) Recovery Unit (RU), one of the smallest subpopulations of loggerheads nesting in the USA. We characterized disturbances to nests, management actions, and hatchling production across 12 nesting beaches used by this RU to explore how hatchling production would increase if disturbances were mitigated. Annual hatchling production at sites ranged from 470 to 18,191 hatchlings/year. Wash overs (19.3% nests/year), washouts (17.9% nests/year), and predation (13% nests/year) were the most common annual disturbances across sites. Focusing on the most impactful disturbances at just five sites could increase annual NGM RU hatchling production by 2.2–6.7%. Efforts to mitigate wash overs and washouts are ongoing in Alabama, but these may be futile against tropical cyclones, which accounted for >80% of washouts in the present study, and further require careful examination of associated adverse side-effects. Efforts to mitigate predation are common throughout this RU, but require improved knowledge of predator ecology to reach full potential. Systems thinking allowed us to create a simple model for assessing disturbances and management strategies in terms of hatchling sea turtles. This model can be augmented to run dynamic simulations of how disturbances and management actions impact hatchling production, and can be applied to other species with similar reproductive strategies.
Sikkel, PC, CA Cook, LP Renoux, C Bennet, LJ Tuttle, and NJ Smit. 2018. The distribution and host-association of a haemoparasite of damselfishes (Pomacentridae) from the eastern Caribbean based on a combination of morphology and 18S rDNA sequences. *International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife* 7(2): 213–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijppaw.2018.05.004 \| Publisher Website	December 2018
Sievert, N.S., J.B. Whittier, and C. P. Paukert. 2019. Influence of Conservation Planning Methodology on Species Representation and Spatial Distribution of Priority Areas. Pages 85 to 108 in D. Dauwalter, editor. Multispecies and Watershed Approaches to Freshwater Fish Conservation. American Fisheries Society Symposium.	September 2019
Sievert, N., C. P. Paukert, J. B. Whittier, W. Daniel, D. M. Infante, and J. Stewart. 2022. A broad-scale stream fish community risk assessment based on predicted changes in climate in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States. Ecological Indicators 144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.109493	November 2022
Sievert, N. A., C. P. Paukert, and J. B. Whittier. 2020. A Framework to Incorporate Established Conservation Networks into Freshwater Conservation Planning. Frontiers in Environmental Science: https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2020.515081	December 2020
Siemiantkowski, M. J., C. S. Guy, T. M. Koel, L. M. Tronstad, C. R. Fredenberg, and L. R. Rosenthal. 2022. Combination of acoustic telemetry and side-scan sonar advances suppression efforts for invasive lake trout Salvelinus namaycush in a submontane lake. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. https://doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10855	December 2022
Siemer, W.F., T. B. Lauber, R.C. Stedman, Jeremy E. Hurst, Catherine C. Sun, Angela K. Fuller, Nicholas A. Hollingshead, Jerrold L. Belant, and Kenneth Kellner III. Perception and Trust Influence Acceptance for Black Bears More Than Bear Density or Conflicts. Frontiers in Conservation Science.	February 2023
Siegel, J.V., S.A. Welsh, N.D. Taylor, and Q.E. Phelps. Size Structure, Age, Growth, and Mortality of Flathead Catfish in the Robert C. Byrd Pool of the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers. Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 10:10-16.	January 2023
Shi, Y., J.J. Homola, P.T. Euclide, D.A. Isermann, D.C. Caroffino, M.V. McPhee, and W.A. Larson. 2022. High-density genomic data reveal fine-scale population structure and pronounced islands of adaptive divergence in lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) from Lake Michigan. Evolutionary Applications. https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13475	August 2022
Shepard, B. B., P. Clancey, M. L. Nelson, C. G. Kruse, R. T. Al-Chokhachy, D. Drinan, M. L. Taper, and A. V. Zale. 2021. Evaluation of remote site incubators to incubate wild- and hatchery-origin Westslope Cutthroat Trout embryos. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 41:844-855. https://doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10588 \| Download	June 2021
Sheffer, R.J., S.R. Hogler, and D.A. Isermann. Submitted. Mark-recapture models accurately predict growth trajectories of known-age muskellunge in Green Bay, Lake Michigan. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. https://doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10757	February 2022
Sheehan, K.R. and S.A. Welsh. 2021. Comparison of geographically weighted regression of benthic substrate modeling accuracy on large and small wadeable streams. Journal of Geographic Information System 13:194-209. DOI: 10.4236/jgis.2021.132011	April 2021
Shamaskin, A.V., M.E. Colvin, L.E. Miranda. 2023. Evaluating regional length limits in freshwater fisheries. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2022-0179 \| Abstract	April 2023	Length limits are often used in recreational fisheries management to prevent overharvest and manipulate fish size distributions. These regulations are ideally customized to meet water-specific stock dynamics and fishery objectives. However, in districts with numerous discrete waters, fisheries are commonly managed with a universal regional regulation. Evaluating alternative regional length limits requires consideration of management objectives that may not be important at the single-system level, but that emerge as relevant at the regional scale, such as uniformity of regional harvest, diversity of average catch sizes, and opportunity to harvest. We developed a flexible tool for evaluating regional length limits. The tool joins the well-established Beverton-Holt yield-per-recruit model with elements of decision-support methods. The model quantifies regional management objectives as utility functions that are weighted and summed into a single value used to evaluate alternative length limits. The flexibility of the tool stems from its capacity to consider a mixture of stock parameters and associated uncertainty to evaluate multiple length limits, weighing an array of regional fishery objectives quantified by various performance metrics. This adjustability affords flexibility to consider a diversity of options that can stimulate innovation in setting regional length limits. We demonstrate the model by evaluating varying length limits on fishery objectives related to the management of hypothetical Yellow Perch populations and real Black Crappie populations.
Shaftel, R., Mauger, S., Falke, J., Rinella, D., Davis, J., and L. Jones. Thermal diversity of salmon streams in the Matanuska-Susitna Basin, Alaska. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 56(4) 630-646. https://doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.12839.	August 2020
Severud, W.J., D.Wolfson, J. Fieberg, and D.E. Andersen. 2022. Sandhill crane colt survival in Minnesota. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management https://doi.org/10.3996/JFWM-21-097 \| Abstract	April 2022	Age-structured population models require reliable estimates of cohort-specific survival rates, yet vital rates of younger age classes are often difficult to estimate because of the logistical challenges of monitoring young animals. As part of a study of sandhill cranes <i>Antigone canadensis </i>in the zone of contact between breeding distributions of the Eastern Population and Mid-continent Population in Minnesota, United States, we monitored first summer survival of 34 sandhill cranes (hereafter, “colts”) using VHF and/or GPS-GSM transmitters. We estimated daily survival probabilities from 19 to 120 days post-hatch using a generalized linear model accounting for interval censoring, resulting in an estimated period survival rate of 0.52 (90% confidence interval 0.36–0.71) over summer (100 days). Estimated daily probabilities of survival increased as colts became older and fledged (at 70–75 days post-hatch), when they presumably became less vulnerable to predation. Causes of mortality were mostly unknown aside from one case of a collision with a vehicle. There is a scarcity of published colt survival rate estimates for sandhill cranes and what is available varies widely by study site. Region-specific sandhill crane colt survival rate estimates can inform future management efforts and inform population dynamics research and overall natural history knowledge of sandhill cranes.
Sethi SA, Carey MP, Gerken J, Harris B, Cunningham C, Wolf N, Restrepo F, Ashline J (2022) Juvenile salmon habitat use drives variation in growth and highlights vulnerability to river fragmentation. Ecosphere 13:e4192. \| Abstract	July 2022	Widespread stream network fragmentation from dams and culverts has altered habitat connectivity in river ecosystems and presents an acute threat to migratory fish. To support watershed management for an iconic migratory fish group, we assessed juvenile salmon growth outcomes across habitat use strategies and characterized how these life histories may be impacted by stream connectivity loss. Juvenile coho salmon (<i>Oncorynchus kisutch</i>) in the Big Lake drainage, Alaska, U.S.A., were individually tracked over 2012-2013 and categorized into habitat use behaviors, with fish either remaining in streams throughout freshwater residency or migrating seasonally to overwinter in lake habitats. Size, growth rate, and body condition of smolts (n=1,113) were compared across habitat use strategies. Juvenile coho salmon that moved seasonally to lake overwintering habitats, the most frequently observed strategy, grew faster and were significantly larger as smolts compared to their counterparts who remained in streams exclusively (spring age 1 fish: 18% larger by weight, 9% faster growth rate; spring age 2+ fish: 26% heavier, 11% faster growth). Environmental data from a subset of overwinter lakes indicate that greater foraging opportunity and lower energy costs may be implicated in growth advantages conferred by lentic overwintering strategies. Habitat use strategies requiring seasonal migrations, however, increased exposure to stream connectivity loss, and fish blocked from accessing a potential overwinter headwater lake by a culvert and dam had lowest body condition among study groups. Stream network fragmentation restricts access to preferred overwinter habitats, and our findings suggest this may constrain freshwater rearing strategies associated with strong juvenile coho salmon growth. As size at smolt has been implicated as a driver of salmon survival through ocean residency, reduced freshwater habitat connectivity during juvenile stages may have deleterious impacts on later marine life stages. Consequently, conservation of stream connectivity across lentic and lotic habitats represents an important watershed management priority for juvenile salmon.
Sethi SA, Ashline J, Harris B, Gerken J, Restrepo F. (2021) Connectivity between lentic and lotic freshwater habitats identified as a conservation priority for coho salmon. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 31:1791-1801. \| Abstract	July 2021	1. Juvenile Pacific salmon exhibit diverse habitat use and migration strategies to navigate high environmental variability and predation risk during freshwater residency. Increasingly, urbanization and climate-driven hydrological variability present further stressors for these anadromous species, emphasizing a need to conserve freshwater habitat integrity to support life history diversity as a buffer against ongoing ecosystem changes.<br>2. To inform catchment management for salmon, information on the distribution and movement dynamics of juvenile fish throughout the annual seasonal cycle is needed. While a number of studies have assessed the ecology of juvenile coho salmon (<i>Oncorhynchus kisutch</i>) during summer and fall seasons, catchment use by this species throughout the annual cycle is less well characterized, particularly in high latitude systems.<br>3. Here, <i>n</i> = 3,792 tagged juvenile coho salmon were tracked throughout two complete annual cycles to assess basin-wide distribution and movement behavior of this species in a subarctic, ice-bearing catchment.<br>4. Juvenile coho salmon in the Big Lake, Alaska, basin exhibited multiple habitat use and movement strategies across seasons; however, summer rearing in lotic mainstem environments followed by migration to lentic overwinter habitats was identified as a prominent behavior, with two thirds of tracked fish migrating en masse to concentrate in a small subset of upper catchment lakes for the winter. In contrast, the most significant tributary overwintering site (8% of tracked fish) occurred below a culvert and dam blocking juvenile fish passage to a headwater lake, indicating these fish may have been restricted from reaching preferred lentic overwinter habitats.<br>5. These findings emphasize the importance of maintaining aquatic connectivity to lentic habitats as a conservation priority for coho salmon during freshwater residency.
Sethi S.A., W. Larson, K. Turnquist, and D. Isermann. 2018. Estimating the number of contributors to DNA mixtures provides a novel tool for ecology. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13079 \| Abstract	January 2019	1. Mixtures of DNA from multiple contributors present a novel opportunity to count individuals to inform fish and wildlife ecology. 2. We apply a likelihood based framework to estimate the number of contributors to a DNA mixture for ecological applications. We then assess the performance of DNA mixture estimation through a combination of simulation analyses, laboratory testing, and a field trial to estimate fish predation rates from stomach content analysis. 3. Simulations indicated reasonably sized genetic marker panels could estimate the number of contributors to mixtures comprised of up to 10 individuals, with potential to resolve larger mixtures with additional markers. Mixture estimates demonstrated robustness to common genotyping errors associated with fish and wildlife genetics applications. Laboratory trials demonstrated that DNA combined from multiple yellow perch (Perca flavescens) could be successfully genotyped with a 14-loci microsatellite panel and led to successful estimation for up to 5-contributor mixtures. Stomach content analysis with DNA mixtures indicated a 5-fold increase in estimated predation rates of yellow perch by largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) relative to conventional visual assessment of diet contents which can miss partially digested prey items. 4. DNA mixtures have potential to expand applications of count-based ecological analyses. Technical challenges in generating genotypes from DNA mixtures may initially limit their use, however, advances in next generation genotyping platforms are anticipated to surmount these obstacles. Chiefly, we envision opportunity for DNA mixtures to advance eDNA analysis beyond presence/absence based inference to enumeration of specimens.
Setash, C. M., W. L. Kendall, and D. Olson. 2020. Nest site selection influences cinnamon teal nest survival in Colorado. Journal of Wildlife Management 84:542-552.	January 2020
Setash, C. M., W. L. Kendall, and D. Olson. 2020. Nest attendance patterns during incubation influence reproductive success of a ground-nesting bird. Ibis DOI: 10.1111/ibi.12838.	March 2020
Serota, M.W., K.J. Barker, L.C. Gigliotti, S.M.L. Maher, A.L. Shawler, G.R. Zuckerman, W. Xu, G. Verta, E. Templin, C. Andreozzi, and A.D. Middleton. 2023. Incorporating human dimensions improves wildlife translocation outcomes. Nature Communications 14(1): 2119.	April 2023
Sergeant, C.J., Falke, J.A., Bellmore, J.R., Bellmore, R.A., and R.L. Crumley. 2020. A classification of streamflow patterns across the coastal Gulf of Alaska. Water Resources Research. e2019WR026127. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR026127.	February 2020
Sepulveda, A., R. Al-Chokhachy, M. B. Laramie, K. Crapster, L. Knotek, B. Miller, A. V. Zale, and D. S. Pilliod. 2021. It’s complicated…environmental DNA as a predictor of trout and char abundance in streams. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 78:422-432. doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2020-0182. \| Download	April 2021
Sells, S.N., M.S. Mitchell, K.M. Podruzny, D.E. Ausband, D.J. Emlen, J.A. Gude, T.D. Smucker, D.K. Boyd, and K.E. Loonam. 2022. Competition, prey, and mortalities influence gray wolf group size. Journal of Wildlife Management. 86: e22193.	February 2022
Sells, S.N., M.S. Mitchell, D.E. Ausband, A.D. Luis, D.J. Emlen, K.M Podruzny, and J.A. Gude. 2022. Economical defense of resources structures territorial space use in a cooperative carnivore. Proceedings of the Royal Society, B. 289. \| Abstract	January 2022	Ecologists have long sought to understand space use and mechanisms underlying patterns observed in nature. We developed an optimality landscape and mechanistic territory model for gray wolves (<i>Canis lupus</i>) to understand mechanisms driving space use and how wolves structure territories. In the model, simulated packs selected territories to economically meet resource requirements by selecting patches with greatest net value, accounting for benefits, costs, and tradeoffs of defending and using space on the optimality landscape. Economical territory selection successfully predicted the population’s distribution, territory sizes of packs, and how spatial requirements are influenced by local ecosystems, prey density, competitor density, and human-caused mortality risk. Economical territory selection is a mechanistic bridge between space use and animal distribution on the landscape. This knowledge can inform conservation.
Sells, S. N., and M. S. Mitchell. In press. The economics of territory selection. Ecological Modelling.	October 2020
Sells, S. N., M. S. Mitchell, and J. A. Gude. 2019. Addressing disease risk to develop a health program for bighorn sheep in Montana. Chapter 14 in: Rung, M. C., S. J. Converse, J. E. Lyons, and D. R. Smith, editors, Case Studies in Decision Analysis for Natural Resource Management, Johns Hopkins Press.	July 2019
Sells, S. N., C. M. Costello, P. M. Lukacs, L. L. Roberts, & M. A. Vinks. In Review. Predicted connectivity pathways between grizzly bear ecosystems in Western Montana \| Abstract	July 2023	Habitat and corridor mapping are key components of many conservation programs. Grizzly bear populations in the continental US are fragmented and connectivity among federal recovery areas is a conservation goal. Building on recent work, we modeled movements to predict areas of connectivity, using integrated step selection functions (iSSFs) developed from GPS-collared grizzly bears (F = 46, M = 19) in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE). We applied iSSFs in a >300,000 km<sup>2</sup> area including the NCDE, Cabinet–Yaak (CYE), Bitterroot (BE), and Greater Yellowstone (GYE) Ecosystems. First, we simulated directed movements (randomized shortest paths with 3 levels of exploration) between start and end nodes across populations. Second, we simulated undirected movements from start nodes in the NCDE, CYE, or GYE (no predetermined end nodes). We summarized and binned results as iSSF classes (1 = lowest relative predicted use; 10 = highest relative predicted use) and evaluated predictions using 127 outlier grizzly bear locations. Connectivity pathways were primarily associated with mountainous areas and secondarily with river and stream courses in open valleys. Values at outlier locations indicated good model fit and mean iSSF classes at outlier locations (≥7.4) and Spearman rank correlations (≥0.87) were highest for undirected simulations and directed simulations with the highest level of exploration. Our resulting predictive maps will facilitate on-the-ground application of this research for prioritizing habitat conservation, human-bear conflict mitigation, and transportation planning. Additionally, our overall modeling approach has direct utility for myriad species and conservation applications.
Selch, T.M., S.R. Chipps, B.G. Blackwell, and R.P. Hanten. 2019. Influence of Season, Sex, Age and Diet Composition on Mercury Concentration in Walleye Sander vitreus. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 77:336-343.	August 2019
Sehlinger, T, Lowe MR, La Peyre MK, Soniat TM. Differential effects of temperature and salinity on growth and mortality of oysters (Crassostrea virginica) in Barataria Bay and Breton Sound, Louisiana. Journal of Shellfish Research 38:317-326. https://doi.org/10.2983/035.038.0212.	August 2019
Seguy, L. and J.M. Long. 2021. Perceived ecological threats and economic benefits of non-native black bass in the United States. Fisheries 46:56-65. DOI: 10.1002/fsh.10520	November 2020
Scott L. Morford, Brady W. Allred, Dirac Twidwell, Matthew O. Jones, Jeremy D. Maestas, Caleb P. Roberts, David E. Naugle. Herbaceous production lost to woody encroachment in U.S. rangelands. Journal of Applied Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14288 \| Abstract	October 2023	Rangelands of the United States provide ecosystem services that sustain biodiversity and rural economies. Native tree encroachment is a recognized and long-standing conservation challenge to these landscapes, but its impact is often overlooked due to the slow pace of tree invasions and the positive public perception of trees. Here we show that tree encroachment is a dominant change agent in U.S. rangelands; tree cover has increased by more than 76,000 km2 over 30 years, and more than 25% of U.S. rangelands are now experiencing sustained tree cover expansion. Further, we use machine learning methods to estimate the potential herbaceous production (forage) lost to tree encroachment. Since 1990 roughly 315 Tg of herbaceous biomass has been lost, totaling some $5 billion in foregone revenue to agricultural<br>producers. These results suggest that tree encroachment is similar in scale and magnitude to row-crop conversion, another primary cause of rangeland loss in the U.S. Prioritizing conservation efforts to prevent tree encroachment in rangelands can bolster ecosystem and economic sustainability of these landscapes, particularly among privately-owned lands threatened by land-use conversion.
Scoggins, M., D.B. Booth, M. Fork, R. Hale, R.J. Hawley, A.H. Roy, E.E. Bilger, N. Bond, M.J. Burns, T. Fletcher, A. Gonzalez, K.G. Hopkins, K.H. Macneale, E. Marti, S.K. McKay, M.W. Neale, M.J. Pail, B. Rios-Touma, K.L. Russell, R.F. Smith, S. Wenger, and S. Wagner. 2022. Community-powered urban stream restoration: A framework for sustainable and resilient urban ecosystems. Freshwater Science 41: 404-419. https://doi.org/10.1086/721150 \| Publisher Website	September 2022
Schweiger, B.R., J.K. Frey, and J.W. Cain III. 2021. A case for multiscale habitat selection studies of small mammals. Journal of Mammalogy 102:1249-1265. \| Download	October 2021
Schwabenlander, M.D., G. Rowden, S. Stone, R. Shoemaker, L.L. Lindsey, J.D. Oliver, L. Glaser, M. Carstensen, J.C. Bartz, W.D. Walter, R.J. Larsen, T.M. Wolf, P.A. Larsen. 2022. Implementing a veterinary forensics approach to investigate chronic wasting disease at a deer carcass disposal site. Wildlife Disease Association Meeting, Madison, WI, 23-29 July 2022. \| Abstract	July 2022	Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is confirmed in 29 US states, three Canadian provinces, and in Sweden, Norway, Finland, and South Korea. Although its geographic origin is speculative, much of the disease spread in North America over the past seven decades is attributed to human activities that include the movement of live animals and animal carcasses. Given the potential for CWD-causing prions to remain infectious within the environment, the disposal of CWD-positive animal remains, whether from free-ranging or captive sources, can play an important role in the transmission of CWD. Regulatory agencies provide guidance and proper disposal opportunities for the control of CWD in endemic areas and to reduce the risk of introduction to new areas. Upon the discovery of an illegal carcass dumping site associated with a CWD-positive captive cervid facility, we employed a veterinary forensics approach to investigate the existence of CWD-positive materials within the site. Animal remains were examined to determine species, age, sex, relatedness, and CWD status. We utilized advanced anatomic, entomologic, genetic, and prion amplification methods to discover CWD-positive remains across multiple age classes of white-tailed deer. CWD prions were detected via RT-QuIC in 13 of 49 carcass samples with 9 of 13 from fawns, 1 of 13 from a yearling, 2 of 13 from adults, and 1 of 13 from a deer of unknown age. We also identified CWD-positive fly larvae associated with positive remains. Our multi-methods approach provides the foundation for the veterinary forensic investigation of CWD spread by means of cervid carcasses.
Schuyler, E.M., C. A. Hagen, C. R. Anthony, L. J. Foster, and K. M. Dugger. 2022. Habitat recovery after large-scale wildfire leads to mismatch in space use by sagebrush obligate. Ecosphere 2022;13:e4179. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4179.	September 2022
Schuur, E.A.G., A.D. McGuire, V. Romanovsky, C. Schaedel, and M. Mack. 2018. Chapter 11. Arctic and boreal carbon. In Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2): A Sustained Assessment Report [Cavallaro, N., G. Shrestha, R. Birdsey, M.A. Mayes, R.G. Najjar, S.C. Reed, P. Romero-Lankao, and Z. Zhu (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, pp. 428-468, https://doi.org/10.7930/SOCCR2.2018.Ch11.	November 2018
Schuster, C.J., T. Kreul, E. Al-Samarrie, J.T. Peterson, J.L. Sanders, M.L. Kent. Progression of infection and detection of Pseudoloma neurophilia in zebrafish Danio rerio Hamilton by PCR and histology. Journal of Fish Diseases https://doi.org/10.1111/jfd.13675 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	July 2022	<i>Pseudoloma neurophilia</i> is an important threat to the zebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>) model, as it is the most common infectious agent found in research facilities. This parasite can cause clinical disease, but more importantly is a causative agent of non-protocol induced variation in research utilizing zebrafish as an animal model. In this study, we tracked the progression of infection using PCR and histological diagnostic tests. The first experiment compared the application of diagnostic tools for detection of <i>P. neurophilia</i> and showed that whole-body analysis by qPCR (WB-qPCR) can be a standardized process and is comparable to previously published assays using neural tissue. We also evaluated the course of infection in experimentally infected fish, revealing that WB-qPCR is much more sensitive than histology. the parasite was detectable as early as 4 days post exposure (dpe) with WB-qPCR, whereas it was undetected by histology until 92 dpe. In this study, we also added a second slide for histologic analyses, and this increased detection in our combined data set from experiments from 24% to 26%.
Schuster, C.J., M.L. Kent, J. Peterson, and J.L. Sanders. 2022. Multi-state occupancy model estimates probability of detection of an aquatic parasite using environmental DNA: Pseudoloma neurophilia in zebrafish aquaria. Journal of Parasitology https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.02.16.480730 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	July 2022	<i>Pseudoloma neurophilia</i> is the most common pathogen reported in zebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>) research facilities. Assays for prevalent zebrafish pathogens are continually expanding, however for <i>P. neurophilia</i>, the only diagnostic methods available are through lethal sampling, often requiring euthanasia of the entire population for accurate estimates of prevalence in small populations. Thus, there is a need to develop non-lethal screening methods that are both sensitive and informative. Here, we describe a nonlethal assay to detect <i>Pseudoloma neurophilia</i> in tank water using a previously developed qPCR assay that was adapted to the droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) platform. The assay detected concentrations as low as 77.5 spores/L and was specific for<i> P. neurophilia.</i> The assay was then validated by testing water from five tanks with infected zebrafish over a three-month period. Each tank was tested using three different water sampling methods: water from flowing tanks, static water, or water from static spawning events. Prevalence data and occupancy modeling revealed that samples collected in static conditions were more informative than samples from flow-through conditions, with prevalence of positive samples at 80% or higher compared to 47%, respectively. Prevalence of positive water samples correlated with prevalence of infection in fish, determined by qPCR.
Schumann, D.A., M.E. Colvin, L.E. Miranda, and D.T. Jones-Farrand. 2020. Occurrence and co-occurrence patterns of gar in river-floodplain habitats: methods to leverage species interactions to benefit distributional models. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 40:622-637. https://afspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/nafm.10402	June 2020
Schumann, D.A., K.N.B. Graeb, J. Pfrimmer, J.D. Stafford, and S.R. Chipps. 2021. The local responses of aquatic ecosystems to adjacent grassland conversion: can streams of dreams exist in a degraded riverscape? Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 31:2481-2495.	October 2021
Schulz, J.H., A.C. Totoni, S.A. Wilhelm Stanis, C.J. Li, M. Morgan, D.M. Hall and E.B. Webb. In review. Policy comparison of lead hunting ammunition bans and voluntary nonlead programs for California condors. Wildlife Society Bulletin \| Abstract	June 2023	California condors (<i>Gymnogyps californianus</i>) are critically endangered and negatively affected by lead poisoning from spent lead-based hunting ammunition. This issue is surrounded by complex policy discussions, multiple mitigation options, and differing stakeholders’ values. Because lead poisoning is the primary factor affecting condor population growth, California Fish and Game Commission banned lead hunting ammunition during 2008 in southern California. Another regulation for a statewide lead hunting ammunition ban was adopted in 2013 and fully implemented 2019. Alternatively, Arizona Game and Fish Department instituted an outreach and awareness program encouraging voluntary use of nonlead hunting ammunition in the northern portion of the state during 2005; a similar program was initiated in Utah during 2009 and accelerated in 2012. Given the data linking condor mortality to lead bullet fragments, environmental groups petitioned several federal agencies during 2010–2016 to ban lead hunting ammunition on public lands. Federal agencies declined to regulate lead ammunition and federal courts ruled against petitioner’s requests, but advocacy from environmental groups has persisted. Currently, fragmented outreach and awareness programs encouraging voluntary use of nonlead exist around the country with little or no strategic planning. Human health is also an environmental justice issue through ingestion of lead bullet fragments in ground venison from hunter donations of game meat. Evaluating policy effectiveness in the three-state region includes monitoring condor blood lead levels, population status, and hunter awareness of the issue and use of nonlead hunting ammunition.
Schultz, J.H., S.A. Wilhelm Stanis, and E.B. Webb. Reducing Lead Poisoning in Wildlife and Associated Human Health Risks.	January 2019
Schultz, J.H., S.A. Wilhelm Stanis, M. Morgan, C.J. Lie, D.M. Hall and E.B. Webb. 2021. Perspectives from natural resource professionals: Attitudes of natural resource professionals about voluntary use of nonlead hunting ammunition. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism 33:100341	March 2021
Schultz, J.H., S.A. Wilhelm Stanis, D.M. Hall and E.B. Webb. 2021. Until it's a regulation, it's just not my fight: Complexities of a voluntary nonlead hunting ammunition program. Journal of Environmental Management 277:111438 \| Abstract	January 2021	Wildlife and human health are at risk of lead exposure from lead ammunition used for deer hunting. Lead exposure persists for bald eagles due to bullet fragments in game animal gut piles and unretrieved carcasses, and is also a human health risk when venison is procured using lead ammunition. Programs encouraging the voluntary use of nonlead ammunition have become a popular approach mitigating these effects. This study explored attitudes and experiences of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) staff implementing an outreach program encouraging deer hunters to voluntary use nonlead ammunition on 54 National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) in the Upper Midwest U.S. to understand factors affecting program implementation by field staff. During 2017–2019, we conducted 29 semi-structured interviews of FWS staff along with 365 responses from an open-ended question on an online survey. Twelve themes emerged from the data and grouped into three broad categories: (1) challenges of dealing with complex issues, (2) importance of messengers and messages, and (3) push-back from staff. Challenges of dealing with complex included administrative restraint and uncertainty, scope and scale of program, human health not an agency responsibility, contextual political influences, and public-private collaborations. Importance of messengers and messages included the importance of experience, and salience of human health risk. Finally, push-back from staff included skepticism of the science and motives behind the program, competing priorities for refuge staff, differing perceptions of regulatory and voluntary approaches, cost and availability of nonlead ammunition, and disregard by some about lead ammunition and human health risks. These findings suggest staff identified numerous challenges implementing a voluntary nonlead ammunition program, many of which are external factors beyond the control of the participants. Understanding the factors and their influence on program implementation may help guide a more rigorous program evaluation examining long-term efforts encouraging the voluntary use of nonlead ammunition by deer hunters.
Schultz, J.H., S.A. Wilhelm Stanis, C.J. Lie, M. Morgan and E.B. Webb. Exploring factors affecting staff support of a voluntary, nonlead ammunition outreach program. Applied Environmental Education and Communication \| Abstract	June 2021	Exposure to spent lead ammunition is a serious issue for bald eagles in the Upper Midwestern U.S. An outreach program was initiated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to address this concern by encouraging deer hunters to voluntarily use nonlead ammunition. This paper analyzes some factors influencing program support among USFWS staff in 2017 and 2018, including the use of nonlead ammunition and lead poisoning in wildlife. Results from pooled multiple imputation showed attitudes toward eagles’ lead risk and importance of informational materials had the strongest effect on program support, followed by an individual’s innovation score. Although previous studies have focused on influencing hunter behavior, our research explored attributes among staff and their support for the outreach program. To enhance program support, different types of staff training might be necessary, depending on perceived eagles’ lead risk, importance of informational materials, and individuals’ innovativeness. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Schuler, K.L., J.A. Jenks, R.W. Klaver, C.S. Jennelle, and R.T. Bowyer. Infectious disease and cause-specific mortality in a semi-protected deer population. Journal of Wildlife Management. Wildlife Biology \| Abstract \| Download	September 2018	Surveillance for wildlife diseases is essential for assessing population dynamics of ungulates, especially in free-ranging populations where infected animals are difficult to sample. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emerging infectious disease of concern because of the potential for substantial negative effects on populations of cervids. Variability in the likelihood that CWD is detected could invalidate traditional estimators for prevalence. In some instances, deer located after death cannot be tested for infectious diseases, including CWD, because of lack of availability or condition of appropriate tissues. We used various methods to detect infectious diseases that could cause mortality for deer Odocoileus spp. residing in Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota, USA, and we report survival estimates for animals in this population. We included 34 monthly encounters of deer resightings and 67 mortalities. We tested live deer by tonsillar biopsy for CWD and estimated pooled prevalence (mean ± SE) at 5.6 ± 3.0% over the three-year study. Live deer potentially had exposure to several infectious diseases, including bluetongue, epizootic hemorrhagic disease, bovine viral diarrhea, West Nile virus, and malignant catarrhal fever, but no apparent morbidity or mortality from those diseases. We tested survival and influence of covariates, including age and sex, using known-fate analysis in Program MARK. Those data best supported a model with time-invariant encounter probability and an annual survival of 72.8%. Even without direct pressure from hunting within the park, average life expectancy in this population was 3.2 years. Only 68% of mortalities contained sufficient material for CWD sampling (because of predation and scavenger activity) and >42% of these were CWD-positive. These findings underscore the possible biases in postmortem surveillance estimates of disease prevalence because of potential for subclinical infected animals to be removed by predators and not tested.
Schroeder,S. A. D. C. Fulton, L. Cornicelli, and L.E. McInenly. 2020. Recreation conflict, coping, and satisfaction: Minnesota grouse hunters’ conflicts and coping response related to all-terrain vehicle users, hikers, and other hunters,Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism,Volume 30,100282 DOIL 10.1016/j.jort.2020.100282	May 2020
Schroeder, S.A., Landon, A., Cornicellis, L, Fulton, D.C. and McInenly, L.2021. Institutional trust, beliefs and evaluation of regulations, and management of chronic wasting disease (CWD). Human Dimensions of Wildlife. 26, 228-244. DOI: 10.1080/10871209.2020.1808915	August 2020
Schroeder, S.A., D.C. Futon, L.J. Cornicelli, S. Cordts, and J. Lawrence. 2019. Clarifying how hunt-specific experiences affect satisfaction, among avid and less avid waterfowl hunters. Wildlife Society Bulletin 43(3):455–467. DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1006 \| Publisher Website	September 2019
Schroeder, S.A., D.C. Fulton, L. Cornicelli. How Minnesota wolf hunter and trapper attitudes and risk-benefit perceptions about wolves predict their management preferences.	September 2018
Schroeder, S.A., A.C. Landon, D.C. Fulton, L. McInenly. 2021. Social identity, values, and trust in government: How stakeholder group, ideology, and wildlife value orientations relate to trust in a state agency for wildlife management. Biological Conservation, 261 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109285 \| Abstract	September 2021	Our objective was to understand how social identity and values influenced general public and stakeholder trust in a state wildlife management agency (SWMA). In particular, we wanted to examine how stakeholder group, ideology, and wildlife value orientation influenced trust in a SWMA. Data were derived from a study of state residents, hunters and livestock producers related to wolf management. Results suggest differences in agency trust correlated with all three factors and the interaction between stakeholder group and wildlife value orientation. Livestock producers reported lower levels of trust in the agency, compared to hunters and the general public. Individuals with conservative or middle-of-the-road ideologies reported less trust in the agency than liberals did. Respondents with traditional wildlife values also had less trust in the agency compared to mutualist, pluralist, and distanced respondents. Results suggested parallels in the ideologies and wildlife value orientations of livestock producers and hunters, although these groups differed significantly in their trust in the agency. Agencies face the challenge of managing common-pool resources for stakeholders who hold different values and ideologies, and who are differentially affected by management decisions.
Schroeder, S.A., A. Landon, L.J. Cornicelli, D.C. Fulton, L. McInenly. 2021. Cognitive and behavioral coping in response to wildlife disease: The case of hunters and chronic wasting disease. Human Dimensions of Wildlife (Published online 4/30/2021). DOI: 10.1080/10871209.2021.1919340 \| Abstract	April 2021	Studying recreation coping is important because some coping may provoke distress, and lead to departure from participation. The transactional stress coping model has been used to examine response to social conditions (e.g., conflict, crowding) in outdoor recreation. Building on this work, we explored how Minnesota deer hunters coped with the presence of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the state. Results are based on a survey of 2018 firearm deer hunters. We examined hunters’ reported behavioral intentions in scenarios related to the presence of CWD, and if the disease affected human health. Results suggest that most hunters would cope using product shift (i.e., eating meat after a “CWD not detected” test result) rather than displacement (i.e. hunting elsewhere or not hunting). Hunters who may cope by quitting hunting reported lower levels of involvement and higher levels of concern about CWD. Results have implications for CWD management in the state.
Schroeder, S., L. Cornicelli, D.C. Fulton, A. Landon, L. McInenly, & S. Cordts. Explaining Support for Mandatory versus Voluntary Conservation Actions among Waterfowlers. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 26(4): 337-355. DOI: 10.1080/10871209.2020.1830205	October 2020
Schroeder, S. A., Landon, A. C., Fulton, D. C., & McInenly, L. E. 2022. On the Multiple Identities of Stakeholders in Wolf Management in Minnesota, United States. FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION, 10. \| Abstract	June 2022	Social identity theory offers a means to understand attitudes about wolves, with consequences for management support. Using data from a mail survey about wolves, we explored relationships among seven identities (i.e., wolf advocate, hunter, environmentalist, nature enthusiast, farmer, trapper, conservationist) using multidimensional scaling (MDS) and principal components analysis (PCA). We examined how identities correlated with political orientation, trust in a wildlife management agency, wildlife value orientations (WVOs) and attitudes about wolves, and we evaluated whether WVOs mediated the relationship between identities and attitudes. PCA suggested two factors, while MDS and correlations found diversity beyond these factors. Hunter identity was most strongly associated with a domination WVO and conservative political ideology. Farmer identity was most strongly associated with agency distrust and negative wolf attitudes. Wolf advocate was most strongly associated with a mutualism WVO, agency trust, and positive wolf attitudes. Conservationist identity was positively correlated with all other identities. WVOs partially mediated the relationship between identities and attitudes.
Scholl, E. A., W. F. Cross, and C. S. Guy. 2022. Connecting geomorphology, biodiversity, and ecosystem function in large riverscapes. Oikos http://doi.org/10.1111/oik.09431	October 2022
Scholl, E. A., W. F. Cross, C. V. Baxter, and C. S. Guy. 2020. Uncovering process domains in large rivers: Patterns and potential drivers of benthic substrate heterogeneity in two North American riverscapes. Geomorphology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2020.107524	December 2020
Scholl, E. A., W. F. Cross, C. S. Guy, A. J. Dutton, and J. R. Junker. 2023. Landscape diversity promotes stable food-web architectures in large rivers. Ecology Letters. http://doi.org/10.1111/ele.14289	July 2023
Schneider, A.L., A.T. Gilbert, W.D. Walter, G.S. Vandeberg, J.R. Boulanger. 2019. Spatial Ecology of Urban Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) in the Northern Great Plains: A Framework for Future Oral Rabies Vaccination Programs. Urban Ecosystems 22:539-552. \| Abstract	May 2019	Few studies have investigated the ecology of urban striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) despite their role as a primary rabies vector species paired with an ability to thrive in these landscapes. Information on home range, nightly movements, and habitat selection, is important for informing rabies management decisions such as the placement of oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits and for management of the species. Our aim was to obtain baseline ecological information with an emphasis on spatial ecology of urban striped skunks in the Northern Great Plains region that is lacking in the literature. We used radio telemetry to track 22 (4 M, 18 F) skunks from September 2016 to November 2016 and March 2017 to November 2017. Size of home range using kernel density estimation with smoothing by least squares cross validation identified males (x ̅ = 4.36 km2, SE ± 0.79) had larger home ranges than females (x ̅ = 1.79 km2, SE ± 0.24). Female skunk home ranges differed by season with the largest home ranges found in summer 2017. However, rate of nightly movements (m/hr) among female skunks did not differ within seasons (x ̅ = 184.79 m/hr, SE ± 0.53). Moreover, we found no evidence that use-availability was associated with habitat type among female skunks. The strongest predictor of habitat use was distance to water sources with female skunks more likely to be found closer to this habitat type; however, we found no association of use with road factors and geographic location within the study area. Targeting ORV efforts in areas near water may be warranted, but considering differences in habitat selection for skunk in urban areas, we caution that ORV baiting programs may not be one-size-fits-all, and a framework for effective bait placement would be most successful with studies similar to ours conducted beforehand.
Schmidt, J.S., L.A., Bruckerhoff, H., Salehabadi, and J., Wang. 2022. Chapter 10: The Colorado River. In: Large Rivers: Geomorphology and Management. (eds) A. Gupta. Wiley-Blackwell.https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119412632.ch10	February 2022
Schmidt, J.H., W.L. Thompson, T.L. Wilson, J.H. Reynolds. 2022. Understanding the impacts of the detection process on distance sampling surveys: selecting among approaches and minimizing total error. Wildlife Monographs 210: e1070. https://doi.org/10.1002/wmon.1070 \| Abstract	July 2022	Wildlife population estimators often require formal adjustment for imperfect detection of individuals during surveys. Conventional distance sampling (CDS) and its extensions (mark‐recapture distance sampling [MRDS], temporary emigration distance sampling [TEDS]) are popular approaches for producing unbiased estimators of wildlife abundance. However, despite extensive discussion and development of distance sampling theory in the literature, deciding which of these alternatives is most appropriate for a particular scenario can be confusing. Some of this confusion may stem from an incomplete understanding of how each approach addresses the components of the detection process. Here we describe the proper application of CDS, MRDS, and TEDS approaches and use applied examples to help clarify their differing assumptions with respect to the components of the detection process. To further aid the practitioner, we summarize the differences in a decision tree that can be used to identify cases where a more complex alternative (e.g., MRDS or TEDS) may be appropriate for a given survey application. Although the more complex approaches can account for additional sources of bias, in practical applications one also must consider estimator precision. Therefore, we also review the concept of total estimator error in the context of comparing competing methods for a given application to aid in the selection of the most appropriate distance sampling approach. Finally, we detail how the use of more advanced techniques (i.e., informed priors, open‐population distance sampling models, and integrated modeling approaches) can further reduce total estimator error by leveraging information from existing and ongoing data collection .By synthesizing the existing literature on CDS, MRDS, TEDS and their extensions, in conjunction with the concepts of total estimator error and the components of the detection process, we provide a comprehensive guide that can be used by the practitioner to more efficiently, effectively, and appropriately apply distance sampling in a variety of settings.
Schmidt, J.H., T.L. Wilson, W.L. Thompson, B.A. Mangipane. 2022. Integrating distance sampling survey data with population indices to separate trends in abundance and resource use. Journal of Wildlife Management 86:e22185. https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.22185 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	January 2022	Managers rely on accurate estimators of wildlife abundance and trends for management decisions. Despite the focus of contemporary wildlife science on developing methods to improve inference from wildlife surveys, legacy datasets often rely on index counts that lack information about the detection process. Data integration can be a useful tool for combining index counts with data collected under more rigorous designs (i.e., designs that account for the detection process), but care is required when datasets represent different population processes or are mismatched in space and time. This can be particularly problematic in cases where animals aggregate in response to a spatially or temporally limited resource because individuals may temporarily immigrate from outside the study area and be included in the abundance index. Abundance indices based on brown bear (<i>Ursus arctos</i>) feeding aggregations within coastal meadows in early summer in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska, USA, are one such example. These indices reflect the target population (brown bears residing within the park) and temporary immigrants (i.e., bears drawn from outside the park boundary). To properly account for the effects of temporary immigration, we integrated the index data with abundance data collected via park-wide distance sampling surveys, the latter of which properly addressed the detection process. By assuming that the distance data provide inference on abundance and the index counts represent some combination of abundance and temporary immigration processes, we were able to decompose the relative contribution of each to overall trend. We estimated that the density of brown bears within our study area was 38–54 adults/1,000 km<sup>2</sup> during 2003–2019 and that abundance increased at a rate of approximately 1.4%/year. The contribution of temporary immigrants to overall trend in the index was low, so we created 3 hypothetical scenarios to more fully demonstrate how the integrated approach could be useful in situations where the composite trend in meadow counts may obscure trends in abundance (e.g., opposing trends in abundance and temporary immigration). Our work represents a conceptual advance supporting the integration of legacy index data with more rigorous data streams and is broadly applicable in cases where trends in index values may represent a mixture of population processes.
Schmidt, J.H., J. Putera, T.L. Wilson. 2020. Direct and indirect effects of temperature and prey abundance on bald eagle reproductive dynamics. Oecologia. 192: 391-401. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-019-04578-8 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	December 2020	Understanding the mechanisms by which populations are regulated is critical for predicting the effects of large-scale perturbations. While discrete mortality events provide clear evidence of direct impacts, indirect pathways are more difficult to assess but may play important roles in population and ecosystem dynamics. Here, we use multi-state occupancy models to analyze a long-term dataset on nesting bald eagles in south-central Alaska with the goal of identifying both direct and indirect mechanisms influencing reproductive output in this apex predator. We found that the probabilities of both nest occupancy and success were higher in the portion of the study area where water turbidity was low, supporting the hypothesis that access to aquatic prey is a critical factor limiting the reproductive output of eagles in this system. As expected, nest success was also positively related to salmon abundance; however, the negative effect of spring warmth suggested that access to salmon resources is indirectly diminished in warm springs as a consequence of increased glacial melt. Together, these findings reveal complex interrelationships between a critical prey resource and large-scale weather and climate processes which likely alter the accessibility of resources rather than directly affecting resource abundance. While important for understanding bald eagle reproductive dynamics in this system specifically, our results have broader implications that suggest complex interrelationships among system components.
Schmidt, A.E., G. Ballard, A. Lescroël, K. M. Dugger, D. Jongsomjit, M.L. Elrod, D.G. Ainley. 2021. The influence of subcolony-scale nesting habitat on reproductive success of Adélie penguins. Scientific Reports 11:15380, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-94861-7.	August 2021
Schindler, AR, DA Haukos, CA Hagen, and BE Ross. A multi-species approach to manage effects of land cover and weather on upland game birds. Ecology and Evolution. 10:14330-14345.	December 2020
Schindler, A.R., D.A. Haukos, C.A. Hagen, B.E. Ross. 2020. A decision-support tool to prioritize candidate landscapes for lesser prairie-chicken conservation. Landscape Ecology 35:1417-1434.	May 2020
Schilling, K. E., K. Wilke, C. L. Pierce, K. Kult, and A. Kenney. 2019. Multi-purpose oxbows as a new nitrogen reduction practice in the agricultural Midwest. Agricultural and Environmental Letters. 4:190035. https://doi.org/10.2134/ael2019.09.0035	October 2019
Schilder, L.J., L.J. Heintzman,N.E. McIntyre, S. Harryman, C.A. Hagen, R. Martin, C.W. Boal, and B.A. Grisham. 2022. Structural and Functional Landscape Connectivity for Lesser Prairie-Chickens in the Sand Shinnery Oak Prairie Ecoregion of the Southern High Plains. Journal of Wildlife Management 2022;86:e22146. Https://soi.org/10.1002/jwmg.22146	February 2022
Schepker, T.J., E. B. Webb, D. Tillitt and T. LaGrange . 2020. Neonicotinoid insecticides in agricultural wetlands and associations with aquatic invertebrate communities. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 287:106678	January 2020
Scharhag, J.M., C. Sartini, S.M. Crimmins, S.E. Hygnstrom, and J.B. Stetz. 2021. Characteristics of non-fatal attacks by black bears: conterminous United States, 2000-2017. Human-Wildlife Interactions 15:191-202.	April 2021
Scharf, H.R., M.B. Hooten, R.R. Wilson, G.M. Durner, T.C. Atwood (2019). Accounting for phenology in the analysis of animal movement. Biometrics, 75: 810-820.	September 2019
Schall, M.K., T. Wertz, G.D. Smith, V.S. Blazer, and T. Wagner. 2019. Movement dynamics of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in a large river-tributary system. Fisheries Management and Ecology 26:590-599.	July 2019
Schall, M.K., G.D. Smith, V.S. Blazer, H.L. Walsh, Y. Li, and T. Wagner. 2020. A fishery after the decline: The Susquehanna River Smallmouth Bass story. Fisheries 45:576-584.	August 2020
Schall, M.K., G.D. Smith, V.S. Blazer, H.L. Walsh, T. Wertz, D. Shull, and T. Wagner. 2023. Assembling the right pieces: developing an interdisciplinary team to study disease, decline, and recovery of a world-class Smallmouth Bass fishery. Fisheries. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsh.10922	May 2023
Sawyer et al. Tradeoffs with utility-scale solar development and ungulates on western rangelands.	April 2022
Satgé, Y.G., E. Rupp, and P.G.R. Jodice. 2019. A preliminary report of ongoing research of the ecology of Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) in Sierra de Bahoruco, Dominican Republic – I: GPS tracking of breeding adults. Unpublished Report, South Carolina Cooperative Research Unit, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA.	June 2019
Satgé, Y.G., E. Rupp, A. Brown, and P.G.R Jodice. 2020. Habitat modelling locates nesting areas of the Endangered Black-capped Petrel Pterodroma hasitata on Hispaniola and identifies habitat loss. Bird Conservation International 1-18. doi:10.1017/S0959270920000490 \| Download	November 2020
Satgé, Y.G., B. Keitt, C. Gaskin, P.G.R. Jodice. 2023. Spatial segregation between phenotypes of the diablotin black-capped petrel Pterodroma hasitata during the non-breeding period. Endangered Species Research. 51:183-201. doi: 10.3352/esr01254 \| Download	July 2023
Sarah N. Sells, Cecily M. Costello, Paul M. Lukacs, Frank T. van Manen, Mark Haroldson, Wayne Kasworm, Justin Teisberg, Milan A. Vinks, Dan Bjornlie. 2023. Grizzly bear movement models predict habitat use for nearby populations. Biological Conservation, Volume 279, 109940, ISSN 0006-3207, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2023.109940.	March 2023
Sanders, L.E., A. D. Chalfoun, and T. M. Scherr. Inter-species nest use by a Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus). Wilson Journal of Ornithology.	September 2018
Sanders, L. E., and A. D. Chalfoun. 2019. Mechanisms underlying increased nest predation in natural gas fields: a test of the mesopredator release hypothesis. Ecosphere 10(5):e02738.	May 2019
Sanders, L. E., and A. D. Chalfoun. 2018. Novel landscape elements within natural gas fields increase densities but not fitness of an important songbird nest predator. Biological Conservation 228:132-141.	December 2018
SNAPSHOT USA 2020: A second coordinated national camera trap survey of the United States during the COVID-19 Pandemic. 2022. Ecology. DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3775 Roland Kays^1,2, Michael V. Cove², Jose Diaz³, Kimberly Todd³, Claire Bresnan³, Matt Snider¹,Thomas E. Lee, Jr.⁴, Seth C. Crockett⁴, Anthony P. Crupi⁵, Katherine C.B. Weiss^6,7, Helen Rowe⁸, Tiffany Sprague⁸, Jan Schipper⁷, Christopher A. Lepczyk⁹, Jean E. Fantle-Lepczyk⁹, Jon Davenport¹⁰, Zach Farris¹⁰, Jacque Williamson¹¹, M. Caitlin Fisher-Reid¹², Drew Rezendes¹², Alexandra J. Bebko¹², Petros Chrysafis¹³, Alex J. Jensen¹⁴, David S. Jachowski¹⁴, Katherine C. King¹⁵, Brandon McDonald¹⁵, Daniel J. Herrera¹⁶, Marius van der Merwe¹⁷, Robert V. Horan III¹⁹, Michael S. Rentz²⁰, LaRoy S.E. Brandt²¹, Christopher Nagy²², Sean P. Maher²⁴, Andrea K. Darracq²⁵, George Hess³, Matthew E. Gompper²⁶, Stephen L. Webb²⁷, John P. Vanek²⁸, Diana J. R. Lafferty²⁹, Tru Hubbard²⁹, Jorie Favreau³¹, Jack Fogarty³¹, Steven Hammerich³³, Michelle Halbur³³, Morgan Gray³³, Christine C. Rega-Brodsky³⁴, Caleb Durbin³⁴, Elizabeth A. Flaherty³⁵, Jarred Brooke³⁵, Stephanie S. Coster³⁶, Richard G. Lathrop³⁷, Katarina Russell³⁷, Daniel A. Bogan³⁸, Hila Shamon¹, Robert C. Lonsinger⁴², M. Teague O'Mara⁴³, Justin A. Compton⁴⁴, Melinda Fowler⁴⁴, Erika L. Barthelmess⁴⁵, Katherine E. Andy⁴⁵, Jerrold L. Belant⁴⁶, Dean E. Beyer, Jr.⁴⁷, Daniel G. Scognamillo⁴⁸, Chris Schalk⁴⁸, Caroline N. Ellison⁵⁰, Chip Ruthven⁵⁰, Sarah Fritts⁵¹, Jaquelyn Tleimat⁵¹, Mandy Gay⁵¹, Christopher A. Whittier⁵², Sean A. Neiswenter⁵³, Robert Pelletier⁵³, Brett A. DeGregorio⁵⁴, Erin K. Kuprewicz⁵⁵, Miranda L. Davis⁵⁵, Carolina Baruzzi⁵⁷, Marcus A. Lashley⁵⁶, David Mason⁵⁶, Derek R. Risch⁵⁸, Maximilian L. Allen^59,60, Laura S. Whipple⁶⁰, Jinelle H. Sperry⁶¹, Patrick Wolff⁶¹, Robert H. Hagen⁶², Alessio Mortelliti⁶³, Amay Bolinjcar⁶³, Marketa Zimova⁶⁸, Sean T. Giery⁷⁰, Summer D. Higdon⁷², Ronald S. Revord⁷², Christopher P. Hansen⁷³, Joshua J. Millspaugh⁷³, Adam Zorn⁷⁴, Nathaniel H. Wehr⁷⁵, Brian D. Gerber⁷⁷, Kylie Rezendes⁷⁷, Jessie Adley⁷⁷, Jennifer Sevin⁷⁸, Austin M. Green⁷⁹, Çağan H. Şekercioğlu^79,80, Mary E. Pendergast⁸¹, Kayleigh Mullen⁸¹, Tori Bird^81b, Andrew J. Edelman⁸², Tim Hawig⁸², Joanne R. Wasdin⁸², Andrea Romero⁸³, Brian J. O'Neill^83b[KR1] , Noel Schmitz^83b, Rebecca A Vandermus⁸³, Jesse M. Alston⁸⁴, Kellie M. Kuhn⁸⁵, Damon B. Lesmeister⁸⁶, Cara L. Appel⁸⁷, Christopher Rota⁸⁸, Jennifer L. Stenglein⁸⁹, Christine Anhalt-Depies⁸⁹, Carrie Nelson⁹⁰, Robert A. Long⁹¹, Paula MacKay⁹¹, Kathryn R. Remine⁹¹, Mark J. Jordan⁹², Mark Elbroch⁹³, Dylan Bergman⁹⁴, Sara Cendejas-Zarelli⁹⁵, Kim Sager⁹⁵, Haydée Hernández-Yáñez³, William J. McShea³ \| Abstract \| Download	April 2022	<b>Abstract</b>: Managing wildlife populations in the face of global change requires regular data on the abundance and distribution of wild animals but acquiring these over appropriate spatial scales in a sustainable way has proven challenging. Here we present the data from Snapshot USA 2020, a second annual national mammal survey of the United States of America. This project involved xx scientists setting camera traps in a standardized protocol at 1481 locations across 102 arrays in 43 states for a total of 51,988 trap-nights of survey effort. Most (58) of these arrays were also sampled during the same months (September and October) in 2019, providing a direct comparison of animal populations in two years that include data from before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic. All data were managed by the eMammal system, with all species identifications checked by at least two reviewers. In total we recorded 114,749 detections of 77 species of wild mammals, 9200 detections of at least 25 species of birds, 15,847 detections of seven domestic animals and 23,705 detections of humans or their vehicles. Spatial differences across arrays explained more variation in the relative abundance than temporal variation across years for all 38 species modeled, although there are examples of significant site-level differences between years for many species. Temporal results show how species allocate their time and can be used to study species interactions, including between humans and wildlife. These data provide a snapshot of the mammal community of the USA for 2020 and will be useful for exploring the drivers of spatial and temporal changes in relative abundance and distribution, and the impacts of species interactions on daily activity patterns.
SNAPSHOT USA 2020: A second coordinated national camera trap survey of the United States during the COVID-19 Pandemic. 2022. Ecology. DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3775 Roland Kays^1,2, Michael V. Cove², Jose Diaz³, Kimberly Todd³, Claire Bresnan³, Matt Snider¹,Thomas E. Lee, Jr.⁴, Seth C. Crockett⁴, Anthony P. Crupi⁵, Katherine C.B. Weiss^6,7, Helen Rowe⁸, Tiffany Sprague⁸, Jan Schipper⁷, Christopher A. Lepczyk⁹, Jean E. Fantle-Lepczyk⁹, Jon Davenport¹⁰, Zach Farris¹⁰, Jacque Williamson¹¹, M. Caitlin Fisher-Reid¹², Drew Rezendes¹², Alexandra J. Bebko¹², Petros Chrysafis¹³, Alex J. Jensen¹⁴, David S. Jachowski¹⁴, Katherine C. King¹⁵, Brandon McDonald¹⁵, Daniel J. Herrera¹⁶, Marius van der Merwe¹⁷, Robert V. Horan III¹⁹, Michael S. Rentz²⁰, LaRoy S.E. Brandt²¹, Christopher Nagy²², Sean P. Maher²⁴, Andrea K. Darracq²⁵, George Hess³, Matthew E. Gompper²⁶, Stephen L. Webb²⁷, John P. Vanek²⁸, Diana J. R. Lafferty²⁹, Tru Hubbard²⁹, Jorie Favreau³¹, Jack Fogarty³¹, Steven Hammerich³³, Michelle Halbur³³, Morgan Gray³³, Christine C. Rega-Brodsky³⁴, Caleb Durbin³⁴, Elizabeth A. Flaherty³⁵, Jarred Brooke³⁵, Stephanie S. Coster³⁶, Richard G. Lathrop³⁷, Katarina Russell³⁷, Daniel A. Bogan³⁸, Hila Shamon¹, Robert C. Lonsinger⁴², M. Teague O'Mara⁴³, Justin A. Compton⁴⁴, Melinda Fowler⁴⁴, Erika L. Barthelmess⁴⁵, Katherine E. Andy⁴⁵, Jerrold L. Belant⁴⁶, Dean E. Beyer, Jr.⁴⁷, Daniel G. Scognamillo⁴⁸, Chris Schalk⁴⁸, Caroline N. Ellison⁵⁰, Chip Ruthven⁵⁰, Sarah Fritts⁵¹, Jaquelyn Tleimat⁵¹, Mandy Gay⁵¹, Christopher A. Whittier⁵², Sean A. Neiswenter⁵³, Robert Pelletier⁵³, Brett A. DeGregorio⁵⁴, Erin K. Kuprewicz⁵⁵, Miranda L. Davis⁵⁵, Carolina Baruzzi⁵⁷, Marcus A. Lashley⁵⁶, David Mason⁵⁶, Derek R. Risch⁵⁸, Maximilian L. Allen^59,60, Laura S. Whipple⁶⁰, Jinelle H. Sperry⁶¹, Patrick Wolff⁶¹, Robert H. Hagen⁶², Alessio Mortelliti⁶³, Amay Bolinjcar⁶³, Marketa Zimova⁶⁸, Sean T. Giery⁷⁰, Summer D. Higdon⁷², Ronald S. Revord⁷², Christopher P. Hansen⁷³, Joshua J. Millspaugh⁷³, Adam Zorn⁷⁴, Nathaniel H. Wehr⁷⁵, Brian D. Gerber⁷⁷, Kylie Rezendes⁷⁷, Jessie Adley⁷⁷, Jennifer Sevin⁷⁸, Austin M. Green⁷⁹, Çağan H. Şekercioğlu^79,80, Mary E. Pendergast⁸¹, Kayleigh Mullen⁸¹, Tori Bird^81b, Andrew J. Edelman⁸², Tim Hawig⁸², Joanne R. Wasdin⁸², Andrea Romero⁸³, Brian J. O'Neill^83b[KR1] , Noel Schmitz^83b, Rebecca A Vandermus⁸³, Jesse M. Alston⁸⁴, Kellie M. Kuhn⁸⁵, Damon B. Lesmeister⁸⁶, Cara L. Appel⁸⁷, Christopher Rota⁸⁸, Jennifer L. Stenglein⁸⁹, Christine Anhalt-Depies⁸⁹, Carrie Nelson⁹⁰, Robert A. Long⁹¹, Paula MacKay⁹¹, Kathryn R. Remine⁹¹, Mark J. Jordan⁹², Mark Elbroch⁹³, Dylan Bergman⁹⁴, Sara Cendejas-Zarelli⁹⁵, Kim Sager⁹⁵, Haydée Hernández-Yáñez³, William J. McShea³ \| Abstract \| Download	April 2022	<b>Abstract</b>: Managing wildlife populations in the face of global change requires regular data on the abundance and distribution of wild animals but acquiring these over appropriate spatial scales in a sustainable way has proven challenging. Here we present the data from Snapshot USA 2020, a second annual national mammal survey of the United States of America. This project involved xx scientists setting camera traps in a standardized protocol at 1481 locations across 102 arrays in 43 states for a total of 51,988 trap-nights of survey effort. Most (58) of these arrays were also sampled during the same months (September and October) in 2019, providing a direct comparison of animal populations in two years that include data from before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic. All data were managed by the eMammal system, with all species identifications checked by at least two reviewers. In total we recorded 114,749 detections of 77 species of wild mammals, 9200 detections of at least 25 species of birds, 15,847 detections of seven domestic animals and 23,705 detections of humans or their vehicles. Spatial differences across arrays explained more variation in the relative abundance than temporal variation across years for all 38 species modeled, although there are examples of significant site-level differences between years for many species. Temporal results show how species allocate their time and can be used to study species interactions, including between humans and wildlife. These data provide a snapshot of the mammal community of the USA for 2020 and will be useful for exploring the drivers of spatial and temporal changes in relative abundance and distribution, and the impacts of species interactions on daily activity patterns.
S.M. Deeley, W.M. Ford, N. Kalen, S. R. Freeze, M. St. Germain, M. Muthersbaugh, E.L. Barr, A.B. Kniowski, A. Silvis and J. De La Cruz. 2022. Relating echolocation call data with reproduction data in mid-Atlantic bats. Diversity 14, 319. doi.org/10.3390/d14050319	April 2022
S.C. Hedden, L.A. Bruckerhoff, and K.B. Gido. 2021. Assessing Linkages Between Small Impoundments and Long-term Trajectories of Prairie Stream Fish Assemblages. American Midland Naturalist 185 (2):187-200. https://doi.org/10.1674/0003-0031-185.2.187 \| Abstract	April 2021	Most stream fish communities have changed over time in response to common anthropogenic disturbances. Impoundments are a widespread anthropogenic stressor that can negatively impact stream fishes as they alter flow regimes, block movements, and act as fountainheads for the introduction and spread of invasive species. Recent studies, however, have reported the occurrence and reproduction of native fishes in impoundments, suggesting they might benefit some native fishes. Our primary objective was to evaluate whether impoundment construction has led to changes in fish community structure in prairie streams. To accomplish this, we compared fish occupancy in small impoundments (,5 ha) to temporal trends in stream occupancy among species to test whether species' increases in stream occupancy were related to their occupancy in impoundments. We examined stream fish communities in the Upper Cottonwood River basin, Kansas, from 1948–2018, and sampled small impoundments in 2016 and 2017. A third (32%) of fish communities in impoundments were similar to stream assemblages, whereas most impoundments (68%) were dominated by sport or bait fishes. In streams, six species showed increases in occupancy and four species showed decreases since small impoundment construction. Of the species that exhibited increased stream occupancy, five showed a positive, logistical relationship between a species' impoundment occupancy and its increase in stream occupancy. Species declining in stream occupancy experienced continued linear declines and may still be declining. Our research suggests stream fish communities have changed since impoundment construction, and are associated with locally-invasive, native species reaching a new stable state in streams accompanied by declines in other native stream fish species.
Ryan, J.E., A.H. Roy, P.D. Hazelton, D.L. Perkins, T. Warren, C. Walsh, and R. Wick. 2022 Assessing methods for mitigating fungal contamination in freshwater mussel in vitro propagation. Hydrobiologia 849:2487-2501. DOI: 10.1007/s10750-022-04865-1 \| Download	April 2022
Ruzicka, R. E., D. Rollins, P. F. Doherty, Jr., and W. L. Kendall. 2023. Longer holding times decrease dispersal bur increase mortality of translocated scaled quail. Journal of Wildlife Management 2023;e22498, DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22498.	September 2023
Rutter, J.D., A.A., Dayer, H.W. Harshaw, N.W. Cole, J.N. Duberstein, D.C. Fulton, A.H. Raedeke, and R.M. Schuster. 2021. Racial, ethnic, and social patterns in the recreation specialization of birdwatchers: An analysis of Untied State eBird registrants. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 35: 100400 DOI: 10.1016/j.jort.2021.100400	June 2021
Ruthven, J.S., and J. Leonard, and A.W. Walters. 2023. Assessment of invasive Brook Stickleback Culaea inconstans occupancy, habitat drivers, and overlap with native fishes in the North Platte River drainage, Wyoming. Hydrobiologia doi.org/10.1007/s10750-023-05262-y	June 2023
Ruthven, J.S., and A.W. Walters. 2023. Invasive Brook Stickleback Culaea inconstans has limited effects on the trophic ecology of native fishes in Wyoming, USA. Food Webs 35 e00275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fooweb.2023.e00275	June 2023
Ruther, E.V., M Asher, G. Christie, C. Gale, A. Massey, C. Massery, C.R. Middaugh, J. Veon, and B.A. DeGregorio. 2021. Northern Bobwhite Occupancy Patterns on Multiple Spatial Scales Across Arkansas. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 12: 502-512 \| Download	December 2021
Russell, R., DiRenzo, G. V., Alger, K., Grant, E. H. C., & J. Szymanski. 2020. Principles and mechanisms of disease resistance and resilience in wildlife. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 8: 344. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2020.569016. \| Abstract \| Download \| Publisher Website	December 2020	Emerging infectious diseases can result in species declines and hamper recovery efforts for at-risk populations. Generalizing considerations for reducing the risk of pathogen introduction and mitigating the effects of disease remains challenging and inhibits our ability to provide guidance for species recovery planning. Given the growing rates of emerging pathogens globally, we identify key principles and mechanisms for maintaining sustainable populations in the face of emerging diseases (including minimizing the risk of pathogen introductions and their future effects on hosts). Our synthesis serves as a reference for minimizing the risk of future disease outbreaks, mitigating the deleterious effects of future disease outbreaks on species extinction risk, and a review of the theoretical and/or empirical examples supporting these considerations.
Rush, S. A., K. F. Gaines, W. R. Eddleman, and C. J. Conway. 2020. Clapper Rail (Rallus crepitans), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (P. G. Rodewald, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.clarai11.01	March 2020
Rupp, S. P. and C. A. Ribic. 2019. Second-generation bioenergy production from dedicated energy crops: implications for wildlife and wildlife habitat. IN U.S. Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation (C. E. Moorman, S. M. Grodsky, and S. P. Rupp, Editors), John Hopkins University Press, pp. 64-92.	October 2019
Runge MC, SJ Converse, JE Lyons, and DR Smith. 2020. Structured decision making: case studies in natural resource management. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA.	May 2020
Runge MC and SJ Converse. 2020. Introduction to risk analysis. Pages 149-155 in Runge MC, SJ Converse, JE Lyons, and DR Smith. Structured decision making: case studies in natural resource management. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA.	May 2020
Ruiz‐Gutierrez, V., Bjerre, E.R., Otto, M.C., Zimmerman, G.S., Millsap, B.A., Fink, D., Stuber, E.F., Strimas‐Mackey, M. and Robinson, O.J., 2021. A pathway for citizen science data to inform policy: A case study using eBird data for defining low‐risk collision areas for wind energy development. Journal of Applied Ecology, 58(6), pp.1104-1111. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13870	April 2021
Ruggirello, J. E., S. A. Bonar, O. G. Feuerbacher, L. H. Simons and C. Powers. 2018. Propagation of Endangered Moapa Dace. Copeia 106:652-662.	December 2018
Ruggirello, J. E., S. A. Bonar, O. G. Feuerbacher and L. H. Simons. 2020. Use of underwater videography to quantify conditions utilized by endangered Moapa Dace while spawning. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 40:17-28.	March 2020
Ruegg, K.C. Ruegg, M. Brinkmeyer,C.M. Bossu, R. Bay,E.C. Anderson, C.W. Boal, R.D. Dawson, A. Eschenbauch, C.J.W. McClure, K.E. Miller, L. Morrow, J. Morrow, M.D. Oleyar, B. Ralph, S. Schulwitz,T. Swem, J.F. Therrien, T.B. Smith, J.A. Heath. 2021.The American Kestrel Genoscape (Falco sparverius): Implications for Monitoring, Management, and Subspecies Boundaries. Ornithology 138:1-14. DOI: 10.1093/ornithology/ukaa068. \| Abstract \| Download	April 2021	Identifying population genetic structure is useful for inferring evolutionary process as well as defining subspecies boundaries and/or conservation units that can aid in species management. The American Kestrel (<i>Falco sparverius</i>) is a widespread species with two described North American subspecies, (<i>F. s. sparverius </i>and <i>F. s. paulus</i>), the latter in the southeastern United States and the former across the remainder of its distribution. In many parts of their range, American Kestrels have been declining, but it has been difficult to interpret demographic trends without a clearer understanding of gene flow among populations. Here we sequence the first American Kestrel genome and scan the genome of 197 individuals from 12 sampling locations across the range of the two North American subspecies to identify population structure. To validate signatures of population structure and fill in sampling gaps across the breeding range we screen 192 outlier loci in an additional 376 samples from 34 sampling locations. Overall, our analyses support the existence of 5 genetically distinct lineages within American Kestrels—Eastern, Western, Texas, Florida, and Alaska.Interestingly, we find that while our genome-wide genetic data support the existence of previously described subspecies boundaries, genetic differences across the species’ range correlate more with putative migratory phenotypes (resident, long-distance, and short-distance migrants) rather than a priori described subspecies boundaries per se. Based on our results, we suggest the resulting five genetic lineages serve as the foundation for American Kestrel conservation and management in the face of future threats.
Rubenstein, S., Peterson, E., Christman, P., and Zydlewski, J. (2022) energetic consequences to migrating Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) delayed below dams. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. DOI: TBD. IP-137191, BAO approval date August 15, 2021. [C:100, D:10, I:30, W:10]. \| Download	October 2022
Rub, A.M., Som, N.A., Henderson, M.J., Sandford, B.P., Van Doornik, D.M., Teel, D.J., Tennis, M, Langness, O., van der Leeuw, B., Huff, D.D. 2019. Changes in adult Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) survival with the lower Columbia River amid increasing pinniped abundance. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 76: 1862-1873. dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2018-0290 \| Abstract	September 2019	We conducted a comprehensive mark-recapture tagging study to examine the behavior and survival of spring run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) returning to the Interior Columbia River Basin. Our study included adult salmon returning to the Upper Columbia and Snake Rivers, two fish populations that have been protected under the Endangered Species Act for greater than 15 years. This study was prompted by concern that pinnipeds present within the estuary and lower CR during spring may be detrimentally affecting the recovery of these salmon stocks. Over a five-year period we injected adult salmon with Passive Integrated Transponder Tags as they returned to the estuary. We used these data to fit a mixed effects logistic regression model and identify covariates that influence survival to Bonneville Dam (Rkm 235). Modelling indicated sea lion exposure, the abundance of adult shad (Alosa sapidissima) within the lower Columbia River, and whether or not fish had intact adipose fins all influenced survival. Survival ranged from 0.46 to 0.80 annually over the course of the study and was lowest during the last two years.
Royle JA and SJ Converse. 2020. Estimating abundance from capture-recapture data. Pages 103-122 in Murray D and B Sandercock, editors. Population ecology in practice: underused, misused, and abused methods. Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken, USA.	December 2019
Roy, S., Uchida, E., Souza, S., Blachly, B., Fox, E., Gardner, K., Gold, A., Jansujwicz, J., Klein, S., McGreavy, B., Mo, W., Smith, S., Vogler, E., Wilson, K., Zydlewski, J., and Hart, D. (2018) Damming decisions: a multi-scale approach to balance trade-offs among dam infrastructure, river restoration, and cost. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 115(47): 12069-12074. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1807437115 \| Download	December 2018
Roy, S., Daignault, A, Zydlewski, J., Truhlar, A., Smith, S., Jain, S., and Hart, D. (2020) Coordinated river infrastructure decisions enhance social-ecological resilience. Environmental Research Letters. On Line Aug 7.	September 2020
Roy, A.H., E. Bjerre, J. Cummings, K. Kalasz, J. Carmignani, P. Hazelton, M. Kern, D. Perkins, L. Saucier, A. Skorupa, R. Katz, and C.C. Coghlan. 2022. Brook floater restoration: Identifying locations to reintroduce or augment populations with propagated mussels. U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Cooperator Science Series.FWS/CSS-141-2022. doi.org/10.3996/css40468057 \| Publisher Website	March 2022
Rowe, J.C., A. Duarte, C.C. Pearl, B. McCreary, S. Galvan, J.T.Peterson, M.J. Adams. 2019. Disentangling effects of invasive species and habitat while accounting for observer error in a long-term amphibian study. Ecosphere	August 2019
Roug, A., E. Doden, T. Griffin, J. Young, X. Waldem, N. Norman, P. Budy, and A.J. Van Wettere. 2022. Health screening of American beavers (Castor canadensis) in Utah, USA. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, Short Communications. DOI: 10.7589/JWD-D-22-00020. USGS FSP IP-139356.	August 2022
Roth, C. J., Z. S. Beard, J. M. Flinders, and M. C. Quist. 2020. Population ecology and evaluation of suppression scenarios for introduced Utah Chub. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 40:133-144.	February 2020
Roth, C. J., D. J. Schill, M. C. Quist, B. High, M. R. Campbell, and N. V. Vu. 2019. Effects of air exposure during simulated catch-and-release angling on survival and fitness of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 39:191-204.	February 2019
Rossettie, T.S., T.W. Perry, and J.W. Cain III. 2022. Noninvasive sampling of mountain lion hair by modified foothold traps. Wildlife Society Bulletin 46:e1257. \| Download	April 2022
Ross, P, Patel, E, Ferguson, B, Ravelijaona, R, Raoloniana, G, Wampole, E, Gerber,BD, and Farris, Z. 2020. Assessment of the threatened carnivore community in the recently expanded rainforest protected area Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve, Madagascar. Endangered Species Research. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01055. \| Download	May 2020
Ross, B.E., D. Sullins, and D. Haukos. Using an individual-based model to assess common biases in lek-based count data to estimate population trajectories of lesser prairie-chickens.	May 2019
Rosenthal, W.R., J.M. Fennell, E.G. Mandeville, J.C. Burckhardt, A.W. Walters, and C.E. Wagner. 2022. Effects of reproductive fitness in a hybridizing trout population. Molecular Ecology http://doi.org/10.1111/mec.16578	June 2022
Rosenfield, R. N., S. A. Sonsthagen, A. E. Riddle-Berntsen, and E. Kuhel. 2021. Record fledging count from a seven-egg clutch in the Cooper’s hawk (Accipiter cooperii). The Wilson Journal of Ornithology. 132:460-463.	November 2020
Rosenfield, R. N., A. C. Stewart, W. E. Stout, S. A. Sonsthagen, and P. N. Frater. 2019. Do British Columbia Cooper’s Hawks have big feet? British Columbia Birds. 30:10–14.	May 2019
Rosenblatt, E., K. Gieder, T. Donovan, J. Murdoch, T. Smith, M. Heaton, T. Kalbfleisch, B. Murdoch, S. Bhattarai, E. Pacht, E. Verbist, V. Basnayake, and S. McKay. 2023. Genetic diversity and connectivity of moose (Alces alces americana) in eastern North America. Conservation Genetics 24:235-248. \| Download \| Publisher Website	January 2023
Rosenblatt, E., J. DeBow, J. Blouin, T. Donovan, J. Murdoch, S. Creel, W. Rogers, K. Gieder, N. Forti, and C. Alexander. Juvenile moose (Alces alces) stress and nutrition dynamics relate to landscape characteristics, climate-mediated factors, and survival. Conservation Physiology 9:coab048. \| Abstract \| Download	July 2021	Moose populations in the northeastern United States have declined over the past 15 years, primarily due to the impacts of winter ticks. Research efforts have focused on the effects of winter tick infestation on moose survival and reproduction, but stress and nutritional responses to ticks and other stressors remain understudied. We examined the influence of several environmental factors on moose calf stress hormone metabolite concentrations and nutritional restriction in Vermont, USA. We collected 407 fecal and 461 snow urine samples from 84 radio-collared moose calves in the winters of 2017–2019 (January–April) to measure fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCM) concentrations and urea nitrogen:creatinine (UN:C) ratios. We used generalized mixed-effects models to evaluate the influence of individual condition, winter ticks, habitat, climate and human development on stress and nutrition in calf moose. We then used these physiological data to build generalized linear models to predict calf winter survival. Calf fGCM concentrations increased with nutritional restriction and snow depth during adult winter tick engorgement. Calf UN:C ratios increased in calves with lighter weights and higher tick loads in early winter. Calf UN:C ratios also increased in individuals with home ranges composed of little deciduous forests during adult winter tick engorgement. Our predictive models estimated that winter survival was negatively related to UN:C ratios and positively related to fGCM concentrations, particularly in early winter. By late March, as winter ticks are having their greatest toll and endogenous resources become depleted, we estimated a curvilinear relationship between fGCM concentrations and survival. Our results provide novel evidence linking moose calf stress and nutrition, a problematic parasite and challenging environment and winter survival. Our findings provide a baseline to support the development of non-invasive physiological monitoring for assessing environmental impacts on moose populations.
Rosenblatt, C.J. Ashley A Dayer, Jennifer N Duberstein, Tina B Phillips, Howard W Harshaw, David C Fulton, Nicholas W Cole, Andrew H Raedeke, Jonathan D Rutter, Christopher L Wood, Highly specialized recreationists contribute the most to the citizen science project eBird, Ornithological Applications, 2022;, duac008, https://doi.org/10.1093/ornithapp/duac008 \| Abstract	February 2022	Contributory citizen science projects (hereafter “contributory projects”) are a powerful tool for avian conservation science. Large-scale projects such as eBird have produced data that have advanced science and contributed to many conservation applications. These projects also provide a means to engage the public in scientific data collection. A common challenge across contributory projects like eBird is to maintain participation, as some volunteers contribute just a few times before disengaging. To maximize contributions and manage an effective program that has broad appeal, it is useful to better understand factors that influence contribution rates. For projects capitalizing on recreation activities (e.g., birding), differences in contribution levels might be explained by the recreation specialization framework, which describes how recreationists vary in skill, behavior, and motives. We paired data from a survey of birders across the United States and Canada with data on their eBird contributions (<i>n</i> = 28,926) to test whether those who contributed most are more specialized birders. We assigned participants to 4 contribution groups based on eBird checklist submissions and compared groups’ specialization levels and motivations. More active contribution groups had higher specialization, yet some specialized birders were not active participants. The most distinguishing feature among groups was the behavioral dimension of specialization, with active eBird participants owning specialized equipment and taking frequent trips away from home to bird. Active participants had the strongest achievement motivations for birding (e.g., keeping a life list), whereas all groups had strong appreciation motivations (e.g., enjoying the sights and sounds of birding). Using recreation specialization to characterize eBird participants can help explain why some do not regularly contribute data. Project managers may be able to promote participation, particularly by those who are specialized but not contributing, by appealing to a broader suite of motivations that includes both appreciation and achievement motivations, and thereby increase data for conservation.
Rosenberry, C. S., and D. R. Diefenbach. 2019. A comparison of spatial variation of deer harvests between small and large management units in Pennsylvania. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 43:71–76; DOI: 10.1002/wsb.939 \| Download	January 2019
Rosen, MR, SEW De La Cruz, KD Groover, I Woo, SA Roberts, MJ Davis, and CY Antonino. 2023. Selenium hazards in the Salton Sea environment—summary of current knowledge to inform future wetland management. USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2023-5042. https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20235042	July 2023
Rose C, Nielsen JK, Gauvin J, Loher T, Sethi SA, Seitz AC, Courtney MB, Dorbny P. (2019) Survival outcome patterns revealed by deploying advanced tags in quantity (160): Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) survivals after release from trawl catches through expedited sorting. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 76:2215-2224. \| Abstract	March 2019	Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) bycatch limits many Alaska trawl fisheries and greatly concerns stakeholders from local communities and fisheries that rely on Pacific halibut. To reduce Pacific halibut mortality, Bering Sea trawlers that target flatfish have been developing expedited release procedures to sort Pacific halibut from catches earlier than current regulations allow, while continuing accurate bycatch accounting. We studied survival rates of released Pacific halibut from three trawlers by deploying accelerometer-equipped Popup Satellite Archival Tags (PSATs) on 160 fish handled under expedited procedures. PSATs recorded and transmitted two metrics indicating swimming activity for every two hours while attached to the fish for up to 60 days. Analysis of the resulting survival outcomes largely validated current survival estimation methods, based on structured viability assessments, and found longer fish length, shorter air exposure, and shorter trawl tow duration all improved predicted Pacific halibut survival. Differences in these results were detected between vessel trips and species targeted by trawling. PSATs provided detailed data from all tagged fish, while exposing fish to conditions experienced by normal releases.
Roop, H. J., N. C. Poudyal, and C. A. Jennings. FSP initiated. Fishing preferences, angling behavior, and attitudes towards management: a comparison between White and Non-white Anglers. Human Dimensions of Wildlife. https://doi.org/10.1080/10871209.2020.1794082 \| Abstract	July 2020	Recent trends in outdoor recreation in the United States show declining participation in consumptive outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing, primarily because of a decline in per capita participation among certain ethnic groups, largely due to structural change in demography. In Georgia, the proportion of Whites, which have comprised the largest segment of the recreation resource user base, is declining while the share of other racial groups (i.e., Non-whites) is increasing. Fishery managers benefit by knowing if White anglers differ from Non-white anglers in attributes such as demographic characteristics and fishing behavior and preferences. In this study, we compared the racial differences on angling metrics and other attitudinal variables from an intensively managed fishery. There significant differences between user groups in many of the attributes measured. Differences in demographics, sportfish preference, and harvest-orientated behavior confirm that the White and Non-white anglers constitute two distinct segments of this fishery, and these findings, albeit from one study area, may be applicable to other similar fisheries.
Roop, H. J., N. C. Poudyal, and C. A. Jennings. 2018. Efficacy of a passive use-estimation system for estimating fishing effort on a multi-lake fishery. Fisheries Management and Ecology.2018;00:1–3. https://doi.org/10.1111/fme.12315	October 2018
Roop, H. J., N. C. Poudyal, and C. A. Jennings. Catch and harvest of targeted sportfishes at Marben Public Fishing Area in middle Georgia. Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 6:28-34.	April 2019
Roon, D, M Wipfli, J Kruse. 2018. Riparian defoliation by the invasive green alder sawfly influences terrestrial prey subsidies to salmon streams. Ecology of Freshwater Fish. 27:963–975. DOI: 10.1111/eff.12407 \| Abstract	September 2018	Resource subsidies often have major consequences on recipient species and food webs. While invasive species are known to negatively affect some species and ecosystems, their influences on prey subsidies and effects on recipient consumers are unknown. The green alder sawfly (Monsoma pulveratum) is a recently introduced invasive wasp responsible for defoliating riparian thin-leaf alder (Alnus tenuifolia) stands across southcentral Alaska. To examine the effect of riparian alder defoliation by the larval green alder sawfly on the flow of terrestrial invertebrate prey subsidies to stream salmonids, we sampled 1) terrestrial invertebrate communities on riparian alder foliage, 2) their subsidies to streams, and 3) prey consumption by juvenile Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) along stream reaches with low and high densities of this invasive Hymenopteran. Sawfly biomass peaked mid-summer in all three categories—on riparian alder foliage, as terrestrial subsidies to streams, and ingested by juvenile Coho Salmon. Broader terrestrial invertebrate communities did not decline from sawfly defoliation; instead, invasive sawflies were supplemental prey for juvenile Coho Salmon mid-summer, on top of the background invertebrate subsidy. Our study showed that invasive green alder sawfly defoliation changed terrestrial prey subsidies for these stream fishes, as predicted. Considering that this study was conducted at the early stage of sawfly invasion, the loss of riparian alder is expected to have other ecological consequences that merit further investigation. However, in this case, invasive sawflies did not affect terrestrial subsidies to stream consumers in these study streams in southcentral Alaska.
Rolls, R.J., J.S. Rogosch, and L.M. Kuehne. 2022. How Shall We Meet? Embracing the Opportunities of Virtual Conferencing. Fisheries. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsh.10765	July 2022
Rolek, B.W., D.J. Harrison, D.W. Linden, C.S. Loftin, P.B. Wood. 2021. Habitat associations of breeding conifer-associated birds in managed and regenerating forested stands. Forest Ecology and Management.	October 2021
Rolek, B. W., D.J. Harrison, C.S. Loftin, and P.B.Wood. 2018. Regenerating clearcuts combined with postharvest forestry treatments promote habitat for breeding and post-breeding spruce-fir avian assemblages in the Atlantic Northern Forest. Forest Ecology and Management 427: 392-413. Data DOI: 10.1111/jav.01779; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2018.05.068	November 2018
Rogosch, J.S., and J.D. Olden. 2020. Invaders induce coordinated isotopic niche shifts in native fish species. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 77(8): 1348–1358. doi:10.1139/cjfas-2019-0346.	April 2020
Rogosch, J.S., and J.D. Olden. 2019. Dynamic contributions of intermittent and perennial streams to fish beta diversity in dryland rivers. Journal of Biogeography: jbi.13673. doi:10.1111/jbi.13673.	August 2019
Rogosch, J.S., Tonkin, J.D., Lytle, D.A., Merritt, D.M., Reynolds, L. V., and Olden, J.D. 2019. Increasing drought favors nonnative fishes in a dryland river: evidence from a multispecies demographic model. Ecosphere 10(4): e02681. doi:10.1002/ecs2.2681.	April 2019
Rogosch, J.S. and J.D. Olden. 2021. Comparing opportunistic and strategic removal efforts to manage invasive fish species using a dynamic multi‐state occupancy model. Journal of Applied Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14012	September 2021
Rogan, J.E., M.R. Parker, Z.B. Hancock, A.D. Earl, E.K. Buchholtz, K. Chyn, J. Martina, & L.A. Fitzgerald (2023). Genetic and demographic consequences of range contraction patterns during biological annihilation. Scientific Reports 13, 1691. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-28927-z. \| Abstract	January 2023	Species range contractions both contribute to, and result from, biological annihilation, yet do not receive the same attention as extinctions. Range contractions can lead to marked impacts on populations but are usually characterized only by reduction in extent of range. For effective conservation, it is critical to recognize that not all range contractions are the same. We propose three distinct patterns of range contraction: shrinkage, amputation, and fragmentation. We tested the impact of these patterns on populations of a generalist species using forward-time simulations. All three patterns caused 86–88% reduction in population abundance and significantly increased average relatedness, with differing patterns in declines of nucleotide diversity relative to the contraction pattern. The fragmentation pattern resulted in the strongest effects on post-contraction genetic diversity and structure. Defining and quantifying range contraction patterns and their consequences for Earth’s biodiversity would provide useful and necessary information to combat biological annihilation.
Roerick, T.M., J.W. Cain III, and J.V. Gedir. 2019. Forest restoration, wildfire and habitat selection by female mule deer. Forest Ecology and Management 447:169-179. \| Download	September 2019
Rodman, A., K.R. Brye, D.D. Magoulick and S. Todd. 2019. Population characteristics of Ozark Bass (Ambloplites constellatus) in the Upper White River Basin of Northern Arkansas. Natural Resources 10:121-138. DOI: 10.4236/nr.2019.105009	January 2019
Rodgers, P.A. et al. Rifle hunting alters habitat use but does not trigger migration in mule deer. for Journal of Wildlife Management	December 2021
Rodgers et al. Sex-specific migratory behaviors in a temperate ungulate. for Ecosphere	December 2021
Rodger, A. W., , S. L. Wolf, T. A. Starks, J. P. Burroughs, and S. K. Brewer. 2021. Seasonal diet and habitat use of large, introduced Rainbow Trout in an Ozark Highland stream, North American Journal of Fisheries Management 41:1764-1780. https://doi.org/10.1002/najfm.10694	December 2021
Rockweit, JT, JM Jenkins, JE Hines, JD Nichols, KM Dugger, AB Franklin, PC Carlson, WL Kendall, DB Lesmeister, C McCafferty, SH Ackers, LS Andrews, LL Bailey, JB, KP Burnham, T Chestnut, MM Conner, KE Dilione, RJ Davis, ED Forsman, EM Glenn, SA Gremel, KA Hamm, DR Herter, JM Higley, RB Horn, DW Lamphear, TL McDonald, JA Reid, CJ Schwarz, DC Simon, SG Sovern, JK Swingle, JD Wiens, H Wise, and CB Yackulic. 2022. Range-wide Sources of Variation in Reproductive Rates of Northern Spotted Owls. Ecological Applications 000:000-000, doi:10.1002/eap.2726.	August 2022
Robinson, K.F., S.M. Miehls, M.J. Siefkes. 2021. Understanding sea lamprey populations in the Great Lakes prior to broad implementation of sea lamprey control. Journal of Great Lakes Research, Special Issue on Sea Lamprey International Symposium III (SLIS III) 47 (Supplement 1):S328-334. DOI: 10.1016/j.jglr.2021.04.002 \| Download	December 2021
Robinson, K.F., P.J. Alsip. D.A.R. Drake, Y.-C. Kao, M.A. Koops, D.M. Mason, E.S. Rutherford, H. Zhang. 2021. Reviewing uncertainty in bioenergetics and food web models to project invasion consequences: four major Chinese carps in the Great Lakes. Journal of Great Lakes Research, Special Issue: Research and management efforts on invasive Asian carps in the Laurentian Great Lakes 47:83-95. DOI: 10.1016/j.jglr.2020.11.003	February 2021
Robinson, K.F., M. DuFour, M. Jones, S. Herbst, T. Newcomb, J. Boase, T. Brenden, D. Chapman, J. Dettmers, J. Francis, T. Hartman, P. Kocovksy, B. Locke, C. Mayer, J. Tyson. 2021. Using decision analysis to collaboratively respond to invasive species threats: a case study of Lake Erie grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Journal of Great Lakes Research, Special Issue: Research and management efforts on invasive Asian carps in the Laurentian Great Lakes 47:108-119. DOI: 10.1016/j.jglr.2020.03.018	February 2021
Robinson, K.F., C.R. Bronte, D.B. Bunnell, P. Euclide, D. Hondorp, J. Janssen, M. Kornis, S. Riley, M. Vinson, S. Volkel, B. Weidel. 2021. A synthesis of the biology and ecology of sculpin species in the Laurentian Great Lakes and implications for the adaptive capacity of the benthic ecosystem. Reviews in Fisheries Science and Aquaculture 29:96-121. DOI: 10.1080/23308249.2020.1782341	January 2021
Robinson, K.F., A.K. Fuller, and M.L. Jones. 2021. Using structured decision making to incorporate ecological and social values into harvest decisions: case studies of white-tailed deer and walleye In: Harvest of Fish and Wildlife: New Paradigms for Sustainable Management. CRC Press.	June 2021
Robinson, K.F., A.K. Fuller, R.C. Stedman, W.F. Siemer, and D.J. Decker. 2019. Decision making in coupled human-natural systems: challenges and opportunities. Environmental Management 63:656-573.	February 2019
Robinson, H.E., Strickler, J.R., Henderson, M.J., Hartline, D.K., Lenz, P.H. 2019. Predation strategies of larval clownfish capturing evasive copepod prey. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 614: 125-146. DOI: 10.3354/meps12888 \| Abstract	April 2019	Fish larvae depend on finding and capturing enough prey for rapid growth during the planktonic phase. The diet of many fish larvae is dominated by copepods, small crustaceans that are highly sensitive to hydrodynamic disturbances and possess strong escape responses. We examined how fish larvae with immature jaws, musculature and fins capture such evasive prey. The kinematics of feeding attempts by larval clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) on three developmental stages of copepod (Bestiolina similis) were investigated using high-speed videography. A stealthy approach brought the fish larva within ca. 1 mm of the copepod; shortest distances were observed in early larvae (1 5 days post-hatch [dph]) attacking immature copepods. Peak speeds during strikes increased with fish age and copepod developmental stage (150 to 250 mm s-1) with time to capture <8 ms on average. Most successful captures (70%) were of copepods that failed to initiate an escape response during the strike. If a copepod initiated an escape, capture success decreased to ca. 50% for nauplii and copepodites, and 25% for adults. Adult copepods were more likely to attempt an escape response than copepodites or nauplii. Prey stage and the interaction between strike distance and speed were the parameters that best fit a logistic regression model to the observed captures and escapes. The successful switch to larger and more evasive copepod prey by A. ocellaris larvae did not occur until 7 dph and coincided with ontogenetic changes (post-flexion) and a predatory strategy that included shorter approach phases and greater strike speeds.
Robinson, B. H., L. M. Phillips, and A. N. Powell. 2019. Energy intake rate influences survival rates of Black Oystercatcher Haematopus bachmani broods. Marine Ornithology 47:277-283.	October 2019
Robinson, D.H., Henderson, M.J., H.E., Goodman, Perry, R.W., Som, N.A. From site to system: approaches for producing system-wide estimates of fish habitat in large rivers. To be submitted to River Research and Applications. \| Abstract	October 2021	Worldwide, many productive rivers are dam-regulated and rely on flow management strategies that must balance support of ecological processes with human water use. One component of evaluating this balance is to understand ecological consequences of alternative flow management strategies, which has often been accomplished by coupling population dynamics models with models that relate streamflow to habitat availability and quality. Numerous methods assign habitat availability to locations within a river basin: these include fine-scale field-measured values that are extrapolated to other locations within the basin having similar physical characteristics, or equation-driven values created by functions of model-predicted values of physical characteristics. The array of options for creating habitat models is evolving rapidly as high-resolution remote sensing data becomes more accessible and computational capacity improves. Our objective was to identify tradeoffs among approaches that assign habitat relationships to large rivers, and to create a decision support tool to supplement choices of extent and granularity. Using a selection of case studies that represent a breadth of scales and diverse tradeoffs, we demonstrate the need for a transparent process of data evaluation and assessment to determine the appropriate fit for model scope or context that best supports management needs and recognize sources of uncertainty. The structured approach proposed here aims to improve future model development and refine population dynamics models that inform management of rivers.
Robertson, M. D., S. R. Midway, H. S. Embke, A. L. Kaz, M. Lang, C. P. Paukert, N. A. Sievert, L. Wszola, A. J. Lynch. 2023. Estimating Lentic Recreational Fisheries Catch and Effort Throughout the United States. Fisheries Management and Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/fme.12650.	August 2023
Roberts, N.M., M.J. Lovallo, and S.M. Crimmins. 2020. River otter (Lontra canadensis) status, management, and distribution in the United States: Evidence of large-scale population increase and range expansion. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 11:279-286.	December 2020
Roberts, C.P., Naugle, D., Allred, B.W., Donovan, V.M., Fogarty, D.T., Jones, M.O., Maestas, J.D., Olsen, A.C., Twidwell, D. New possibilities to track rangeland productivity at multiple scales and quantify conservation outcomes. Journal of Environmental Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116359. \| Abstract	December 2022	Historically, relying on plot-level inventories impeded our ability to quantify large-scale change in plant biomass, a key indicator of conservation interventions in rangeland systems. Recent technological advances enable assessment at scales appropriate to inform management by providing spatially comprehensive estimates of productivity that are partitioned by plant functional group across all contiguous US rangelands. We partnered with the Sage Grouse and Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiatives and the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project to demonstrate the ability of these new datasets to quantify multi-scale changes and heterogeneity in plant biomass following mechanical tree removal, prescribed fire, and prescribed grazing. In Oregon’s sagebrush steppe, for example, juniper tree removal resulted in a 21% increase in one pasture’s productivity and an 18% decline in another. In Nebraska’s Loess Canyons, perennial grass productivity initially declined 80% at sites invaded by trees that were prescriptively burned, but then fully recovered post-fire, representing a 492% increase from nadir. In Kansas’ Shortgrass Prairie, plant biomass increased 4-fold (966,809 kg/ha) in pastures that were prescriptively grazed, with gains highly dependent upon precipitation as evidenced by sensitivity of remotely sensed estimates (SD ±951,308 kg/ha). Our results emphasize that next-generation remote sensing datasets empower land managers to move beyond simplistic control versus treatment study designs to explore nuances in plant biomass in unprecedented ways. New remotely-sensed products also accelerate adaptive management and communicate wildlife and livestock forage benefits from management to diverse stakeholders.
Roberts, C.P., Allen, C.R., Angeler, D.G., Twidwell, D. Shifting avian spatial regimes in a changing climate. Nat. Clim. Chang. 9, 562–566 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-019-0517-6 \| Abstract \| Download	June 2019	In the present era of rapid global change, development of early warnings of ecological regime shifts is a major focus in ecology. Identifying and tracking shifts in spatial regimes is a new approach with potential to enhance understanding of ecological responses to global change. Here, we show strong directional non-stationarity of spatial regimes identified by avian community body mass data. We do this by tracking 46 years of avian spatial regime movement in the North American Great Plains. The northernmost spatial regime boundary moved >590 km northward, and the southernmost boundary moved >260 km northward. Tracking spatial regimes affords decadal planning horizons and moves beyond the predominately temporal early warnings of the past by providing spatiotemporally explicit detection of regime shifts in systems without fixed boundaries.
Roberts, C. P., Scholtz, R., Fogarty, D. T., Twidwell, D., & Walker Jr, T. L. (2022). Large‐scale fire management restores grassland bird richness for a private lands ecoregion. Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 3(1), e12119. \| Abstract \| Download	January 2022	Of all terrestrial biomes, grasslands are losing the most biodiversity the most rapidly, so there is a critical need to document and learn from large-scale restoration successes. In the Loess Canyons ecoregion of the Great Plains, USA, an association of private ranchers and natural resource agencies has led a multi-decadal, ecoregion-scale initiative to combat the continued loss of grasslands to woody plant encroachment by restoring large-scale fire regimes. Here, we use 14 years of fire treatment history with 6 years of grassland bird monitoring and remotely-sensed tree cover data across 136,767 hectares of privately-owned grassland to quantify outcomes of large-scale grassland restoration efforts. Grassland bird richness increased across 65% (90,032 ha) of the Loess Canyons, and woody plant cover decreased up to 55% across 25% (7,408 ha) of all fire-treated areas. This was accomplished with extreme fire treatments that killed mature trees, were large (mean annual area burned was 3,100 ha), spatially clustered, and straddled boundaries between invasive woodlands and remaining grasslands—not heavily-infested woodlands. Findings from this study provide the first evidence of human management reversing the impacts of woody encroachment on grassland birds at an ecoregion scale.
Roberts, C. P., Donovan, V. M., Wonkka, C. L., Powell, L. A., Allen, C. R., Angeler, D. G., Wedin, D. A., & Twidwell, D. (2019). Fire legacies in eastern ponderosa pine forests. Ecology and evolution, 9(4), 1869-1879. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4879 \| Abstract \| Download	December 2019	Disturbance legacies structure communities and ecological memory, but due to increasing changes in disturbance regimes, it is becoming more difficult to characterize disturbance legacies or determine how long they persist. We sought to quantify the characteristics and persistence of material legacies (e.g., biotic residuals of disturbance) that arise from variation in fire severity in an eastern ponderosa pine forest in North America. We compared forest stand structure and understory woody plant and bird community composition and species richness across unburned, low‐, moderate‐, and high‐severity burn patches in a 27‐year‐old mixed‐severity wildfire that had received minimal post‐fire management. We identified distinct tree densities (high: 14.3 ± 7.4 trees per ha, moderate: 22.3 ± 12.6, low: 135.3 ± 57.1, unburned: 907.9 ± 246.2) and coarse woody debris cover (high: 8.5 ± 1.6% cover per 30 m transect, moderate: 4.3 ± 0.7, low: 2.3 ± 0.6, unburned: 1.0 ± 0.4) among burn severities. Understory woody plant communities differed between high‐severity patches, moderate‐ and low‐severity patches, and unburned patches (all <i>p</i> < 0.05). Bird communities differed between high‐ and moderate‐severity patches, low‐severity patches, and unburned patches (all <i>p</i> < 0.05). Bird species richness varied across burn severities: low‐severity patches had the highest (5.29 ± 1.44) and high‐severity patches had the lowest (2.87 ± 0.72). Understory woody plant richness was highest in unburned (5.93 ± 1.10) and high‐severity (5.07 ± 1.17) patches, and it was lower in moderate‐ (3.43 ± 1.17) and low‐severity (3.43 ± 1.06) patches. We show material fire legacies persisted decades after the mixed‐severity wildfire in eastern ponderosa forest, fostering distinct structures, communities, and species in burned versus unburned patches and across fire severities. At a patch scale, eastern and western ponderosa system responses to mixed‐severity fires were consistent.
Roberts CP, Uden DR, Allen CR, Angeler DG, Powell LA, Allred BW, Jones MO, Maestas JD, Twidwell D. 2022. Tracking spatial regimes in animal communities: implications for resilience-based management. Ecological Indicators. doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.108567 \| Abstract \| Download	January 2022	Spatial regimes (the spatial extents of ecological states) exhibit strong spatiotemporal order as they expand or contract in response to retreating or encroaching adjacent spatial regimes (e.g., woody plant invasion of grasslands) and human management (e.g., fire treatments). New methods enable tracking spatial regime boundaries via vegetation landcover data, and this approach is being used for strategic management across biomes. A clear advancement would be incorporating animal community data to track spatial regime boundaries alongside vegetation data. In a 41,170-hectare grassland experiencing woody plant encroachment, we test the utility of using animal community data to track spatial regimes via two hypotheses. (H1) Spatial regime boundaries identified via independent vegetation and animal datasets will exhibit spatial synchrony; specifically, grassland:woodland bird community boundaries will synchronize with grass:woody vegetation boundaries. (H2) Negative feedbacks will stabilize spatial regimes identified via animal data; specifically, frequent fire treatments will stabilize grassland bird community boundaries. We used 26 years of bird community and vegetation data alongside 32 years of fire history data. We identified spatial regime boundaries with bird community data via a wombling approach. We identified spatial regime boundaries with vegetation data by calculating spatial covariance between remotely-sensed grass and woody plant cover per pixel. For fire history data, we calculated the cumulative number of fires per pixel. Setting bird boundary strength (wombling <i>R<sup>2</sup></i> values) as the response variable, we tested our hypotheses with a hierarchical generalized additive model (HGAM). Both hypotheses were supported: animal boundaries synchronized with vegetation boundaries in space and time, and grassland bird communities stabilized as fire frequency increased (HGAM explained 38% of deviance). We can now track spatial regimes via animal community data pixel-by-pixel and year-by-year. Alongside vegetation boundary tracking, tracking animal community boundaries can inform the scale of management necessary to maintain animal communities endemic to desirable ecological states. Our approach will be especially useful for conserving animal communities requiring large-scale, unfragmented landscapes—like grasslands and steppes.
Robb, B. et al. Nowhere to run: pronghorn space use impacted by semi-permeability of barriers	April 2022
Rivera-Burgos, A. C., J. A. Collazo, A. J. Terando, and K. Pacifici. 2021. Linking demographic rates to local environmental conditions in support of Climate Adaptation Strategies for Eleutherodactylus frogs. Global Ecology and Conservation 28 (2021) e01624. \| Abstract	May 2021	Conducting managed species translocations and establishing climate change refugia are adaptation strategies to cope with projected consequences of global warming, but successful implementation requires on-the-ground validation of demographic responses to transient climate conditions. Here we estimated the effect of nine abiotic and biotic factors on local occupancy and an index of abundance (few or chorus) for four amphibian species (<i>Eleutherodactylus wightmanae</i>, <i>E. brittoni</i>, <i>E. antillensis,</i> and <i>E. coqui</i>) in Puerto Rico, USA. We also assessed how the same factors influenced reproductive activity of <i>E. coqui</i> and how species responded to hurricane María (20 September 2017). As predicted, occupancy and abundance of <i>E. wightmanae</i>, <i>E. brittoni</i> and <i>E. coqui</i> were positively and strongly influenced by abiotic covariates (e.g., relative humidity) that characterize high elevation, mesic habitats. <i>E. antillensis</i> exhibited the opposite pattern, with highest probabilities (≥0.6) recorded at ≤300 m and with average relative humidity <75%. Biotic covariates (e.g., canopy cover) had a weak influence on both parameters, regardless of species. High probabilities (≥0.9) of detecting an <i>E. coqui</i> chorus and active nests occurred at sites experiencing average relative humidity of >80% and temperature of ≤26° C. Moderate to high probabilities of detecting a chorus (0.4 - 0.7) were recorded at sites with average temperatures >26°C, but no reproductive activity was detected, implying that monitoring abundance alone could misrepresent the capacity of a local population to sustain itself. The possibility underscores the importance of understanding the interplay between local demographic and environmental parameters in the advent of global warming to help guide monitoring and management decisions, especially for high elevation specialists. Hurricanes can inflict marked reductions in population numbers, but impacts vary by location and species. We found that the abundance (chorus) of <i>E. antillensis</i> and <i>E. brittoni</i> increased after the hurricane, but the abundance of the other two species did not differ between years. Lack of impacts was probably mediated by low structural damage to forest tracts (e.g., 9% canopy loss). Our findings help assess habitat suitability in terms of parameters that foster local population growth, which provides a basis for testing spatio-temporal predictions about demographic rates in potential climate refugia and for designing criteria to help guide managed translocations.
Rivera, S.J., K.M. Alpi, J. A. Collazo, M. K. Stoskopf. 2021. Statistical Methods Used In Research Concerning Endangered and Threatened Animal Species of Puerto Rico: A Meta-study. Caribbean Journal of Science. \| Abstract	December 2021	A concern about statistics in wildlife studies, particularly of endangered and threatened species, is whether the data collected meet the assumptions necessary for the use of parametric statistics. This study identified published papers on the nine endangered and six threatened species found only on Puerto Rico using 5 different databases. The results from the database Zoological Record identified the most articles, including all identified by the other databases. Of the 220 articles identified, 113 included some form of statistics, 28 used only descriptive statistics, 42 included parametric statistics, 24 used only nonparametric statistics, and 19 reported both parametric and nonparametric statistical analyses. This meta-study showed that the percentage of articles with no statistical treatment decreased in the most recent 20 years and that although parametric statistics continue to be most commonly used in published wildlife studies of Puerto Rican wildlife, there has been a distinct increase in the use of nonparametric statistics over time.
Rivera, S.J., K.M. Alpi, J. A. Collazo, M. K. Stoskopf. 2021. Statistical Methods Used In Research Concerning Endangered and Threatened Animal Species of Puerto Rico: A Meta-study. Caribbean Journal of Science. \| Abstract	December 2021	A concern about statistics in wildlife studies, particularly of endangered and threatened species, is whether the data collected meet the assumptions necessary for the use of parametric statistics. This study identified published papers on the nine endangered and six threatened species found only on Puerto Rico using 5 different databases. The results from the database Zoological Record identified the most articles, including all identified by the other databases. Of the 220 articles identified, 113 included some form of statistics, 28 used only descriptive statistics, 42 included parametric statistics, 24 used only nonparametric statistics, and 19 reported both parametric and nonparametric statistical analyses. This meta-study showed that the percentage of articles with no statistical treatment decreased in the most recent 20 years and that although parametric statistics continue to be most commonly used in published wildlife studies of Puerto Rican wildlife, there has been a distinct increase in the use of nonparametric statistics over time.
Rivera, K, Fidino, M, Farris, ZJ, Murphy, A, Magle, S, and Gerber, BD. 2022. Rethinking habitat occupancy modeling and the role of diel activity in an anthropogenic world. American Naturalist, 200, 4, 556-570. https://doi.org/10.1086/720714	August 2022
Ritter, T. D., A. V. Zale, G. Grisak, and M. J. Lance. 2020. Groundwater upwelling regulates thermal hydrodynamics and salmonid movements during high temperature events at a montane tributary confluence. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society doi.org/10.1002/tafs.10259 \| Abstract	August 2020	The Smith River is a popular recreational sport fishery in western Montana, but salmonid abundances there are thought to be limited by riparian land-use alterations, irrigation water withdrawals, and high summer water temperatures. We used integrated networks of temperature loggers, PIT-tag antenna stations, and in-situ temperature mapping to investigate thermal hydrodynamics and associated movements of PIT-tagged salmonids at the confluence of Tenderfoot Creek, a major, unaltered coldwater tributary of the Smith River. Contrary to expectations, Tenderfoot Creek itself was not used as a thermal refuge by salmonids during periods of high main-stem water temperatures; rather, its cool outflow into the Smith River was used instead. Mean outflow water temperatures were 2.9 °C lower than those of the Smith River during summer and ranged from 0.5 °C to 6.1 °C less. Moreover, measured and estimated temperatures in the outflow were cooler (by up to 2.8 °C) than in Tenderfoot Creek itself at times as a result of groundwater upwelling at the confluence. Detections of PIT-tagged fish in the thermal plume increased, especially at night, when daily mean water temperatures exceeded 20°C in the main stem Smith River; 4 times as many PIT-tagged fish were detected in the plume (<i>N = </i>52) than along the opposite bank (<i>N = </i>12), which ostensibly afforded better cover. Coldwater tributary confluences may provide superior thermal refuges for salmonids—cooler and more secure than the tributaries themselves—when water temperatures in river main stems are stressful.
Ritenour, K., S.L.King, S. Collins, and M. D. Kaller. 2022. FACTORS AFFECTING NEST SUCCESS OF COLONIAL NESTING WATERBIRDS IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. Estuaries and Coasts. 45:897-912. \| Publisher Website	August 2021
Riley, I. P., and C. J. Conway. 2020. Methods for estimating vital rates of greater sage-grouse broods: A review. Wildlife Biology 2020:wlb.00700.	September 2020
Riley, I. P., C. J. Conway, B. S. Stevens, and S. Roberts. 2021. Survival of greater sage-grouse broods: survey method affects disturbance, detection probability, and ability to detect age-specific mortality. Journal of Field Ornithology 92:88-102. doi: 10.1111/jofo.12356	April 2021
Riley, I. P., C. J. Conway, B. S. Stevens, and S. Roberts. 2021. Aural and visual detection of greater sage-grouse leks: implications for population trend estimates. Journal of Wildlife Management 85:508-519. DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21991	January 2021
Riepe, T.B., V. Vincent, Vicki Milano, E.R. Fetherman, and D.L. Winkelman. Evidence for the use of mucus swabs to detect Renibacterium salmoninarum in Brook Trout. Pathogens 10, 460. https://doi.org/10.3390/ pathogens10040460 \| Download	April 2021
Riepe, T.B., E.R. Fetherman, B. Neuschwanger, T. Davis, A. Perkins, and D.L. Winkelman. 2023. Vertical Transmission of Renibacterium salmoninarum in Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii). Journal of Fish Diseases DOI:10.1111/jfd13745 \| Download	December 2022
Riepe, T.B., B.W. Avila, and D.L. Winkelman. 2022. Effects of 17a-ethinylestradiol and Density on Juvenile Fathead Minnow Growth and Survival. Journal of Aquatic Pollution and Toxicology 6:60 DOI:10.21767/2581-804X.22.6.60 \| Download	October 2022
Riecke, T.V., W.C. Conway, D.A. Haukos, C.E. Comer, and J.A. Moon. 2019. Nest survival of black-necked stilts, Himantopus mexicanus, on the upper Texas coast. Waterbirds 42:261-271.	October 2019
Rickbeil et al. Plasticity in elk migration timing is a response to changing environmental conditions.	July 2019
Richardson, E.T. and Patiño, R. 2021, Growth of the harmful alga, Prymnesium parvum (Prymnesiophyceae), after gradual and abrupt increases in salinity. Journal of Phycology 57, 1335–1344. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpy.13172. \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	August 2021	<i>Prymnesium parvum</i> is a euryhaline, toxin‐producing microalga. Although its abundance in inland waters and growth potential in the laboratory are reduced at high salinity (>20), the ability of inland strains to adjust their growth after long‐term residence in high salinity is uncertain. An inland strain of <i>P. parvum</i> maintained at salinity of 5 in modified artificial seawater medium (ASM‐5) was subjected to the following treatments over five sequential batch‐culture rounds: ASM‐5 (control); modified ASM at salinity of 30, raised with NaCl; modified ASM at salinity incrementally increased to 30 with NaCl; and Instant Ocean® at salinity of 30 (IO‐30). Exponential growth rate (<i>r</i>) was reduced when salinity was increased from 5 to 30 in ASM but returned to control values during the second round. When salinity was incrementally increased, a reduction in <i>r</i> still occurred when salinity reached 25‐30. Maximum density was reduced at salinity of 30 in ASM upon abrupt transfer or incremental increase, and compensation did not occur. Growth performance in IO‐30 was comparable to control values. In conclusion, (1) long‐term compensation for acute inhibitory effects of high salinity occurred for <i>r</i> but not maximum density, (2) incremental increases in salinity did not prevent growth inhibition, suggesting the existence of a salinity threshold of 25‐30 for onset of salinity stress, and (3) the presence of a seawater‐like salt mixture prevented growth inhibition by high salinity. These findings provide new insights on <i>P. parvum</i>’s long‐term ability to adjust its growth in environments of different salinity and ionic composition.
Richardson, E.T. and Patiño, R. 2021, Growth of the harmful alga, Prymnesium parvum (Prymnesiophyceae), after gradual and abrupt increases in salinity. Journal of Phycology 57, 1335–1344. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpy.13172. \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	August 2021	<i>Prymnesium parvum</i> is a euryhaline, toxin‐producing microalga. Although its abundance in inland waters and growth potential in the laboratory are reduced at high salinity (>20), the ability of inland strains to adjust their growth after long‐term residence in high salinity is uncertain. An inland strain of <i>P. parvum</i> maintained at salinity of 5 in modified artificial seawater medium (ASM‐5) was subjected to the following treatments over five sequential batch‐culture rounds: ASM‐5 (control); modified ASM at salinity of 30, raised with NaCl; modified ASM at salinity incrementally increased to 30 with NaCl; and Instant Ocean® at salinity of 30 (IO‐30). Exponential growth rate (<i>r</i>) was reduced when salinity was increased from 5 to 30 in ASM but returned to control values during the second round. When salinity was incrementally increased, a reduction in <i>r</i> still occurred when salinity reached 25‐30. Maximum density was reduced at salinity of 30 in ASM upon abrupt transfer or incremental increase, and compensation did not occur. Growth performance in IO‐30 was comparable to control values. In conclusion, (1) long‐term compensation for acute inhibitory effects of high salinity occurred for <i>r</i> but not maximum density, (2) incremental increases in salinity did not prevent growth inhibition, suggesting the existence of a salinity threshold of 25‐30 for onset of salinity stress, and (3) the presence of a seawater‐like salt mixture prevented growth inhibition by high salinity. These findings provide new insights on <i>P. parvum</i>’s long‐term ability to adjust its growth in environments of different salinity and ionic composition.
Richard, J.C., L. Castello, D.J. Gurdak, B.K. Peoples, and P.L. Angermeier. 2018. Size-structured habitat selection by arapaima in floodplain lakes of the Lower Amazon. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 28: 1403-1413. DOI:10.1002/aqc.2969.	December 2018
Ribic, C.A., D.J. Rugg, N. Koper, K. Ellison, and C. Ng. 2019. Behavior of adult and young grassland songbirds at fledging. Journal of Field Ornithology 90:143-153. DOI: 10.1111/jofo.12289	June 2019
Ribic, C.A., D.J. Rugg, K. E. Ellison, N. Koper, and P.J. Pietz. 2021. Diel patterns of predation and fledging at nests of four species of grassland songbirds. Ecology and Evolution 11:6913–6926, DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7541.	June 2021
Ribic, C.A., C. Ng, N. Koper, K. Ellison, P.J. Pietz, and D. J. Rugg. 2018. Diel fledging patterns in grassland passerines: relative impacts of energetics and predation risk. The Auk 135: 1100-1112.	November 2018
Ribeiro J. W., Siqueira, T., DiRenzo, G. V., Lambertini, C., Lyra, M. L., Toledo, L. F., Haddad, C. F. B., Becker, C. G. 2020. Assessing infection risk in tropical amphibians while accounting for imperfect detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Oecologia 193: 237-248. \| Abstract \| Download \| Publisher Website	December 2020	Ecologists studying emerging wildlife diseases need to confront the realism of imperfect pathogen detection across heterogeneous habitats to aid in conservation decisions. For example, spatial risk assessments of amphibian disease caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has largely ignored imperfect pathogen detection across sampling sites. Because changes in pathogenicity and host susceptibility could trigger recurrent population declines, it is imperative to understand how pathogen prevalence and occupancy vary across environmental gradients. Here, we assessed how Bd occurrence, prevalence, and infection intensity in a diverse Neotropical landscape vary across streams in relation to abiotic and biotic predictors using a hierarchical Bayesian model that accounts for imperfect Bd detection caused by qPCR error. Our model indicated that the number of streams harboring Bd-infected frogs is higher than observed, with Bd likely being present at ~ 43% more streams than it was detected. We found that terrestrial-breeders captured along streams had higher Bd prevalence, but lower infection intensity, than aquatic-breeding species. We found a positive relationship between Bd occupancy probability and stream density, and a negative relationship between Bd occupancy probability and amphibian local richness. Forest cover was a weak predictor of Bd occurrence and infection intensity. Finally, we provide estimates for the minimum number of amphibian captures needed to determine the presence of Bd at a given site where Bd occurs, thus, providing guidence for cost-effective disease risk monitoring programs.
Rhea, A. M., J. D. Carlisle, and A. D. Chalfoun. Intrabrood variation in nestling size among three sagebrush-associated songbirds. Wilson Journal of Ornithology. \| Abstract	June 2022	The young of some altricial bird species hatch asynchronously, sometimes leading to considerable size differences among siblings. Asynchronous hatching may comprise a bet-hedging strategy whereby adults can maximize the probability of successfully fledging at least one young from the nest even when resources are limited. Despite the potential importance of intrabrood variation in nestling size to the breeding strategy of altricial birds, the extent of this phenomenon remains largely unclear for many species. We weighed 453 nestlings from 148 nests of three sympatric, sagebrush-associated songbird species in Wyoming, USA to describe the magnitude of intrabrood size differences for these species. Intrabrood differences in nestling mass were greatest for the largest species, the Sage Thrasher (<i>Oreoscoptes montanus</i>), for which the smallest nestling in a brood was on-average 26.2% smaller than the largest. The smaller Vesper Sparrow (<i>Pooecetes gramineus</i>) and Brewer’s Sparrow (<i>Spizella breweri</i>) exhibited similar intrabrood size ratios, with the smallest nestling being 17.4% and 18.4% smaller on average than the largest for the two species, respectively. For each additional nestling within a brood, the smallest nestling was an additional 6.6 ̶ 13.6% smaller than the largest nestling, depending on species. Understanding the extent of intrabrood variation in nestling traits has important implications for the productivity of sensitive species facing increasingly unpredictable environments.
Reitsma, L. R., M. T. Hallworth, M. McMahon, and C. J. Conway. 2020. Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis), version 2.0. In Birds of the World (P. G. Rodewald and B. K. Keeney, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.canwar.02	May 2020
Reid, A. J., A. K. Carlson, I. F. Creed, E. J. Eliason, P. A. Gell, P. T. J. Johnson, K. A. Kidd, T. J. MacCormack, J. D. Olden, S. J. Ormerod, J. P. Smol, W. W. Taylor, K. Tockner, J. C. Vermaire, D. Dudgeon, and S. J. Cooke. 2019. Emerging threats and persistent conservation challenges for freshwater biodiversity. Biological Reviews 94(3):849–873. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12480	June 2019
Reid, A. J., A. K. Carlson, D. E. L. Hanna, J. D. Olden, S. J. Ormerod, and S. J. Cooke. 2020. Conservation challenges to freshwater ecosystems. In: Goldstein, M.I., DellaSala, D.A. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of the World's Biomes, vol. 4. Elsevier, pp. 270–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-409548-9.11937-2	January 2020
Rehm, T.R., S.R. Chipps, and J.L. Davis. 2020. Effects of density reduction on age-specific growth of stream-dwelling Brown Trout Salmo trutta. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 40:1355-1366.	December 2020
Regehr EV, NJ Hostetter, RR Wilson, KD Rode, M St. Martin, and SJ Converse. 2018. Integrated population modeling provides the first empirical estimates of vital rates and abundance for polar bears in the Chukchi Sea. Scientific Reports 8:16780.	November 2018
Regehr EV, MC Runge, A Von Duyke, RR Wilson, L Polasek, KD Rode, NJ Hostetter, and SJ Converse. 2021. Demographic risk assessment for a harvested species threatened by climate change: polar bears in the Chukchi Sea. Ecological Applications: e02461.	September 2021
Reed, M.L., W.W. Hoback, and J.M. Long. 2018. Diet of the orangebelly darter, Etheostoma radiosum, among tributaries of the lower Mountain Fork River. Southwestern Naturalist 63:146-148. doi: 10.1894/0038-4909-63-2-146	September 2018
Reed, K., L. Izzo, T. Binder, T. Hayden, D. Dembkowski, S. Hansen, D. Caroffino, C. Vandergoot, C. Krueger, and D. Isermann. 2023. Initial insights on the thermal ecology of Lake Whitefish in northwestern Lake Michigan. Journal of Great Lakes Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2023.03.002	June 2023
Reddell, C.D., G.W. Roemer, D.K. Delaney, T. Karish, and J.W. Cain III. 2023. Anthropogenic subsidies influence resource use during a mange epizootic in a desert coyote population. Oecologia 201:435–447. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-023-05328-7 \| Download	February 2023
Reddell, C.D., F. Abadi, D.K. Delaney, J.W. Cain III, and G.W. Roemer. 2021. Urbanization’s influence on the distribution of mange in a carnivore revealed with multistate occupancy models. Oecologia 195:105-116. \| Download	February 2021
Ray, Andrew M., Blake R. Hossack, William R. Gould, Debra A. Patla, Stephen F. Spear, Robert W. Klaver, Paul E. Bartelt, David P. Thoma, Kristin L. Legg, Rob Daley, P. Stephen Corn, Charles R. Peterson. 2022. Multi-species amphibian monitoring across a protected landscape: Critical reflections on 15 years of wetland monitoring in Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks. Ecological Indicators 135: 108519. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.108519 \| Abstract \| Download	February 2022	Widespread amphibian declines were well documented at the end of the 20th century, raising concerns about the need to identify individual and interactive contributors to this global trend. At the same time, there was growing interest in the use of amphibians as ecological indicators. In the United States, wetland and amphibian monitoring programs were launched in some national parks as a necessary first step to evaluating the status and trends of amphibian populations within some of North America’s most protected areas. In Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, a multi-species amphibian monitoring program was launched by many of the authors in 2006 and continues to this day. This Viewpoint Article serves as a self-evaluation of our journey from conception through implementation of an ongoing, long-term monitoring program. This self-evaluation should provide a framework and guidance for other monitoring programs. We address whether we are fulfilling the program’s main objective of describing status and trends of the four amphibian species, discuss how a one-size-fits-all monitoring approach does not serve all species equally, and describe opportunities to bolster our core work using emerging statistical approaches and thoughtful integration of remote sensing and molecular tools. We also describe how the data generated over the program’s first 15 years have been useful beyond our initial goal of characterizing status and trend. Notably, our integration of climate datasets has allowed us to describe wetland and species-specific amphibian responses to variations in climate drivers. Documenting climate links to amphibian occurrence and their primary habitats has allowed us to identify which species, habitat types, and subregions within this large, protected landscape are most vulnerable to anticipated climate change. Recognizing that tools and threatschange over time, it will be important to adapt our original monitoring design to maximize opportunities and use of resulting information. Maintaining engagement by multiple stakeholders and expanding our funding portfolio will also be necessary to sustain our program into the future. Finally, collaboration has become standard for longterm, cross-jurisdictional, landscape-scale monitoring. We argue that collaborative monitoring facilitates resource sharing, leveraging of limited funds, completion of work, and mutual learning. Such collaboration also increases the efficacy of conservation.
Rashel, R.H. and Patiño, R. 2019. Growth response of the ichthyotoxic haptophyte, Prymnesium parvum Carter, to changes in sulfate and fluoride concentrations. PloS One 14(9): e0223266. \| Publisher Website	September 2019
Ramos, R., V.H. Paiva, Z. Zajkova, C. Precheur, A.I. Fagundes, P.G.R. Jodice, W. Mackin, V. Neves, F. Zino, V. Bretagnolle, J. Gonzalez-Solis. 2020. Spatial ecology of closely related taxa: the case of the little shearwater complex in the North Atlantic Ocean. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society XX 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa045 \| Download	May 2020
Ramirez-Reyes, C., M. Nazeri, G. Street, D. Todd Jones-Farrand, F.J. Vilella, and K.O. Evans. 2021. Embracing ensemble species distribution models to inform at-risk species status assessments. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 12(1):98-111. \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	May 2021	Effective conservation planning requires reliable information on the geographic distribution of species, which is often incomplete due to limited availability of presence data. Species distribution models (SDMs) and associated tools have proliferated in the past decades and have proven valuable in evaluating suitability of habitat for species. However, practitioners have yet to fully adopt the potential of SDMs to inform surveys and other conservation efforts for information-limited species. Instead, most efforts rely on expert knowledge and other traditional methods to locate extant populations. In particular, the Species Status Assessment (SSA) framework of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service would benefit from incorporating SDM approaches to facilitate conservation decisions. Here, we describe an SDM approach for at-risk species that would benefit SSAs and similar species conservation efforts. We applied four modeling techniques (generalized additive, maximum entropy, generalized boosted, and weighted ensemble) to recent monitoring data for three at-risk species proposed for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (<i>Papaipema eryngii, Scutellaria ocmulgee, Balduina atropurpurea</i>) in the Southeastern U.S. The ensemble models reduced uncertainty caused by differences among modeling techniques and improved the predictive accuracy of fitted models. Incorporating an ensemble modeling approach into the SSA framework would benefit monitoring efforts and provide more robust status assessments for at-risk species. We emphasize the importance of producing SDM in close collaboration among the stakeholders involved in use of model outputs.
Ramirez-Reyes, C., F.J. Vilella, K.O. Evans, G. Street, C. Pacheco, O. Monzon, and A.L. Morales Perez. 2023. Geographic distribution of the Puerto Rican Harlequin Butterfly (Atlantea tulita): an ensemble modeling approach. Caribbean Journal of Science 53(1):37-44. \| Abstract	May 2023	Species distribution models have become increasingly important tools for species conservation. This modeling approach can help guide conservation practitioners and inform decisions. Distribution models are particularly relevant for rare species, whose habitat associations are often not well understood. Using species occurrence data, and a variety of predictor variables, we developed three individual distribution models and a weighted ensemble model for the Puerto Rican harlequin butterfly (<i>Atlantea tulita</i>). The ensemble model had the greatest accuracy (AUC = 0.92). Further, the ensemble model indicated 7.1% of the main island of Puerto Rico encompassed suitable habitat for the harlequin butterfly. However, only 0.5% was classified as including the greatest suitability. Using an ensemble modeling approach to delineate areas of the island with suitable environmental conditions may improve habitat conservation efforts for the species.
Ramirez-Reyes C., G. Street, F.J. Vilella, D.T. Jones-Farrand, M.S. Wiggers, and K.O. Evans. 2021. Ensemble species distribution model identifies survey opportunities for at-risk bearded beaksedge (Rhynchospora crinipes) in the southeastern United States. Natural Areas Journal 41(1):55-63. \| Abstract \| Download \| Publisher Website	February 2021	Locating additional occurrences of at-risk species can inform assessments of their status and conservation needs (including potential legal protections). The perennial bearded beaksedge (<i>Rhynchospora crinipes</i>) has been found from Mississippi to North Carolina, but known occurrences are limited. Because of the species’ apparent rarity, a model to identify areas with a high likelihood of locating additional occurrences will allow conservationists to effectively prioritize and allocate scarce surveying resources. We used known occurrence records, a suite of environmental datasets, and four species distribution modeling techniques (generalized additive, GAM; maximum entropy, MaxEnt; generalized boosted, GBM; and weighted ensemble) to generate maps to inform surveys for <i>R. crinipes</i>. The ensemble approach improved predictive performance (AUC-PR = 0.95) compared to other techniques (individual model AUC-PR ranged from 0.7 to 0.8). We also obtained quantitative insights on the species’ habitat relationships, including the likelihood of <i>R. crinipes</i>’s presence near Atlantic white cedar (<i>Chamaecyparis thyoides</i>) habitat and floodplains, which is consistent with prior field observations. The ensemble model indicated that 3.6% of the study area could be suitable habitat, but only 0.38% had high suitability. Small stream riparian habitats and Atlantic swamp forests in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia had the highest proportion of suitable areas. Prioritizing surveys in areas with model-indicated high habitat suitability is expected to reveal additional <i>R. crinipes</i> occurrences. We suggest surveying efforts for other at-risk species may benefit from using an ensemble modeling approach to identify and prioritize survey areas and improve ecological knowledge of these species.
Ramberg-Pihl, N., Klemmer, A., Zydlewski, J., Coghlan, Jr.,S., and Greig, H. (2023) Unraveling the impacts of competition and warming on juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) performance in Maine streams. Ecology of Freshwater Fish. 32:606–617. DOI: 10.1111/eff.12711 \| Download	April 2023
Radigan, W. J., A. K. Carlson, M. J. Fincel, and B. D. S. Graeb. 2019. Effects of the 2011 Missouri River flood on walleye natal recruitment and habitat use in Lake Sharpe, South Dakota. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 34(1):213–228. https://doi.org/10.1080/02705060.2019.1577306	March 2019
Quist, M. C., M. E. Ulaski, K. M. Manuell, Z. J. Jackson, and T. Gatewood. 2023. Precision of structures used to estimate age and growth of Apache Trout from Arizona. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 14:188-194.	August 2023
Quist, M. C., D. K. McCarrick, and L. M. Harris. 2022. Comparison of hard structures used to estimate age and growth of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 13:554-551.	January 2023
Quinzin M.C., Sandoval-Castillo, J., Miller, J.M., Beheregaray, L.B., Russello, M.A., Hunter, E.A., Gibbs, J.P., Tapia, W., Villalva, F., and Caccone, A. 2019. Genetically informed captive breeding of an extinct species of Galapagos tortoise. Conservation Biology 33:1404-1414. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13319	December 2019
Quinn TP, Scheuerell MD, Losee JP, Hanada D. 2022. Multi-decadal trends in body size of Puget Sound Chinook salmon: Analysis of data from the Tengu Derby, a culturally unique fishery. Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science 14:e10205 https://doi.org/10.1002/mcf2.10205 \| Abstract \| Download	May 2022	In Pacific salmon, downward trends in size and abundance have been reported for species and stocks for over 40 years, but the patterns are inconsistent among regions and species. Interpretation of these trends is complicated by the many possible contributing factors, including short time series, data comprising a mix of stocks, and varying gear types. Here, we present data on the mass of individual Chinook salmon, <i>Oncorhynchus tshawytscha</i>, caught in the winter from 1946 to 2019 in central Puget Sound, Washington by participants in what may be the longest running salmon derby in North America, the Tengu Derby. In this annual recreational fishing competition, established by Japanese-Americans immediately after release from internment camps at the end of World War II, participants follow strict gear, area, and methods regulations, and catch almost exclusively salmon originating from and remaining in Puget Sound. Records revealed an overall decline in fish mass over the decades with a high degree of variability throughout the time series. Specifically, resident Chinook salmon exhibited several shifts, including an increase in size from a high in the 1950s to a low around 1980, followed by an increase to another high around 1990, and then a decline over the most recent 30 years. These salmon, displaying a form of differential migration by remaining in Puget Sound rather than migrating to the ocean coast, showed dissimilar trajectories compared with size trends of Puget Sound Chinook salmon as a whole reported previously. These distinct patterns in size for Chinook salmon from common origins associated with different migration patterns exemplify yet another important factor to be considered in the analysis and interpretation of such trends.
Quinlan, B.A., J.P. Rosenberger, D.M. Kalb, H.N. Abernathy, E.D. Thornes, W.M. Ford and M.J. Cherry. 2022. Drivers of habitat quality for a reintroduced elk herd. Scientific Reports Using home range composition and size as a proxy of habitat quality for female elk. Scientific Reports (2022) 12:20960 doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-25058-9IP-142951.	December 2022
Quinlan, B.A., J.P. Rosenberger, D.M. Kalb, E.D. Thorne, W.M. Ford and M.J. Cherry. 2022. Estimating elk abundance in Buchanan County, Virginia using Lincoln-Petersen Indices. Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 10:135–141.	March 2023
Qui, Q., Y. Xu, S.S. Matsuzaki, K. Komatsu, Z. Liang, T. Wagner. 2021.A statistical framework to track temporal dependence of chlorophyll–nutrient relationships with implications for lake eutrophication management. Journal of Hydrology 603:127134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.127134	November 2021
Puchala, E.A., D. L. Parrish, and D. H. Ogle. 2018. Size and age of Lake Champlain Stonecats; estimating growth at the margin of their range. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 38:1316–1323. DOI:10.1002/nafm.10230 \| Abstract	October 2018	Little is known about Stonecat (Noturus flavus) populations, especially in the Northeastern United States, where these madtoms are at the edge of their range. In Lake Champlain tributaries, Stonecats are listed as endangered in Vermont, but not in New York. Here we describe the growth of Stonecats in two tributaries to Lake Champlain, one in Vermont and one in New York. We also compared the growth of Stonecats in these waters to results from other locations near the middle of their distribution. Stonecats in the Great Chazy River, NY were larger at ages 1-3, but smaller at age 5, than Stonecats from the LaPlatte River, VT. Stonecats in Lake Champlain tributaries were generally larger at age than those from the middle of their range, except for those from Lake Erie. Lake Champlain Stonecats appear to reach maturity by age 3, though future research that directly estimates age at maturity would be more informative. These results expand the literature that lacks information about growth of this species while also providing specific information needed to manage this and other fishes in Lake Champlain tributaries.
Prude, C.H. and J.W. Cain III. 2021. Habitat diversity influences puma Puma concolor diet in the Chihuahuan Desert. Wildlife Biology wlb.00875. https://doi.org/10.2981/wlb.00875 \| Download	October 2021
Prosdocimi, L., N. Teryda, G. Navarro, and R. R. Carthy. 2020. Use of remote sensing tools to predict focal areas for sea turtle conservation in the Southwestern Atlantic. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 2020:1–11. DOI: 10.1002/aqc.3478 \| Abstract	December 2020	1. Fisheries bycatch of non- target species in the commercial fleet is a major source of anthropogenic injury and mortality for sea turtles and marine megafauna. 2. The Río de la Plata, Maritime Front (RLPMF) and its adjacent international waters - comprising part of the Argentine and Uruguayan exclusive economic zones (EEZs), is a highly important fishing ground in the South-western Atlantic Ocean (SWAO) as well as feeding and development grounds for sea turtles. 3. This paper analyses the distribution of the bottom and pelagic trawling fishery within the RLPMF using information from Vessel Satellite Monitoring System (VMS). With this information, areas of highest trawling intensity were defined and further evaluated their overlap with sea turtle habitat-use areas from available sea turtle satellite tracking information.4. Results besides identifying high-susceptibility areas for sea turtle bycatch by the commercial trawler fleet along the RLPMF, provide predictive tools to identify vulnerable areas to interaction of sea turtles and the commercial fishing fleet.5. Implementation of bycatch mitigation measures, such as reduced fishing effort areas by the Argentine and Uruguayan fisheries management agencies has the potential to benefit the fisheries as well as marine megafauna. Furthermore, there is a need for additional research on the impact this fleet can have on sea turtles present in the area.
Pronkevich, V. V., P. N. Maleko, K. S. Maslovsky, and J. C. Slaght. 2022. Trapping shorebirds using bow-net tables: An example with Endangered Nordmann’s Greenshank. Wader Study 129(1): 56-60. doi:10.18194/ws.00262	March 2022
Proctor, M.F., D. Garshelis, P. Thatte, R. Steinmetz, B. Crudge, B. McLellan, W. McShea, D. Ngoprasert, M. Ali Nawaz, S.T. Wong, S. Sharma, A.K. Fuller, N. Dharaiya, K.E. Pigeon, M. Hwang, G. Fredriksson, D. Wang, and S. Li. 2022. Review of field methods for monitoring Asian bears. Global Ecology and Conservation. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02080	January 2022
Price, N. B., C. J. Chizinski, J. J. Fontaine, K. L. Pope, M. Rahe, and J. Rawlinson. 2020. An open-sourced, web-based application to improve our ability to understand hunter and angler purchasing behavior from license data. PLoS ONE 15(10):e0226397. \| Download	October 2020
Price Baker, J. and S. A. Bonar. 2019. Using a mechanistic model to develop management strategies to cool Apache Trout streams under the threat of climate change. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 39:849-867.	September 2019
Pregler, K.C., R.D. Hanks, E. Childress, N.P. Hitt, D.J. Hocking, B.H. Letcher, T. Wagner, and Y. Kanno. 2019. State-space analysis of power to detect regional brook trout population trends over time. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 76:2145-2155.	October 2019
Pregler KC, Obedzinski M, Gilbert-Horvath EA, White B, Carlson SM, Garza JC. 2023. Assisted geneflow from outcrossing shows the potential for genetic rescue in an endangered salmon population. Conservation Letters. 16:e12934. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12934 \| Download	April 2023
Prado, S. G., J. A. Collazo, M. H. Marand, R. E. Irwin. 2021. The influence of floral resources and microclimate on pollinator visitation in an agro-ecosystem. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 307 (2021) 107196. \| Abstract	January 2021	As agriculture expands to meet the needs of a growing global population, natural ecosystems are threatened by deforestation and habitat fragmentation. Tropical agroforestry systems offer a sustainable alternative to traditional agriculture by providing food for production while also supporting biodiversity and ecosystem services. Previous studies have shown that these systems may even improve crop pollination, but the mechanisms of how these improvements occur are still poorly understood. Using coffee as a focal crop, we explored how microclimatic conditions affected nectar traits (sugar and caffeine concentration) important for pollinator visitation. We also studied how microclimate, floral traits, floral availability at the coffee plant level, availability of floral resources provided by other plant species in the agroecosystem (“neighborhood floral availability”), and the presence of other bees affected the amount of time bees spent foraging on coffee flowers and the proportion of coffee pollen carried on their bodies. We explored these factors using the two dominant coffee species farmed on Puerto Rico, <i>Coffea canephora</i> and <i>C. arabica</i>, under sun and shade management.<i> </i>We found that high nectar sugar concentration and temperature were important predictors of short floral visits (<15 seconds), while increased numbers of bees and open coffee flowers were important predictors of longer floral visits (16-180 seconds). High nectar caffeine concentration was an important predictor of longer visits on <i>C. arabica </i>flowers while the opposite was observed for <i>C. canephora </i>flowers. For both species, high coffee floral availability was the main predicting factor for the proportion of coffee pollen on the bees’ bodies. Surprisingly, neither neighborhood floral availability nor the type of coffee plantation (agroforest/shade or sun) were important predictors of bee visitation. These results suggest non-coffee flowering plants in coffee plantations were neither competitors nor facilitators of coffee plants for pollinators. Additionally, most of the bees surveyed were carrying ≥80% pollen from one species (<i>C. arabica </i>or <i>C. canephora</i>), likely resulting in little heterospecific pollen deposition between <i>Coffea</i> and non-<i>Coffea</i> flowers. Shade trees in coffee plantations do not detract from pollinator visitation to coffee flowers, suggesting that the provision of multiple ecological and wildlife conservation benefits by shade trees is not in conflict with a grower’s ability to maximize the benefits of insect pollination on fruit production.
Powers, K.E., M.T. Mengak, R.R. Sherry, W.M. Ford and R.J. Reynolds. 2020. Bot Fly Parasitism of Allegheny Woodrats (Neotoma magister) in Virginia. American Midland Naturalist 184:62-72.	August 2020
Powers, K.E., E.D. Thorne, L.R. Platt, K.M. Nelson, L. Van MEter, C.M. Wozniak, R.J. Reynolds and W.M. Ford. 2023. Activity patterns of Allegheny woodrats (Neotoma magister) and two potential competitors in Virginia. Northeastern Naturalist 30(1):41-58	February 2023
Powell, A.N., R. Bentzen, and R. Suydam. 2018. Migration trends for king and common eiders and yellow-billed loons past Point Barrow in a rapidly changing environment. Final OCS Study BOEM 2018-059.	December 2018
Poutanen, J., A.K. Fuller, J. Pusenius, J.A. Royle, M. Wikström, and J.E. Brommer. 2023. Density-habitat relationships of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Finland. Ecology and Evolution. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9711	January 2023
Post van der Burg, M., Smith, D.R., Cupp, A.R., Rogers, M.W., and Chapman, D.C., 2021, Decision analysis of barrier placement and targeted removal to control invasive carp in the Tennessee River Basin: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2021–1068, 18 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20211068.	June 2021
Portillo-Quintero, C., B. Grisham, D. Haukos, C. Boal, C. Hagen, Z. Wan, and N. Menkiti. 2022. Trends in lesser prairie-chicken habitat extent and distribution on the Southern High Plains. Remote Sensing (Special Issue Wildlife Ecology for a Dynamic Future). Remote Sens. 2022, 14, 3780. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14153780	August 2022
Porath, M.T., T.J. Kwak, B.C. Neely, and D.E. Shoup. 2021. Catfish 2020, A clear vision of the future. Invited, special issue on Catfish Conservation and Management. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 41(Special Issue 1): S1-S10. DOI: 10.1002/nafm.10688	October 2021
Popp, A., W.G. Cope, M.A. McGregor, T.J. Kwak, T. Augspurger, F.J. Levine, and L. Koch. 2018. A comparison of the chemical sensitivities between in vitro and in vivo propagated juvenile freshwater mussels: implications for standard toxicity testing. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 37: 3077-3085. DOI: 10.1002/etc.4270.	November 2018
Pope, K. L., and L. A. Powell. 2021. Preface. Pages xi–xv in K. L. Pope and L. A. Powell, editors. Harvest of fish and wildlife: new paradigms for sustainable management. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, USA.	June 2021
Popa, D., Waterhouse, L., Duchnick, J., Neuman, T., and P. Witucki. 2021. Performance of the Uni-Vent Eagle(TM) Model 754 ventilator under hyperbaric conditions. Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society, Inc. 48(4):409-416. PMID: 34847304. \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	October 2021	Critically ill patients needing mechanical ventilation may require hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Some institutions still use ventilators that were available prior to the advent of hyperbaric-specific units, such as the Uni-Vent Eagle™ Model model 754. Here we examine the performance of the Uni-Vent model 754 under hyperbaric conditions and investigate concerns of an oxygen leak in the ventilator housing, which poses a fire risk. We studied the ventilator at 1.0, 2.4 and 2.8 ATA in assist control mode using a Michigan test lung and a variety of tidal volumes and respiratory rates. We recorded the delivered volumes, peak pressures, and oxygen percentages within the hyperbaric chamber at 2.4 and 2.8 ATA and within the ventilator housing. At those pressures the ventilator delivered approximately 25% less volume than at 1.0 ATA. We observed breath stacking at high respiratory rates, but this was blunted at both 2.4 and 2.8 ATA. Oxygen levels did not rise in the housing during our investigation. In addition, we fit a linear regression to the data comparing set tidal volumes and delivered tidal volumes in order to model the changes observed. Hyperbaric conditions caused decreased delivered tidal volumes in a depth-dependent fashion, and oxygen levels within the housing did not rise. The Uni-Vent Eagle model 754 performed safely and effectively at depth but requires spirometry to correctly program desired ventilator settings.
Poole, A. S., T. M. Koel, N. A. Thomas, and A. V. Zale. 2020. Benthic suffocation of invasive Lake Trout embryos by fish carcasses and sedimentation in Yellowstone Lake. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10492 \| Abstract	July 2020	Introduced Lake Trout <i>Salvelinus namaycush</i> threaten native Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout <i>Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri</i> in Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, where gill nets have been used to suppress subadult and adult Lake Trout since 1995. However, survival of embryonic and larval life history stages can have profound effects on population dynamics of Lake Trout. Inducing additional mortality at those stages, especially if used in concert with intensive gillnetting of older fish, could enhance overall suppression efforts. Therefore, we conducted controlled field experiments at Yellowstone Lake to systematically evaluate the effects of sediment deposition and ground Lake Trout carcass deposition on Lake Trout embryos in prepositioned incubators. Sediment deposition caused dissolved oxygen concentrations to decline below lethal levels for a prolonged period (92 d) overwinter. Embryo mortality among overwintering incubators varied from 97 ± 5.3% at the substrate surface to 100 ± 0.0% 20 cm below the substrate surface. Decomposition of ground carcass material on spawning sites caused dissolved oxygen concentrations to decline to lethal levels (<3.4 mg/L) for about 9 days following biomass application rates of 14 and 28 kg/m2 in treatment plots. Exposure to ground carcass material resulted in 100 ± 0.0% (mean ± SE) embryo mortality at the substrate surface and within interstices 20 cm below the surface in 14 and 28 kg/m2 biomass treatments. Embryo mortality was probably caused by hypoxic conditions within substrates in both experiments. The deposition of sediment and ground Lake Trout carcass material on Lake Trout spawning sites in Yellowstone Lake could provide an additional source of mortality in ongoing Lake Trout suppression efforts. These methods may also be beneficial in other systems when incorporated in an integrated pest management approach (IPM) targeting multiple life history stages of invasive freshwater fish.
Poole, A. S., T. M. Koel, A. V. Zale, and M. A. H. Webb. 2023. Rotenone induces mortality of invasive Lake Trout and Rainbow Trout embryos. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 152:3-14. https://doi.org/10.1002/tafs.10394	January 2023
Poli, C., E. P. Robertson, J. Martin, A. N. Powell, and R. J. Fletcher Jr. 2022. An invasive prey provides long-lasting silver spoon effects for an endangered predator. Proc. R. Soc. B 289: 20220820. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.0820	May 2022
Plymesser, K., M. Blank, M. Conley, K. Kappenman, J. Cahoon, D. Dockery, and A. V. Zale. 2022. A scaled Denil fishway for upstream passage of Arctic Grayling. Journal of Ecohydraulics https://doi.org/10.1080/24705357.2022.2105756	August 2022
Plumpton, H.M., S.G. Gilliland, and B.E. Ross. 2020. Geographic differences in the winter movements of the Atlantic population of Black Scoters. Submitted to Avian Conservation and Ecology. https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-01654-150206	August 2020
Plumb, R.T., J.M. Lautenbach, S.G. Robinson, D.A. Haukos, V.L. Winder, C.A. Hagen, D.S. Sullins, J.C. Pitman, and D.K. Dahlgren. 2019. Lesser prairie-chicken space use in relation to anthropogenic structures. Journal of Wildlife Management 83:216-230. DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21561	January 2019
Pluemer, M., S. Dubay, D. Drake, S. Crimmins, T. Veverka, H. Hovanec, M. Torkelson, and M. Mueller. 2019. Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and coyotes (Canis latrans) in an urban landscape: prevalence and risk factors for disease. Journal of Urban Ecology 5:1 juz022	December 2019
Pierce, C. L., N. T. Simpson, A. P. Bybel, C. L. Zambory, M. J. Weber, and K. J. Roe. 2019. Status of the Topeka shiner in Iowa. American Midland Naturalist 182:109-117. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.iastate.edu/10.1674/0003-0031-182.1.109	July 2019
Pickzak, M.L., J.A. Robichaud, P. Morrison, A.M. Rous, I.M. Mulder, C.J. Hill, T.S. Prystay, H. Rosner-Katz, K.F. Robinson, J.R. Bennett, S.J. Cooke. Online early. Structured decision making remains underused in ecological restoration despite opportunities. Environmental Systems and Decisions. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-023-09940-z	September 2023
Phillips, E.C., C.P. Lehman, R.W. Klaver, A.R. Jarding, S.P. Rupp, J.A. Jenks, and C.N. Jacques. Evaluation of an elk detection probability model in the Black Hills, South Dakota. Western North American Naturalist79:551-565. \| Abstract \| Download	December 2019	Since 1993, elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) abundance in the Black Hills of South Dakota has been estimated using a detection probability model previously developed in Idaho, though it is likely biased because of a failure to account for visibility biases under local conditions. To correct for this bias, we evaluated the current detection probability across the Black Hills during January and February 2009–2011 using radio-collared elk. We used logistic regression to evaluate topographic features, habitat characteristics, and group characteristics relative to their influence on detection probability of elk. Elk detection probability increased with less vegetation cover (%), increased group size, and more snow cover (%); overall detection probability was 0.60 (95% CI 0.52–0.68), with 91 of 152 elk groups detected. Predictive capability of the selected model was excellent (ROC = 0.807), and prediction accuracy ranged from 70.2% to 73.7%. Cross-validation of the selected model with other population estimation methods resulted in comparable estimates. Future applications of our model should be applied cautiously if characteristics of the area (e.g., vegetation cover >50%, snow cover >90%, group sizes >16 elk) differ notably from the range of variability in these factors under which the model was developed.
Pfab, F., DiRenzo, G. V., Gershman, A., Briggs, C. J., & R. Nisbet. 2020. Energy budget for tadpoles approaching metamorphosis. Ecological Modeling 436: 109261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2020.109261 \| Abstract \| Download \| Publisher Website	December 2020	We describe a dynamic energy budget (DEB) model for tadpoles over the course of metamorphosis. The model accounts for details in the tadpoles feeding behavior, as feeding and indirectly respiration are reduced in the late developmental stages preceding metamorphosis to an immature froglet.<br>We propose two versions of our DEB model, one where the energy reserves of the organism are accounted for explicitly (a variant on Kooijman’s ”standard” DEB model), and one where reserves and structural biomass are lumped together so that only the size of the organism is tracked (a variant on DEBkiss). Both models are parameterized using a time series of measurements on a cohort of tadpoles of the Pacific tree frog, <i>Pseudacris regilla</i>. The models describe tadpoles from the middle of their development as tadpoles until they emerge as froglets. Visually, both models fit the growth and respiration empirical data reasonably well; statistically the fit to the full DEB model is slightly better.<br>The models highlight the metabolic changes during the life of a tadpole and demonstrate how morphological changes in developing organisms can be accomodated in the DEB framework.
Peterson, S.M., H.M. Streby, G.R. Kramer, J.M Feura, and D.E. Andersen. 2022. Patterns of parental care and movement in divided broods of golden-winged warblers. Journal of Avian Biology 2022:e02938. https://doi.org/10.1111/jav.02938	March 2022
Peterson, J.T., J.A. Pease, L. Whitman, J. White, L. Stratton Garvin, S. Rounds, and R. Wallick. 2022. Integrated tools for identifying optimal flow regimes and evaluating alternative minimum flows for recovering at risk salmonids in a highly managed system. River Research and Applications 38: 293-308. https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.3903 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	December 2021	Water resource managers are faced with difficult decisions on how to satisfy human water needs while maintaining or restoring riverine ecosystems. Decision sciences have developed approaches and tools that can be used to break down difficult water management decisions into their composite parts. An essential aspect of these approaches is the use of quantitative models to evaluate alternative management strategies. Here, we describe four integrated decision support models for evaluating the effect of flows on two life history stages of Chinook salmon (<i>Oncorhynchus tshawytscha</i>) and Steelhead trout (<i>O. mykiss</i>). We then use constrained nonlinear optimization to identify optimal flow regimes for the water year type with the least available water. These flow regimes were then used by managers to develop candidate minimum flow strategies that were evaluated using forward simulation and sensitivity analyses. We found that optimal flow regimes differed markedly from existing regulations and varied among species and life history stages. However, evaluation of tradeoffs among the four competing objectives indicated relatively minimal losses for most objectives when the optimal flows were based on equally weighting the objectives. Sensitivity analysis indicated that water temperature was the primary driver of estimated outcomes and suggested that managers consider alternative means of managing temperatures. Decision sciences have created multiple analytical tools and approaches that simplify complex problems, such as water resource management and we believe that water resource management would benefit from their increased use.
Peterson, J.T. and M.F. Barajas. 2018. An evaluation of three fish surveys in the Bay-Delta, 1995-2015. San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science 16:4	December 2018
Peterson, J.T. and A. Duarte. 2020. Decision analysis to develop and evaluate restoration strategies for Chinook salmon in California’s Central Valley. Restoration Ecology https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13244 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	November 2020	A considerable amount of resources have been invested in ecological restoration projects across the globe to restore ecosystem integrity. These restoration strategies are often diverse and have been met with mixed success. In this paper, we describe the Chinook salmon (<i>Oncorhynchus tshawytscha</i>) decision-support models developed by the Central Valley Project Improvement Act Science Integration Team as part of a larger structured decision making effort aimed at maximizing natural adult production of Chinook salmon in California’s Central Valley, USA. We then describe the decision analytic tools the stakeholder group used to solve the models and explore model results, including stochastic dynamic programming, forward simulation, proportional scoring, relative loss, expected value of perfect information, response profile analyses, and indifference curves. Using these tools, the stakeholder group was able to develop and quantitatively evaluate restoration strategies for multiple Chinook salmon runs simultaneously, a first for the restoration program. Furthermore, information uncovered during this process was then used to direct efforts towards targeted research/monitoring to reduce critical uncertainties and make better restoration decisions moving forward. The decision sciences have established a wide range of analytical tools and approaches to simplify complex problems into key components, and we believe the concepts described in this paper are of great interest to many restoration practitioners that undoubtedly face similar difficulties when implementing restoration strategies for complex systems.
Peterson, J.M., J.E. Earl, S.D. Fuhlendorf, D. Elmore, D.A. Haukos, A.M. Tanner, and S.A. Carleton. 2020. Estimating response distances of lesser prairie-chickens to anthropogenic features during long-distance movements. Ecosphere 11(9):e03202. 10.1002/ecs2.3202	September 2020
Peterson, E.E., E.M. Hanks, M.B. Hooten, J.M. Ver Hoef, and M.-J. Fortin. (2019). Spatially structured statistical network models for landscape genetics. Ecological Monographs, 89: e01355.	April 2019
Peterson, E., Thors, R., Frechette, D., Zydlewski, J. (2023) Efficiency of adult sea lamprey approach and passage at the Milford Dam fishway, Penobscot River, Maine, United States. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. 43:1052–1065. DOI: 10.1002/nafm.10919 \| Download	August 2023
Peterson, E., Sheehan, T., and Zydlewski, J. (2021) Verification of circulus deposition rates in Atlantic Salmon, Salmo salar, smolts from three Maine rivers. Journal of Northwest Atlantic Fishery Science, Vol. 52: 19–27. DOI: 10.2960/J.v52.m733 \| Download	September 2021
Perry, G., C.W. Boal, R. Verble, and M.C. Wallace. 2020. “Good’ and ‘bad’ urban wildlife. Pages 141-170 in Problematic Wildlife Vol. 2: New conservation and management challenges in the human-wildlife interactions (F.M. Angelici and L. Rossi, editors). Springer International Publishing, Switzerland.	June 2020
Perkins, R., C.W. Boal, and C.B. Dabbert. 2018. Raptor selection of captive rear and release galliform birds. Wildlife Society Bulletin 43:713-715.	December 2018
Pepin, K. M., T. J. Smyser, A. J. Davis, R. S. Miller, K. C. VerCauteren, W. L. Kendall, and C Slootmaker. 2020. Optimal spatial prioritization of control resources for elimination of invasive species under demographic uncertainty. Ecological Applications, in review.	March 2020
Pepin, K. M., A. J. Davis, R. S. Epanchin-Niell, A. M. Gormley, J. L. Moore, T. J. Smyser, B. Shaffer, W. L. Kendall, K. Shea, M. C. Runge, and S. McKee. 2022. Optimizing management of invasions in an uncertain world using dyamic spatial models. Ecological Applications 32:e2628. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2628.	April 2022
Pennock, C.A., W.C. Saunders, and P. Budy. 2022. High densities of conspecifics buffer native fish from negative interactions with an ecologically similar invasive. Biological Invasions https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-021-02725-y. USGS FSP IP-130496. \| Download	January 2022
Pennock, C.A., P. Budy, and N. Barrett. 2021. Effects of increased temperature on arctic fish is mediated by food availability: Implications for climate change. Freshwater Biology 66:549-561. DOI: 10.1111/fwb.13659. USGS FSP ID-121940. \| Download	March 2021
Pennock, C.A., P. Budy, and N. Barrett. 2021. Effects of increased temperature on arctic fish is mediated by food availability: Implications for climate change. Freshwater Biology 66:549-561. DOI: 10.1111/fwb.13659. USGS FSP ID-121940. \| Download	March 2021
Pennock, C.A., Budy P, Macfarlane, WW. 2022. Effective conservation and restoration of desert riverscapes requires conservation and restoration of in-stream flows with rehabilitation approaches tailored to water availability. Invited: Frontiers in Environmental Science 10:870488. doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2022.870488. USGS FSP IP- 138466. \| Abstract	May 2022	Desert riverscape restoration practitioners must contend with compounding effects of increasing human water demand, persistent drought, nonnative species establishment, and climate change, which further stress desert riverine ecosystems such as rivers in the Colorado River basin, USA. Herein, we provide our perspective on the importance of natural flows, large floods in particular, for successful conservation and restoration of riverscapes. We present ideas developed from our experience with restoration projects across multiple desert tributary rivers with varying levels of habitat degradation and water abstraction. We propose broad-scale measures such as protection of in-stream flows, tailoring restoration efforts to available annual water availability, and working with nature using low-tech process-based techniques to more completely address the mechanisms of habitat degradation, such as flow reduction and vegetation-induced channel narrowing. Traditionally, restoration efforts in the Colorado River basin take place at relatively fine-scales, at convenient locations and, largely focus on reducing nonnative plant and fish species. We suggest that we need to think more broadly and creatively, and that conservation or restoration of natural flow regimes is crucial to long-term success of almost all management efforts for both in-stream and riparian communities.
Pennock, C.A. and Bruckerhoff, L.A., 2020. Qualitative observations of successful spawning by two species of small-bodied minnows following PIT tagging. Western North American Naturalist, 80(2), pp.253-256. https://doi.org/10.3398/064.080.0213	April 2020
Pennock, C.A, L. Bruckerhoff, K.B. Gido, A.L. Barkalow, M.J. Breen, P. Budy, W.W. Macfarlane, and D.L. Propst. 2022. Failure to achieve recommended environmental flows coincides with declining fish populations: Long-term trends in regulated and unregulated rivers. Freshwater Biology https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.13966. USGS FSP IP- 134441 (LB). \| Abstract	July 2022	Dams can be operated to mimic components of the natural flow regime to minimize impacts on downstream ecosystems. However, infrastructure, societal needs, and watershed runoff constrain which and when flow regime attributes can be mimicked. We compared fish assemblage responses, including native and nonnative species, over two decades of managed environmental flows to those in a river retaining a relatively natural flow regime. Both of these arid-land rivers are within the Colorado River basin and have experienced declines in watershed runoff over the past twenty years. We predicted fish-flow relationships would be conserved across time and between managed and unmanaged rivers. Declines in flow in both rivers coincided with declines in some native fishes, and more native and nonnative fish species exhibited declines in the managed river than in the unmanaged river. Our ability to detect previously documented native fish-flow relationships diminished in the managed river system because established environmental flow targets were not met due to water management, but we detected these fish-flow relationships in the unmanaged river. Our results suggest declining watershed runoff and increased consumptive water use could reduce the effectiveness of environmental flows that have lower priority in most years.
Pennock, C., P. Budy, W.W. Macfarlane, M.J. Breen, J. Jimenez, and J.C. Schmidt. In press. Native fish need a natural flow regime. AAccepted 16 Nov, 2021 Fisheries as a ‘Perspectives’ Article. USGS FSP IP-130996.	November 2021
Pennock, C. A., and K. B. Gido. 2021. Spatial and temporal dynamics of fish assemblages in a desert reservoir over 38 years. Hyrdrobiologia 848:1231-1248. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-021-04514-z	March 2021
Pennock, C. A., P. Budy, S. A. Bonar, T. E. Dowling, K. B. Gido, E. I. Gilbert, B. R. Kesner, C. P. Paukert, M. C. Quist, J. Stahli, T. F. Turner, and D. L. Ward. 2022. Assessment of potential augmentation and management strategies for Razorback Sucker Xyrauchen texanus in Lake Mead and Grand Canyon: A Science Panel Summary. UTCFWRU 2022 (3):1-3	September 2022
Pennock, C. A., P. Budy, S. A. Bonar, T. E. Dowling, K. B. Gido, E. I. Gilbert, B. R. Kesner, C. P. Paukert, M. C. Quist, J. Stahli, T. F. Turner, and D. L. Ward. 2022. Assessment of potential augmentation and management strategies for Razorback Sucker Xyrauchen texanus in Lake Mead and Grand Canyon: A Science Panel Summary. (No FSP possible).	April 2022
Pennock CA, Ahrens ZT, McKinstry MC, Budy P, Gido KB. 2021. Trophic niches of native and nonnative fishes along a river-reservoir continuum. Scientific Reports 11:12140 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-91730-1 \| Download	June 2021
Penland, T.N., W.G. Cope, T.J. Kwak, M.J. Strynar, C.A. Grieshaber, R.J. Heise, and F.W. Sessions. 2020. Trophodynamics of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the food web of a large Atlantic Slope river. Environmental Science and Technology 54: 6800-6811. DOI:10.1021/acs.est.9b05007	June 2020
Pendleton R, Standley CR, Higgs AL, Kenney GH, Sullivan PJ, Sethi SA, Harris B. (2018) Acoustic telemetry and benthic habitat mapping informs the spatial ecology of Shortnose Sturgeon in the Hudson River, NY, USA. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 148:35-47. \| Abstract	January 2019	A history of overexploitation and industrialization of riverine habitats has impacted Shortnose Sturgeon Acipenser brevirostrum, leading this species to be one of the earliest listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Presently, understanding spatial ecology of Shortnose Sturgeon is based on observations from a limited number Atlantic coastal rivers. To better understand Shortnose Sturgeon in the Hudson River in NY, USA, we used acoustic telemetry to characterize seasonal habitat use and to identify regions of the river where seasonal sturgeon activity occurred. From 2012-2016, 101 adult fish were tagged and tracked from 2012-2016 and sturgeon detection per unit effort (a metric of fish observation standardized by search effort) was evaluated against benthic habitat variables using generalized additive regression models. Models indicated strong habitat associations in the Spring season defined by gravel dominated substrates and specific depth ranges, presumably associated with spawning activity. During Summer, sturgeon were more dispersed associating with muddy habitats, whereas, in Fall/Winter sturgeon congregated in specific regions of the river. These data demonstrate river use and habitat associations vary seasonally and identify important areas for managing overlap between seasonal sturgeon habitat use and human activity on the river.
Pease, B., K. Pacifici, and J. A. Collazo. 2021. Survey design optimization for monitoring wildlife communities in areas managed for federally endangered species. Animal Conservation 24:756–769.	March 2021
Pease AA, JE Pease, PT Bean, & TB Grabowski. 2022. Endemic Guadalupe Bass (Micropterus treculii) are supported by isotopically distinct resources in tributary versus mainstem river food webs. River Research and Applications. doi: 10.1002/rra.4015 \| Abstract	June 2022	We used stable isotope analysis to investigate differences in Guadalupe bass<i> Micropterus treculii</i> resource use that might be associated with population-level variation in main-stem river versus tributary stream habitats. <i>Micropterus treculii</i> from main-stem sites had more enriched δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>15</sup>N signatures compared to those collected in tributaries, likely reflecting greater importance of algae as a basal resource and influences of urban wastewater in main-stem habitats. Documenting ecological variation across ecosystem types is important to inform fish conservation efforts, especially for species that occupy a range of stream sizes.
Pearman-Gillman, S., M. Duveneck, J. Murdoch, and T. M. Donovan. 2020. Species distribution changes under alternative landscape futures: Using a scenario framework to identify drivers and consequences of landscape change on wildlife in New England. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 8:164. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00164. \| Abstract \| Download \| Publisher Website	June 2020	In an era of rapid climate and land transformation, it is increasingly important to understand how future changes impact natural systems. Scenario studies can offer the structure and perspective needed to understand the impacts of change and help inform management and conservation decisions. We implemented a scenario-based approach to assess how two high impact drivers of landscape change influence the distributions of managed wildlife species (<i>n</i> = 10) in the New England region of the northeastern United States. We used expert derived species distribution models (SDMs) and scenarios developed by the New England Landscape Futures Project (NELFP) to estimate how species distributions change under various trajectories (<i>n</i> = 5) of landscape change. The NELFP scenarios were built around two primary drivers – Socio-Economic Connectedness (SEC) and Natural Resource Planning and Innovation (NRPI) – and provide plausible alternatives for how the New England region may change over 50 years (2010–2060). Our models generally resulted in species occurrence and richness declines by 2060. The majority of species (7 of 10) experienced declines in regional occurrence for all NELFP scenarios, and one species experienced a projected increase in mean regional occurrence for all scenarios. Our results indicate that the NRPI and SEC drivers strongly influenced projected distribution changes compared to baseline projections. NRPI had a greater impact on distribution change for five species (coyote, moose, striped skunk, white-tailed deer, and wild turkey), while SEC had a greater impact on four species (American black bear, bobcat, raccoon, and red fox); one species (gray fox) was equally influenced by both NRPI and SEC. These results emphasize the importance of integrating both natural resource planning and socio-economic factors when addressing issues of distribution change and offer insights that can inform proactive management and conservation planning.
Pearman-Gillman, S., M. Duveneck, J. Murdoch, and T. Donovan. 2020. Wildlife resistence and protection in a changing New England landscape. PLOS ONE 15(9): e0239525. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239525 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	September 2020	Rapid changes in climate and land use threaten the persistence of wildlife species. Understanding where species are likely to occur now and in the future can help identify areas that are resistant to change over time and guide conservation planning. We estimated changes in species distribution patterns and spatial resistance in five future scenarios for the New England region of the northeastern United States. We present scenario-specific distribution change maps for nine harvested wildlife species, identifying regions of increasing, decreasing, or stable habitat suitability within each scenario. Next, we isolated areas where species occurrence probability is high (p > 0.7) and resistant to change across all future scenarios. Resistance was also evaluated relative to current land protection to identify patterns in and out of Protected Areas (PAs). Generally, species distributions declined in area over the 50-year assessment period (2010–2060), with the greatest average declines occurring for moose (-40.9%) and wild turkey (-22.1%). Species resistance varied considerably across the region, with coyote demonstrating the highest average regional resistance (91.81% of the region) and moose demonstrating the lowest (0.76% of the region). At the state level, average focal species resistance was highest in Maine (the largest state) and lowest in Massachusetts. Many of the focal species showed high overlap in resistance and land protection. Coyote, white-tailed deer, and black bear had the highest probability of resistance, given protection, while moose and wild turkey had the highest probability of protection, given resistance. Overall, relatively small portions of New England—ranging between 0.25% and 21.12%–were both protected and resistant for the focal species. Our results provide estimates of resistance that can inform conservation planning for commonly harvested species that are important ecologically, economically, and culturally to the region. Expanding protected area coverage to include resistant areas may provide longer term benefits to these species.
Pearman-Gillman, S, J. E. Katz, R. Mickey, J. Murdoch, and T. Donovan. 2020. Predicting wildlife distribution patterns in New England USA with expert elicitation techniques. Global Ecology and Conservation 21:e00853. \| Abstract \| Download \| Publisher Website	March 2020	Understanding the impacts of landscape change on species distributions can help inform decision-making and conservation planning. Unfortunately, empirical data that span large spatial extents across multiple taxa are limited. In this study, we used expert elicitation techniques to develop species distribution models (SDMs) for harvested wildlife species (n = 10) in the New England region of the northeastern United States. We administered an online survey that elicited opinions from wildlife experts on the probability of species occurrence throughout the study region. We collected 3396 probability of occurrence estimates from 46 experts, and used linear mixed-effects methods and landcover variables at multiple spatial extents to develop SDMs. The models were in general agreement with the literature and provided effect sizes for variables that shape species occurrence. With the exception of gray fox, models performed well when validated against crowdsourced empirical data. We applied models to rasters (30 × 30 m cells) of the New England region to map each species’ distribution. Average regional occurrence probability was highest for coyote (0.92) and white-tailed deer (0.89) and lowest for gray fox (0.42) and moose (0.52). We then stacked distribution maps of each species to estimate and map focal species richness. Species richness (<i>s</i>) varied across New England, with highest average richness in the least developed states of Vermont (<i>s</i> = 7.47) and Maine (s = 7.32), and lowest average richness in the most developed states of Rhode Island (s = 6.13) and Massachusetts (s = 6.61). Our expert-based approach provided relatively inexpensive, comprehensive information that would have otherwise been difficult to obtain given the spatial extent and range of species being assessed. The results provide valuable information about the current distribution of wildlife species and offer a means of exploring how climate and land-use change may impact wildlife in the future.
Pearce, J. M., P. L. Flint, M. E. Whalen, S. A. Sonsthagen, J. Stiller, V. P. Patil, T. Bowman, S. Boyd, S. S. Badzinski, H. G. Gilchrist, S. G. Gilliland, C. Lepage, P. Loring, D. McAuley, N. R. McLellan, J. Osenkowski, E. T. Reed, A. J. Roberts, M. O. Robertson, T. Rothe, D. E. Safine, E. D. Silverman, and D. Spragens. 2019. Visualizing populations of North American Sea Ducks—Maps to guide research and management planning: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2019-1142, 50 p., plus appendixes.	December 2019
Payton Q, AF Evans, NJ Hostetter, DD Roby, BM Cramer, and K Collis. 2020. Measuring the additive effects of predation on prey survival across multiple spatial scales. Ecological Applications. 30:e02193. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2193	June 2020
Payne, N., Combrink, L., Kraberger, S., Fontenele, R.S., Schmidlin, K., Cassaigne, I., Culver, M., Varsani, A., and Van Doorslaer, K. 2023. DNA virome composition of two sympatric wild felids, bobcat (Lynx rufus) and puma (Puma concolor) in Sonora, Mexico. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, In Press \| Abstract	April 2023	With viruses often having devastating effects on wildlife population fitness and with wild mammals serving as pathogen reservoirs for potentially zoonotic diseases, determining the viral diversity present in wild mammals is both a conservation and One Health priority. Additionally, transmission from more abundant hosts could increase the extinction risk of threatened sympatric species. We leveraged an existing circular DNA enriched metagenomic dataset generated from bobcat (<i>Lynx rufus</i>, n = 9) and puma (<i>Puma concolor</i> , n = 13) scat samples non-invasively collected from Sonora, Mexico, to identify viruses in fecal viromes of each species and determine the extent that viruses are shared between them. Using the metaWRAP pipeline to co-assemble viral genomes for comparative metagenomic analysis, we observed diverse circular DNA viruses in both species, including circoviruses, genomoviruses, and anelloviruses. We found that differences in DNA virome composition were partly attributed to host species, although there was overlap between viruses in bobcats and pumas. Pumas exhibited greater levels of alpha diversity, possibly due to bioaccumulation of pathogens in apex predators. Shared viral taxa may reflect dietary overlap, shared environmental resources, or transmission through host interactions, although we cannot rule out species-specific host-virus coevolution for the taxa detected through co-assembly. However, our detection of integrated feline foamy virus (FFV) suggests Sonoran pumas may interact with domestic cats. Our results contribute to the growing baseline knowledge of wild felid viral diversity. Future research should aim to clarify host associations and determine the pathogenicity of detected viruses.
Payne N, Kraberger S, Fontenele RS, Schmidlin K, Bergeman MH, Cassaigne I, Culver M, Varsani A and K Van Doorslaer. 2020, Novel circoviruses detected in feces of Sonoran felids. Viruses, 12(9), 1027; https://doi.org/10.3390/v12091027 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	September 2020	Sonoran felids are threatened by drought and habitat fragmentation. Vector range expansion and anthropogenic factors such as habitat encroachment and climate change are altering viral evolutionary dynamics and exposure. However, little is known about the diversity of viruses present in these populations. Small felid populations with lower genetic diversity are likely to be most threatened with extinction by emerging diseases, as with other selective pressures, due to having less adaptive potential. We used a metagenomic approach to identify novel circoviruses, which may have a negative impact on the population viability, from confirmed bobcat (Lynx rufus) and puma (Puma concolor) scats collected in Sonora, Mexico. Given some circoviruses are known to cause disease in their hosts, such as porcine and avian circoviruses, we took a non-invasive approach using scat to identify circoviruses in free-roaming bobcats and puma. Three circovirus genomes were determined, and, based on the current species demarcation, they represent two novel species. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that one circovirus species is more closely related to rodent associated circoviruses and the other to bat associated circoviruses, sharing highest genome-wide pairwise identity of approximately 70% and 63%, respectively. At this time, it is unknown whether these scat-derived circoviruses infect felids, their prey, or another organism that might have had contact with the scat in the environment. Further studies should be conducted to elucidate the host of these viruses and assess health impacts in felids
Paukert, C., E. Webb, D. Fowler, and C. Hilling. 2021. Harvest as a Tool to Manage Populations of Undesirable or Overabundant Fish and Wildlife Species. Pages 249 to 262 in: L. Powell and K. Pope, editors. Harvest of Fish and Wildlife: New Paradigms for Sustainable Management. CRC Press.	June 2021
Paukert, C. P., J. D. Olden, A. J. Lynch, D. Brashears, R. C. Chambers, C. Chu, M. Daly, K. L. Dibble, J. Falke, D. Issak, P. Jacobson, O. P. Jensen, and D. Munroe. 2021. Climate change effects on North American fish and fisheries to inform adaptation strategies. Fisheries 46: 449-464. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsh.10668	September 2021
Paukert, C. P. 2020. Don’t Worry, Be Happy: Learning to Let Go. in: Lessons in Leadership: Integrating Courage, Vision, and Innovation for the Future of Sustainable Fisheries. American Fisheries Society	August 2020
Paufve MR, Sethi SA, Weidel BC, Lantry BF, Yule DL, Rudstam LG, Jonas JJ, Berglund E, Connerton MJ, Gorsky D, Herbert M, Smith J. (2022) Diversity in spawning habitat use among Great Lakes Cisco populations. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 31: 379-388. \| Abstract	April 2022	Cisco (<i>Coregonus artedi</i>) once dominated fish communities in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Restoring the abundance and distribution of this species has emerged as a management priority, yet our understanding of Cisco spawning habitat use is insufficient to characterize habitat needs for these populations and assess whether availability of suitable spawning habitat could be a constraint to recovery. We characterized the distribution of incubating Cisco eggs <i>in situ</i> across gradients of depth and substrate types to describe the spawning habitat used by three Great Lakes populations. In Chaumont Bay, Lake Ontario, eggs were concentrated on shallow bedrock shoals and not found on deeper silt or sand substrate. In contrast, eggs in Thunder Bay, Lake Superior, and Elk Rapids, Lake Michigan, were found on deeper fine grain sediments with low utilization of shallow rocky and cobble habitats. These patterns of egg incubation habitat use suggest a broad spawning habitat niche at the species level but distinct spawning habitat preferences at the population level. While our results indicate some historical diversity in spawning habitat use has been maintained across the species’ range in the Great Lakes, comparisons of contemporary spawning habitat utilization against historical accounts raise questions as to whether some spawning habitat use behaviors may no longer be prevalent within specific lakes. Thus, characterizing the portfolio of spawning strategies remaining within lakes may improve our understanding of habitat needs and identify opportunities to maintain population diversity while supporting Cisco rehabilitation.
Paufve MP, Sethi SA, Rudstam L, Weidel BC, Lantry BF, Chalupnicki M. (2020) Differentiation between Lake Whitefish and Cisco eggs based on diameter. Journal of Great Lakes Research. 46:1058-1062. \| Abstract	July 2020	Cisco (Coregonus artedi) and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) are native fish species of management concern in the Laurentian Great Lakes that often overlap in spawning locations and timing. Thus, species-level inference from in situ sampling requires methods to differentiate their eggs. Genetic barcoding and rearing of live eggs to visually identify larvae are used but can be time and cost intensive. Observations in published literature indicate that in the Great Lakes, lake whitefish eggs may be larger than those of cisco, but this has not yet been substantiated. Samples from shared spawning grounds are unlikely to contain similarly sized or colored eggs from other species. Thus, we assessed whether their eggs could be separated based on size alone. Fertilized, hardened eggs were collected in situ during spawning at Elk Rapids, Lake Michigan and Chaumont Bay, Lake Ontario and preserved in ethanol. Individual eggs were measured and genetically identified. Mean diameter for cisco (2.45 mm, SD = 0.22, n = 444) was smaller than for lake whitefish (3.21 mm, SD = 0.20, n = 99). We used classification trees to identify a species-separating size threshold of 2.88 mm (95% bootstrap CI = [2.88, 2.95]), which classified eggs with an accuracy rate of 96%. Differences between species across other samples from the same locations were mostly consistent with the threshold size, but we suggest validation if applying this method to other populations. Separation of cisco and lake whitefish eggs by diameter can be accurate, efficient, and especially suitable for large sample sizes.
Paufve MP, Sethi SA, Lantry BF, Weidel BC, Rudstam LG. Asessing the spawning ecology of fish in situ using a benthic pump sampler. Fisheries Research 214:19-24. \| Abstract	January 2019	Successful reproduction in fish requires suitable conditions for spawning and egg incubation. Thus, fish species commonly exhibit spawning site selectivity, and understanding habitat requirements to inform population ecology and management relies on in situ observations of eggs. Numerous methods and devices have been developed to sample benthic, non-adhesive fish eggs to relate egg distribution, abundance, and survival to habitat characteristics, yet most do not have estimates of sampling efficiency despite assumptions of imperfect performance. We tested the efficiency of a gasoline-powered diaphragm pump with two different intake nozzle designs by sampling benthic, non-adhesive fish eggs at known densities (50, 200, and 500 eggs m-2) across a range of substrates: silt, gravel, and two depths of cobble. The sampler was ineffective on deep cobble substrate regardless of intake design. However, on substrates with less interstitial space, a narrower intake was consistently effective at detecting the presence of eggs (mean detection probability: 0.92) and demonstrated sufficient egg recovery to detect relative differences in abundance and to estimate absolute abundance with enough repeating samples. On average, 45% of eggs directly beneath the intake were recovered after four minutes of pumping, with most collected during the first two minutes. Eggs were often collected from outside the intake area, increasing variability in egg counts. When these limitations and imperfect efficiencies are accounted for, the pump sampler is uniquely suited for in situ assessment of eggs to inform large-scale spawning site use, small-scale habitat selection, and other applications relevant to spawning ecology.
Patton, P. T., K. Pacifici, and Jaime A. Collazo. 2022. Modeling and Estimating Co-occurrence between generalist brood parasites and host communities. Biological Invasions.	March 2022
Patton, BA, Nyman JA, La Peyre MK. 2020. Living on the edge: Multi-scale analyses of waterbird habitat use in coastal wetlands of Barataria Basin, Louisiana, USA. Wetlands doi: 10.1007/s13157-020-01324-2,	July 2020
Patrick. C.J., McGarvey D.J., Larson J.H, Cross W.F., Allen D.C., Benke A.C., Brey T., Huryn A.D., Jones J., Murphy C.A., Ruffing C., Saffarinia P., Whiles M.R., Wallace J.B. and Woodward G. 2019. Precipitation and temperature drive continental patterns in stream invertebrate production. Science Advances 5(4): eaav2348 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav2348	April 2019
Patiño, R., Christensen, V.G., Graham, J.L., Rogosch, J.S, and Rosen, B.H. 2023. Toxic algae in inland waters of the conterminous United States—A review and synthesis.Water, 15(15), 2808. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15152808. \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	August 2023	Cyanobacteria are the most common toxigenic algae in inland waters. Their toxins can affect the health of aquatic and terrestrial organisms, including humans. Other algal groups, such as haptophytes (e.g., Prymnesium parvum) and euglenoids (e.g., Euglena sanguinea), can also form harmful algal blooms (HABs) whose toxins cause injury to aquatic biota but currently have no known effects on human health. Prymnesium parvum, however, is responsible for some of the worst HAB-related ecological disasters recorded in inland waters. Here, we provide an overview of the primary toxigenic algae found in U.S. inland waters: cyanobacteria (planktonic forms), P. parvum, and E. sanguinea with the objective of describing their similarities and differences in the areas of HAB ecology, algal toxins, and the potential for future range expansion of HABs. A detailed account of bloom habitats and their known associations with land cover and use is provided from the perspective of water quality. This review revealed that salinity may have an influence on inland cyanobacterial blooms and cyanotoxins that had not been fully recognized previously.
Patiño, R. 2019. Sex determination, gonadal sex differentiation, and sex control in Channel Catfish. Pages 477-494 in Sex Control in Aquaculture (H. Wang, F. Piferrer, S. Chen and Z. Shen, eds.), Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119127291.ch23 \| Abstract	February 2019	Channel catfish sex is determined at fertilization, according to a male heterogametic system (XX‐XY), but the sex‐determining gene is yet to be elucidated. While progeny sex ratios are typically stable at 1 : 1, sex reversal of genetic male catfish into functional females can be achieved with dietary steroid treatment. Morphological differentiation of ovaries and testes occur at 19 and 90–102 days post‐fertilization, respectively. The considerable time differential between ovarian and testicular differentiations suggests that testis‐inducing signals produced at ≥ 90 dpf are necessary for testicular differentiation in channel catfish –that is, the absence of estrogen production (necessary for ovarian differentiation) earlier in development is insufficient. Thus, testicular differentiation in channel catfish is proposed to occur in two phases: an early phase, when the sex‐determining gene downregulates the gonadal aromatase gene (cyp19a1a) and estrogen production to prevent ovarian differentiation; and a late phase, when masculinizing signals are produced and are required to initiate testicular formation. The products of gsdf and cxcl12 were recently identified for their potential role in the initiation of late‐phase testicular differentiation. All‐male progenies are desirable in channel catfish aquaculture because of their faster growth. A combination of feminizing steroid treatment, selective crossings, and progeny testing has been successfully used to produce YY male individuals that yield all‐male progenies when crossed with normal females. This procedure is time‐ and labor‐consuming, however, and has not been applied in commercial operations. The recent discovery of a male‐specific microsatellite marker may aid in the development of cost‐effective methods to produce YY brood stock.
Pasternak, G.,C.A. Ribic, E. Spanier, A. Ariel, B. Mayzel, S. Ohayon, and D. Zviely. 2019. Nearshore survey and cleanup of benthic marine debris using citizen science divers along the Mediterranean coast of Israel. Ocean and Coastal Management 175: 17-32. doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2019.03.016	April 2019
Pasternak, G., C.A. Ribic, E. Spanier, and D. Zviely. Stormwater systems as a source of marine debris: a case study from the Mediterranean coast of Israel. Journal of Coastal Conservation 25: article 27 (Online). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-021-00818-3	February 2021
Parker, S. W., T. S. Coleman, A. K. Carlson, and J. R. Fischer. In press. Characterization of fish assemblages in eleven multi-use reservoirs from North Carolina, USA. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 38(1).	August 2023
Parker, N.J., D.S. Sullins, D.A. Haukos, K.A. Fricke, and C.A. Hagen. 2022. Recovery of working grasslands following a megafire in the southern mixed-grass prairie Global Ecology and Conservation 36 (2022) e02142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02142	May 2022
Parker, N.J., D.S. Sullins, D.A. Haukos, K.A. Fricke, and C.A. Hagen. 2022. Demographic effects of a megafire on a declining prairie grouse in the mixed-grass prairie. Ecology and Evolution 12:e9544.	November 2022
Paprocki, N., and T. Pope. 2019. Black Rosy-Finch: Utah breeding range update and survey recommendations. Western Birds 50:37–41.	January 2019
Palumbo, M.D., F.J. Vilella, G. Wang, B.K. Strickland, D.Godwin, P.G. Dixon, B.D. Rubin, M.A. Lashley. 2019. Latitude and daily-weather effects on gobbling activity of wild turkeys in Mississippi. International Journal of Biometeorology 63:1059-1067. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-019-01720-2 \| Abstract	August 2019	Male wild turkeys’ (Meleagris gallopavo) breeding behavior consists of vocalizations and courtship displays to attract females; the phenology of which can vary with latitude and climate. Wildlife biologists frame spring wild turkey hunting seasons around annual trends in vocalization peaks to maximize hunter engagement. Historically, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks institutes a statewide 7 week spring harvest season; however, hunters routinely suggested there were different peaks in gobbling activity across a latitudinal gradient within the state. Our objectives were to determine if there were differences in peak gobbling activity between southern and northern Mississippi, if the current spring harvest seasons captured the peaks in gobbling activity, and to describe potential weather conditions that were observed during gobbling activity. During 2008 and 2009, we constructed a statewide gobbling survey to monitor gobbling activity and queried four Spatial Synoptic Classification sites to compare concurrent weather conditions. We determined an approximate 2 week difference in peak gobbling activity between southern and northern Mississippi. Further, the majority of all gobbling activity occurred within the spring harvest framework. We also observed gobbling activity was more prevalent on days of regionally dry conditions according to Spatial Synoptic Classification. Our results provide information to managers about the phenology of gobbling activity relative to season dates and useful weather-response information that may be of interest to hunters. Our approach could be modeled elsewhere and provide beneficial information particularly in states with relatively shorter seasons.
Paine, R. T. R., Hurt, C. R., & Mattingly, H. T. (2021). Monitoring a minuscule madtom: Environmental DNA surveillance of the endangered pygmy madtom (Noturus stanauli Etnier & Jenkins 1980) in the Duck and Clinch rivers, Tennessee. Environmental DNA, 3(4), 745-759. DOI: 10.1002/edn3.179 \| Abstract \| Download \| Publisher Website	February 2021	Environmental DNA (eDNA) detection has been shown to be an effective biosurveillance tool for freshwater fishes, but further research is needed to apply eDNA detection tools to small and rare fishes in large rivers. We developed an eDNA surveillance assay and protocol for monitoring the presence of the pygmy madtom (<i>Noturus stanauli</i>), a federally protected freshwater fish endemic to the Clinch and Duck rivers in Tennessee (United States, North America). <i>Noturus stanauli</i> is a diminutive fish that is exceedingly rare throughout its range; it is currently known only from a 115-river-km section of the Duck River and a 5-river-km section of the Clinch River. The aim of this research was to develop an eDNA assay to detect the presence of <i>N. stanauli</i> in both the Duck and Clinch rivers. We used this newly developed eDNA protocol to assess detection as a function of water depth and to further delineate the distribution of <i>N. stanauli</i> in both the Duck and Clinch rivers. Field sampling was performed to delineate the extent of <i>N. stanauli</i>'s range in both rivers. Our results indicated that samples collected from three areas within the water column, as well as a sediment core samples, yielded equal detection rates. Our assay detected the presence of <i>N. stanauli</i> at a previously unknown site outside the current distribution in the Clinch River, located approximately 2.5-river-km downstream from the Tennessee-Virginia state line. We demonstrated that eDNA detection is a promising tool for delineating the distribution of <i>N. stanauli</i>; however, further research is needed to assess environmental and life history variables that influence eDNA detection probability of small fish in large rivers.
O’Neal, B. J., Stafford, J. D., Larkin, R. P., and E. S. Michel. 2018. The effect of weather on the timing of migratory departure in autumn-migrating ducks. Movement Ecology 6:23. DOI: 10.1186/s40462-018-0141-5	December 2018
Owen, R.K., E.B. Webb. K.W. Goyne, B.M. Svoma and S. Guatam. 2019. Using climate model output data in ecological experiments: a Great Plains case study. Ecosphere	September 2019
Owen, R.K., E.B. Webb, D.A. Haukos, and K.W. Goyne. 2020. Projected climate and land use changes drive plant community composition in agricultural wetlands. Environmental and Experimental Botany 175 (2020) 104039.	April 2020
Owen, R.K., E.B. Webb, D.A. Haukos, F.B. Fritschi and K.W. Goyne. 2020. Barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crusgalli) emergence and growth in a changing climate in Great Plains wetlands. Wetlands Ecology and Management https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-019-09693-0	January 2020
Overpeck, J. T., and S. A. Bonar. 2021. Southwestern fish and aquatic systems: the climate challenge. In D.L. Propst, J.E. Williams, K.R. Bestgen, and C.W. Hoagstrom, eds. Standing between life and extinction: ethics and ecology of conserving aquatic species in the American Southwest. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. IP-088747	March 2021
Overduijn, K. S., C. M. Handel, and A. N. Powell. 2020. Does habitat partitioning by sympatric plovers affect nest survival? The Auk 137:1-16. DOI: 10.1093/auk/ukaa018	May 2020
Ottinger, M.A., T. Maness, J.K. Grace, R. Wilson, P.G.R. Jodice. 2019. Strategic Avian Monitoring Plan for the Gulf of Mexico: Avian Health Assessments. In Wilson et al. (eds.). Strategic Bird Monitoring Guidelines for the Northern Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Extension Research Bulletin 1228, Mississippi State University. \| Download	January 2020
Oteyza, J. C., J. C. Mouton, and T. E. Martin. 2021. Adult survival probability and body size affect parental risk-taking across latitudes. Ecology Letters 24:20-26.	January 2021
Osborne, D. C., R. E. Wilson, L. G. Carlson, S. A. Sonsthagen, and S. L. Talbot. 2019. DNA sequencing confirms Tundra Bean Goose (Anser serrirostris serrirostris) occurrence in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley in Arkansas, USA. Waterbirds. 42:333–342.	October 2019
Ortega, A.C., Dwinnell, S.P.H., LaSharr, T.N., Jakopak, R.P., Denryter, K., Huggler, K., Hayes, M., Aikens, E.O., Verzuh, T., May, A., Kauffman, M.J., and Monteith, K.L. (2020). Effectiveness of Partial Sedation to Reduce Stress in Captured Mule Deer. Journal of Wildlife Management, 84: 1445–1456. https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.21929. \| Abstract	July 2020	Information garnered from the capture and handling of free-ranging animals helps advance understanding of wildlife ecology and can aid in decisions on wildlife management. Unfortunately, animals may experience increased levels of stress, injuries, and death resulting from captures (e.g., exertional myopathy, trauma). Partial sedation is a technique proposed to alleviate stress in animals during capture, yet efficacy of partial sedation for reducing stress and promoting survival post-capture remains unclear. We evaluated the effects of partial sedation on physiological, biochemical, and behavioral indicators of acute stress and probability of survival post-capture for mule deer (<i>Odocoileus hemionus</i>) that were captured via helicopter net-gunning in the eastern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Wyoming, USA. We administered 10–30 mg of midazolam and 15 mg of azaperone intramuscularly (IM) to 32 mule deer in 2016 and 53 mule deer in 2017, and maintained a control group (captured but not sedated) of 38 mule deer in 2016 and 54 mule deer in 2017. To evaluate indicators of acute stress, we measured heart rate, blood-oxygen saturation, body temperature, respiration rate, and levels of serum cortisol. We recorded number of kicks and vocalizations of deer during handling and evaluated behavior during release. We also measured levels of fecal glucocorticoids as an indicator of baseline stress. Midazolam and azaperone did not reduce physiological, biochemical, or behavioral indicators of acute stress or influence probability of survival post-capture. Mule deer that were administered midazolam and azaperone, however, were more likely to hesitate, stumble or fall, and walk during release compared with individuals in the control group, which were more likely to trot, stot, or run without stumbling or falling. Our findings suggest that midazolam (10–30 mg IM) and azaperone (15 mg IM) may not yield physiological or demographic benefits for captured mule deer as previously assumed and may pose adverse effects that can complicate safety for captured animals, including drug-induced lethargy. Although we failed to find efficacy of midazolam and azaperone as a method for reducing stress in captured mule deer, the efficacy of midazolam and azaperone or other combinations of partial sedatives in reducing stress may depend on the dose of tranquilizer, study animal, capture setting, and how stress is defined.
Orning, EK, KM Dugger, and DG Clark. 2021. Gray wolf (Canis lupus) predation patterns following recent recolonization in a multi-predator, multi-prey system. Canadian Journal of Zoology 99: 902–911. doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2021-0027 .	July 2021
Oppel S, BL Clark, MM Risi, C Horswill, SJ Converse, CW Jones, AM Osborne, K Stevens, V Perold, AL Bond, RM Wanless, R Cuthbert, J Cooper, PG Ryan. 2022. Demographic consequences of invasive species predation and management on the population of a long-lived seabird species. Journal of Applied Ecology 59:2059-2070.	June 2021
Olson, L.O., T.R. Van Deelen, D.J. Storm, and S.M. Crimmins. 2021. Understanding environmental patterns of canid predation on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Canadian Journal of Zoology 99:912-920. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2021-0024	September 2021
Olah, A. M., C. A. Ribic, K. Grveles, S. Warner, D. Lopez, and A. M. Pidgeon. 2022. Kirtland’s Warbler breeding productivity and habitat use in red pine-dominated habitat in Wisconsin, USA. Avian Conservation and Ecology 17(1):3. [online] https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-02009-170103	February 2022
Okun, N., McGuire, J., Henderson, M., Gallagher, S., Lang, E. and Mackey, E. Large Wood Restoration Effectiveness Monitoring in a Coastal Northern California Stream: A Paired Watershed Before-After-Control-Impact Study. Final Report to California Department of Fish and Wildlife Fisheries Restoration Grant Program May 2021.	August 2021
Ogden, S., D.A. Haukos, K.C. Olson, J. Lemmon, J. Alexander, G.A. Gatson, and W.H. Fick. 2019. Grassland bird and butterfly response to sericea lespedeza control via late-season grazing pressure. American Midland Naturalist 181:147-169.	April 2019
Odom, R.H. and W.M. Ford. 2021. Developing species-age cohorts from forest inventory and analysis data to parameterize a forest landscape model. International Journal of Forestry Research 6650821(2021) doi.org/10.1155/2021/6650821 16 p	March 2021
Odom, R.H. and W.M. Ford. 2020. Assessing the vulnerability of military installations in the coterminous United States to potential biome shifts resulting from rapid climate change. Environmental Management doi.org/10.1007/s00267-020-01331-3. 27 p.	July 2020
Odom, R.H. and W.M. Ford. 2020. Assessing the vulnerability of military installations in the coterminous United States to potential biome shifts resulting from rapid climate change. Environmental Management doi.org/10.1007/s00267-020-01331-3. 27 p.	July 2020
Ochs, C., C. Johnston, P. Hartfield, A. Harrison, J. Baustian, B. Piazza, C. Justis, D. Larsen, A. Michelson, J. Spurgeon. Chapter 6 - Lower Mississippi River Tributaries. In: J. Delong, T. Jardine (eds) Rivers of North America (2nd edition).	April 2023
Ochoa, A; David P. Onorato, Melody E. Roelke-Parker, Melanie Culver, and Robert Fitak. 2022. Give and Take: Effects of Genetic Admixture in Endangered Florida Panther Mutation Load. Journal of Heredity, 113, 491-499 doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esac037 \| Abstract	February 2022	Genetic admixture is a biological event inherent to genetic rescue programs aimed at the long-term conservation of endangered wildlife. Although the success of such programs can be measured by the increase in genetic diversity and fitness of subsequent admixed individuals, little is known about the fine-scale costs of admixture at the molecular level. In this study, we analyzed nonsynonymous variation from conserved genes to quantify and compare mutation load levels (i.e., proportion of deleterious alleles and genotypes carrying these alleles) among endangered Florida panthers with different genetic backgrounds and non-endangered Texas pumas. Specifically, we used canonical (i.e., non-admixed) Florida panthers, Texas pumas, and F<sub>1</sub> (canonical Florida x Texas) panthers dating from a genetic rescue program, including Florida panthers with Central American ancestry resulting from an earlier admixture event. We found genetic drift had no significant effect in reducing overall proportions of deleterious alleles in the severely bottlenecked canonical Florida panthers. Furthermore, these deleterious alleles were distributed into a disproportionately high number of homozygous genotypes due to close inbreeding and inefficient purifying selection in this group. Conversely, admixed Florida panthers (either with Texas or Central American ancestry) presented reduced levels of homozygous genotypes carrying deleterious alleles but increased levels of heterozygous genotypes carrying these variants. Although admixture is likely to alleviate the load of standing deleterious variation present in homozygous genotypes, our results highlight concerns that introduced novel deleterious alleles (temporarily present in heterozygous state) could potentially be expressed in subsequent generations of rescued populations if their effective sizes remain small.
Ochoa A, Onorato DP, Fitak RR, Roelke-Parker ME and M Culver. 2019. DeNovo assembly and annotation from paternal and F1 puma genomes of the Florida panther genetic restoration program. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetic, Early online September 13, 2019; https://doi.org/10.1534/g3.119.400629.	August 2019
Ochai, S.O., J.E. Crafford, P.L. Kamath, W.C. Turner, H. van Heerden. 2023. Development of conjugated secondary antibodies for wildlife disease surveillance. Frontiers in Immunology, 14: 1221071. \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	July 2023	Disease monitoring in free-ranging wildlife is a challenge and often relies on passive surveillance. Alternatively, proactive surveillance that relies on the detection of specific antibodies could give more reliable and timely insight into disease presence and prevalence in a population, especially if it occurs below detection thresholds for passive surveillance. An example is the Bacillus anthracis protective antigen (PA)-ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) that was used for surveillance of anthrax exposure in impala (Aepyceros melampus) and kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. However, serological biosurveillance is hampered by a lack of species-specific conjugates that can be used in assays. In this study we developed anti-kudu and anti-impala immunoglobulin specific conjugates in chickens and examined their binding, compared to the binding of commercially available protein-G and -AG conjugates, to different herbivore species using an ELISA-based avidity index. The conjugates were evaluated for cross-reaction with other wild herbivores to assess future use in diagnostic ELISAs for other species. The developed conjugates had a high relative avidity of > 70% against kudu and impala sera. The commercial conjugates (protein -G and -AG) had significantly low relative avidity (<20%) against these species. Eighteen other wildlife species demonstrated cross-reactivity with a mean relative avidity of >50% with the impala and kudu conjugates and <40% with the commercial conjugates. These results demonstrate the need for species-specific conjugates to improve the quality of immunoassays currently in use in wildlife, thus providing better tools for the surveillance of zoonotic agents along the livestock-wildlife-human interface.
Ochai, S.O., J. Crafford, A. Hassim, C. Byaruhanga, Y.-H. Huang, A. Hartmann, E.H. Dekker, O.L. van Schalkwyk, P.L. Kamath, W.C. Turner, and H. van Heerden. 2022. Immunological evidence of variation in exposure and immune response to Bacillus anthracis in herbivores of Kruger and Etosha National Parks. Frontiers in Immunology, 13:814031. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.814031 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	February 2022	Exposure and immunity to generalist pathogens differ among host species and vary across spatial scales. Anthrax, caused by a multi-host bacterial pathogen, <i>Bacillus anthracis,</i> is enzootic in Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa and Etosha National Park (ENP), Namibia. These parks share many of the same potential host species, yet the main anthrax host in one (greater kudu (<i>Tragelaphus</i> <i>strepsiceros</i>) in KNP and plains zebra (<i>Equus</i> <i>quagga</i>) in ENP) is only a minor host in the other. We investigated species and spatial patterns in anthrax mortalities,<i> B. anthracis</i> exposure, and the ability to neutralise the anthrax lethal toxin to determine if observed host mortality differences between locations could be attributed to population-level variation in pathogen exposure and/or immune response. Using serum collected from 20 individuals per primary host species (zebra, kudu), except for kudu in KNP (low incidence = 18, high incidence = 19) in high and low incidence areas of each park, we estimated pathogen exposure from anti-protective antigen (PA) antibody response using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and lethal toxin neutralisation with a toxin neutralisation assay (TNA). Serological evidence of pathogen exposure followed mortality patterns within each system (kudus: 95% positive in KNP versus 40% in ENP; zebras: 83% positive in ENP versus 63% in KNP). Animals in the high-incidence area of KNP had higher anti-PA responses than those in the low-incidence area, but there were no significant differences in exposure by area within ENP. Toxin neutralizing ability was higher for host populations with lower exposure prevalence, i.e., higher in ENP kudus and KNP zebras than their conspecifics in the other park. These results indicate that host species differ in their exposure to and adaptive immunity against <i>B. anthracis</i> in the two parks. These patterns may be due to environmental differences such as vegetation, rainfall patterns, landscape or forage availability between these systems and their interplay with host behaviour (foraging or other risky behaviours), resulting in differences in exposure frequency and dose, and hence immune response.
Oates, B. et al. Antipredator response diminishes during periods of resource deficit for a large herbivore.	March 2019
Oates and others. Spatially explicit demography reveals disparate influences of resource limitation and predation on population growth of a large herbivore	December 2021
O. Robinson, J. Socolar, E. F. Stuber, T. Auer, A. Berryman, P. H. Boersch-Supan, D. Brightsmith, A. Burbidge, S. Butchart, C. L. Davis, A. M. Dokter, A. S. Di Giacomo, A. Farnsworth, D. Fink, W. M. Hochachka, P. E. Howell, F. A. La Sorte, A. C. Lees, S. Marsden, R. Martin, R. O. Martin, J. F. Masello, E. T. Miller, Y. Moodley, A. Musgrove, D. Noble, V. Ojeda, P. Quillfeldt, J. A. Royle, V. Ruiz-Gutierrez, J. L. Tella, P. Yorio, C. Youngflesh, A. Johnston. Extreme uncertainty and unquantifiable bias do not inform population sizes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119 (10) e2113862119 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2113862119	March 2022
Nunez, T. et al. A statistical framework for modeling migration corridors	September 2022
Nunes, L.A., C.A. Ribic, and B. Zuckerberg. 2021. Integration of citizen science and spatial simulations identifies mismatches between conservation area networks and hotspots of declining grassland birds. Ecology and Evolution 11:16006-16020. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8270	November 2021
Notch J.J., McHuron A.S., Michel C.J., Cordoleani F., Johnson M., Henderson M.J., and Ammann A.J. (in press) Outmigration survival of wild Chinook salmon smolts through the Sacramento River during historic drought and high water conditions. environmental biology of fishes. \| Abstract	May 2020	Populations of wild spring-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in California’s Central Valley, once numbering in the millions, have dramatically declined to record low numbers in recent years. Dam construction, habitat degradation, and altered flow regimes have all contributed to depress populations of spring-run salmon, which currently persist in only a few tributaries to the Sacramento River. Mill Creek (Tehama County) continues to support these threatened fish, and contains some of the most pristine spawning and rearing habitat available in the Central Valley. Despite this pristine habitat, the number of spring-run salmon returning to spawn has declined to record low numbers, and is likely attributed to poor outmigration survival rates. Using miniature acoustic tags, it is now possible to track out-migrating juveniles throughout the freshwater migration corridor. From 2013-2017 we captured and acoustic tagged 334 smolts out-migrating from Mill Creek, tracking their movement and survival rates over 250 kilometers through the Sacramento River. During this study California experienced both an unprecedented drought and record rainfall, resulting in dramatic fluctuations in year-to-year river flows and water temperature. Cumulative survival of tagged smolts from Mill Creek through the Sacramento River was 9.5% (±1.6) during the study, with relatively low survival during historic drought conditions in 2015 (4.9% ± 1.6) followed by increased survival during high flows in 2017 (42.3% ± 9.1). From these data, we modeled survival in Mill Creek and the Sacramento River over a range of flow values, which indicated that higher flows in each region result in increased survival rates. Data gathered in this study can help focus management and restoration actions over a relatively long migration corridor to specific regions of low survival, and provide guidance for management actions in the Sacramento River aimed at restoring populations of threatened Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon.
Northrup, J., Vander Wal. E, Bonar, M, Fieberg, J, Laforge, MP, Leclerc, M, Prokopenko,C., and Gerber, BD. 2021. Conceptual and methodological advances in habitat5selection modeling: guidelines for ecology and evolution. Ecological Applications,32:e02470. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2470 \| Download	October 2021
Northrup, J, Anderson, C, Gerber, BD, and Wittemeyer, G. 2021. Behavioral and demographic responses of mule deer to energy development on winter range. WildlifeMonograph, 208, 1-37. https://doi.org/10.1002/wmon.1060 \| Download	January 2021
Norris, D.M., M.E. Colvin, L.E. Miranda, and M.A. Lashley. 2021. Supplemental habitat is reservoir dependent: Identifying optimal planting decision using Bayesian Decision Networks. Journal of Environmental Management. doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.114139 \| Abstract	December 2021	Environmental management often requires making decisions despite system uncertainty. One such example is mudflat mediation in flood control reservoirs. Reservoir mudflats limit development of diverse fish assemblages due to the lack of structural habitat provided by plants. Seeding mudflats with agricultural plants may mimic floodplain wetlands once inundated and provide fish habitat and achieve habitat management objectives. However, planting success is uncertain because of unpredictable water level fluctuations that affect plant survival and growth. Decision support tools can account for uncertainty that influences decision outcomes and reduce the risk in reservoir mudflat planting decisions. We used Bayesian decision networks and sensitivity analyses to quantify uncertainty surrounding mudflat plantings as supplemental fish habitat in four northwest Mississippi reservoirs. When averaged across all uncertainty, planting was the optimal decision only in Enid Lake. Response profiles identified planting decisions depended on elevation contours within Enid, Sardis, and Grenada reservoirs. No planting was optimal at all elevations for Arkabutla Lake. These results provide a quantified basis for establishing best management practices and identifying key system states that influence decision outcomes. The process used in this study to evaluate planting decisions can be applied to any reservoir by modifying reservoir dependent inputs to evaluate planting decisions to provide supplemental fish habitat.
Norris, D.M., Hatcher, H.R., Colvin, M.E., Coppola, G., Lashley, M.A., and Miranda, L.E. 2020. Assessing establishment and growth of agricultural plantings on reservoir mudflats. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 40:394-3405. doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10419 \| Abstract	April 2020	Winter drawdowns in flood control reservoirs create expansive mudflats that lack the vegetation typical of littoral zones, which reduces the amount of structure available for fish habitat. This study investigated the feasibility of establishing agricultural plantings as a management action to ameliorate mudflats by providing structural cover following reservoir refilling. We tested cool‐season annual grasses and clovers applied in several mixed and monoculture treatments that were sown on the mudflats of Enid Reservoir, Mississippi, during the winter drawdown in three consecutive years. Soil samples were taken for analysis of pH and macronutrients prior to planting. Plantings were monitored until the following spring to evaluate effectiveness of establishment through ground coverage, height, and stem density sampling. Plots were assigned a seeding treatment of either grasses (ryegrass <i>Lolium</i> spp. or triticale <i>x Triticosecale</i> sp.), clovers (balansa clover <i>Trifolium michelianum</i> or berseem clover <i>Trifolium alexandrinum</i>), or both (mixed plantings) or left as an unseeded control. Differences among plant treatments were assessed via repeated measures analysis of variance and differences among means evaluated with Tukey's honestly significant difference test. Soil productivity within the study area was poor all 3 years. Grasses germinated both when disked into the soil and when top sown, while clover only germinated when disked. Plots seeded with grasses performed better than control plots with respect to stem density, height, and ground coverage, while plots seeded with grass and clover mixtures performed better than control plots only with respect to height, and plots seeded with only clover did not perform significantly better than control plots. Results serve as an evaluation of the efficacy of agricultural plant establishment on the mudflats of a flood control reservoir, inform the direction of future research, and identify considerations regarding the application of agricultural plantings as a management tool to create fish habitat.
Noring, A.M., G.G. Sass, S.R. Midway, J.A. VanDeHey, J.K. Raabe, D.A. Isermann, J.M. Kampa, T.P. Parks, J. Lyons, and M.J. Jennings. 2021. Pelagic forage versus abiotic factors as drivers of walleye growth in northern Wisconsin lakes. In Jared Meyers (Ed), Biology and Management of Coregonid Fishes - 2017: 13th International Symposium on the Biology and Management of Coregonid Fishes, Bayfield, USA (p 207-223). Schweizerbart Science Publishers.	December 2021
Noonan, M.J., and many others. Which home range estimator should I use? An analysis of autocorrelation and bias in home range estimation. for Ecological Monographs	November 2018
Noonan et al. Body-size-dependent underestimation of mammalian area requirements.	May 2020
Nocera, T., W.M. Ford, A. Silvis and C.A. Dobony. 2020. Temporal and spatial changes in Myotis lucifugus acoustic activity before and after white-nose syndrome on Fort Drum Army Installation, New York, USA. Acta Chiropterlogica 22:135-146	July 2020
Nocera, T., W.M. Ford, A. Silvis and C.A. Dobony. 2019. Patterns of acoustical activity of bats prior to and 10 years after WNS. Global Ecology and Conservation. 18: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00633	May 2019
Nocera, T., W.M. Ford, A. Silvis and C.A. Dobony. 2019. Let’s Agree To Disagree: Comparing Auto-Acoustic Identification Programs for Northeastern Bats. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 10:346-361.	December 2019
Niemiec, R., Jones, M. S., Mertens, A., & Dillard, C. (2021). The effectiveness of COVID-related message framing on public beliefs and behaviors related to plant-based diets. Appetite, 165, 105293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105293 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	October 2021	Shifting the public towards plant-based diets is critical for achieving environmental and public health outcomes. Increasingly news articles and organizations have begun using the saliency of the COVID-19 crisis to highlight the link between animal agriculture, pandemic risks, and other widespread public health threats. Yet, little is known about the effectiveness of this messaging strategy for motivating dietary change. We conducted a randomized trial with an online sample to examine the impact of: (1) a message that uses the saliency of the COVID-19 pandemic to highlight the risk of disease transmission from factory farms, and (2) a message that uses the saliency of the COVID-19 pandemic to highlight the threat to worker's health created by factory farms. We examine whether these messages are more effective at changing beliefs about and behavioral intentions towards plant-based eating, as compared to more traditional messages that highlight the environmental, personal health, or animal welfare implications of factory farmed meat consumption. We find that all messages differentially influenced beliefs about the various negative consequences of meat consumption. However, these altered beliefs did not differentially motivate changes in respondents' intentions to reduce meat consumption and choose plant-based alternatives. This was possibly due to the numerous other barriers to behavior change identified in qualitative survey responses, such as cost, taste, and social factors. We did find that messages that highlight the personal health benefits of reduced meat consumption were more effective at increasing public trust in the message deliverer. Our results suggest that highlighting personal health benefits in messaging and addressing the additional identified barriers to behavior change may be critical for building trust and shifting the public towards plant-based diets.
Niemiec, R. M., McCaffrey, S., & Jones, M. S. (2020). Clarifying the degree and type of public good collective action problem posed by natural resource management challenges. Ecology and Society 25 (1): 30., 25(1), 30. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-11483-250130 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	December 2020	Increasingly, scholars have sought to understand the role of collective action across property boundaries to address natural resource management challenges. Although the growing focus on collective action for natural resource management has led to many new and potentially useful insights for governance and outreach, we suggest that researchers and practitioners may benefit from taking a step back to think about the degree and type of collective action that is needed for each particular social-ecological context. We use the examples of invasive species management, fire management, and habitat conservation to argue that categorizing certain natural resource management challenges by the degree and type of public good collective action problem (i.e., continuous and step level) they create can provide insight into effective policy and management solutions for each problem. In so doing, we build on experimental psychology and economics research that suggests that outreach and governance solutions that work for one type of public good collective action problem may be less effective for addressing another type of problem that does not require collective action. We conclude by arguing for more studies examining: (1) how aspects of the social and ecological context determine the degree and type of public good collective action problem posed by natural resource management challenges, and (2) how the drivers of land manager decision making and the resulting effective governance solutions vary by the type and degree of public good collective action problem.
Niemiec, R, Jones, MS, Lischka, S, Champine, V. (2021). Efficacy-based and normative interventions for facilitating the diffusion of conservation behavior through social networks Conservation Biology. 00: 1−13. https://doi.org/10.1002/cobi.13717 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	February 2021	Research suggests that encouraging motivated residents to reach out to others in their social network is an effective strategy for increasing the scale and speed of conservation action adoption. However, little is known about how to effectively encourage large numbers of residents to reach out to others about conservation causes. We examined the influence of normative and efficacy-based messaging at motivating residents to engage in and to encourage others to participate in native plant gardening in their community. To do so, we conducted a field experiment with messages on mailings and tracked native plant vouchers used. Efficacy messages tended to be more effective than normative messages at increasing residents’ willingness to reach out to others to encourage conservation action, as indicated by a several percentage point increase in native plant voucher use by residents’ friends and neighbors. Messages sometimes had different impacts on residents based on past behaviors and perceptions related to native plant gardening. Among these subgroups, efficacy and combined efficacy and norm messages most effectively encouraged individual and collective actions, as indicated by increased voucher usage. Our findings suggest that interventions that build residents’ efficacy for engaging in a conservation behavior and for reaching out to others may be a promising path forward for outreach. However, given our results were significant at a false discovery rate cutoff of 0.25 but not 0.05, more experimental trials are needed to determine the robustness of these trends.
Niedringhaus, K.D, L.S. Ganoe, M. Lovallo, W.D. Walter, M.J. Yabsley, J.D. Brown. 2022. Fatal infection by Versteria sp. in a muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) with implications for human health. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigations 34(2): 314–318. \| Abstract	March 2022	The <i>Taeniidae</i> tapeworms are a family of helminths that have a similar life cycle with intermediate hosts developing characteristic cysts in visceral organs. Recently, a new genus in this family, <i>Versteria,</i> has been implicated as the cause of severe morbidity and mortality in humans and animals in North America. This report describes a case of fatal <i>Versteria</i> infection in a muskrat (<i>Ondatra zibethicus</i>) which has not been previously reported to develop disease associated with infection. Postmortem examination revealed widespread tissue loss and replacement by solid-bodied cestode larvae with minimal adjacent inflammation in many visceral organs, most severe in the lungs, liver, and brain. Characteristic morphological features via histology included multiple cephalic structures and short rostellar hooklets, which are characteristic for the genus. Genetic characterization confirmed the cestode as being an undescribed lineage of <i>Versteria</i> that has been implicated as the cause of severe morbidity and mortality in humans and non-human primates in North America. Considering the zoonotic significance of this pathogen, this report expands on the limited literature regarding disease caused by <i>Versteria </i>and emphasizes the need to identify the causative tapeworm more accurately, especially in rodent intermediate hosts as all previous reports do not have molecular confirmation of species.
Nichols, J. D., W. L. Kendall, and G. S. Boomer. 2019. Accumulating evidence in ecology: once is not enough. Ecology and Evolution. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5836	November 2019
Nichols, J. D., M. K. Oli, W. L. Kendall, and G. S. Boomer. 2021. A better approach for dealing with reproducibility and replicability in science. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118(7): e2100769118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2100769118	February 2021
Newsome, C.N., and E.A. Hunter. 2022. Habitat edges influence the distribution of nest predators for Seaside Sparrows, but not nesting decisions or success. Ornithological Applications 124:duac023. \| Abstract	May 2022	Nest failure for coastal marsh bird species is primarily caused by predation and nest flooding. As sea level rise makes nest flooding more likely, the threat of nest predation will constrain the potential adaptive responses of marsh nesting species. Thus, understanding the predictors of nest predation is important for conservation and management of birds inhabiting coastal marshes, such as Seaside Sparrows (<i>Ammospiza maritima</i>). Predator activity may be influenced by landscape features (particularly edges between marshes and other habitats), potentially making nest predation predictable. We aimed to understand the predictability of Seaside Sparrow nest predation relative to two major landscape features: distance to roads and distance to tidal rivers, as both of these edges may be entryways or attractants for predators in the marsh. In coastal Georgia, USA, we assessed mammalian predator activity relative to the two features of interest, and hypothesized that predator activity would be greater close to roads and tidal rivers. We also recorded Seaside Sparrow nest locations and nest predation events and hypothesized that nest predation events would increase with increasing predator activity. Consistent with our hypothesis, predator activity increased close to roads and tidal rivers, but mammalian predator distribution did not explain the spatial variation in Seaside Sparrow nest predation. Seaside Sparrows also placed their nests in locations with increased predator activity, indicating that the ability to avoid nesting in high risk areas may be constrained by habitat or resource limitations. Additionally, mammals may not be the primary nest predators, as we found that one bird species (Marsh Wren, <i>Cistothorus palustris</i>) contributed substantially to nest predation rates. Understanding the predictability of mammalian predator distribution can contribute to predation risk management for Seaside Sparrows, which could relax the constraint of nest predation on the species’ ability to respond to the intensifying threat of sea level rise.
Newsome, C.D., Evans, K.M., and E.A. Hunter. 2020. Birds versus fish: Nest flooding introduces predator-prey interactions in Georgia’s coastal marshes. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 132:481-485.	December 2020
Newkirk, B.M., E.R. Larson, A.D. Walker, and A.W. Walters. 2023. Winners and losers over a half century of change in crayfish communities of Wyoming, U.S.A. Freshwater Science 42(2): 146-160. https://doi.org/10.1086/725318	June 2023
Neupane, R.C., J.A. Powell, and T.C. Edwards. 2021. Connecting regional-scale tree distribution models with seed dispersal kernels. Applied Mathematics and Computation. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amc.2021.126591	August 2021
Nemec, Z. C., L. N. Lee and S. A. Bonar. 2021. Development and evaluation of habitat suitability criteria for native fishes in three Arizona streams. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. 41:661-677.	June 2021
Neal, T. M.L. Kent, J. Sanders, C.B. Schreck, and J.T. Peterson. 2021. Laboratory infection of juvenile Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) with parasitic copepod (Salmincola californiensis). Journal of Fish Diseases 44:1423-1434 https://doi.org/10.1111/jfd.13450 \| Abstract	May 2021	Pacific salmon (<i>Oncorhynchus </i>spp<i>.</i>) rearing in lakes and reservoirs above dams have been known to become heavily infected with an ectoparasitic copepod (<i>Salmincola californiensis</i>). Little is known about the factors that affect the parasite infection prevalence and intensity. However, previous research suggests that the parasite may negatively affect the fitness and survival of the host fish. The effect of water temperature, confinement, and the density of the free-swimming infectious stage of <i>S. californiensis</i>, the copepodid, on infection prevalence and intensity was evaluated by experimentally exposing juvenile Chinook Salmon (<i>O. tshawytscha</i>). Infection rates observed in wild populations were achieved under certain treatment conditions: warm water (15-16<sup>o</sup>C) and high copepodid densities (150-300/L). During the infection experiment, 4.5% of infected fish died within 54 days with mortality significantly related to copepod infection intensity. The potential for autoinfection were compared to cross infection by cohabitation of infected fish with naïve fish. Previously infected fish had significantly greater infection intensity compared to naïve fish, indication that infected fish can be reinfected and that they may be more susceptible than naïve fish.
Ndu, U., J.S. Lamb, S. Janssen, R. Rossi, Y. Satgé, and P.G.R Jodice. 2020. Mercury, cadmium, copper, arsenic, and selenium measurements in the feathers of adult Eastern Brown Pelicans and chicks in multiple breeding grounds in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Environmental Research Letters 192, 286. \| Download	April 2020
Naveda-Rodriguez A., K.L. Bildstein, D.R. Barber, J.F. Therrien, M.L. Avery, B.M. Kluever, S.A. Rush, and F.J. Vilella. 2023. Turkey Vulture survival is reduced in areas of greater road density. Ornithological Applications vol. 125. \| Abstract \| Download	July 2023	Annual survival of Turkey Vultures (<i>Cathartes aura</i>) may be influenced by landscape heterogeneity and anthropogenic disturbance. We quantified the effects of landscape composition (Shannon’s diversity index) and configuration (contagion, edge density and largest patch index), and human footprint (road density) on the survival probabilities of the three North American breeding populations (western, central and eastern) of Turkey Vultures wintering in the Neotropics during a 17-year period. We used Cox’s proportional hazards models with time-varying covariates to estimate spatial and temporal changes in survival rates of adult Turkey Vultures. Human footprint, but not landscape composition and configuration, influenced survival rates in space and time. Overall annual survival averaged 0.87 (95% CI = 0.74 – 0.98). Mortality risk was low in western and central populations (hazard ratio <1) but was 3.7 times greater for vultures in the eastern population. Risk of mortality for all vulture populations increased with road density, and this was greater during the non-breeding and return migration seasons. The spatial variation in road density across America may generate a network of ecological traps for Turkey Vultures induced to stop in areas of greater road-kill abundance. The negative impact of roads on Turkey Vultures goes beyond the ecological aspect. Roads acting as a magnet for vultures can increase the occurrence of vulture-vehicle collisions and potentially aggravate human-wildlife conflicts. Further analysis are needed to address survivorship and mortality factors of young birds. We emphasize the need for studies focusing on the impact of other linear infrastructures (<i>e.g.</i> railways and power lines) and the management of human-vulture conflicts (through vultures depredation permits) that may can compromise the long term survival of Turkey Vultures and other avian scavengers.
Navarro, N., P. J. Drohan, D. R. Diefenbach, M. E. McDill. Spatial and temporal variation in forb plant chemistry: implications for white-tailed deer forage quality. Submitted. \| Download	January 2023
Nareff, G.E., P.B. Wood, D.J. Brown, T. Fearer, J.L. Larkin, and W.M. Ford. Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea) response to operational silviculture in the central Appalachian region. Forest Ecology and Management 448:409-423,	June 2019
Nams, V., et al. 2023. Spatial patterns of large African cats: a large-scale study on density, home range size, and home range overlap of lions Panthera leo and leopards Panthera pardus. Mammal Review 53:49–131. \| Download	March 2023
Nalley, EM, LJ Tuttle, AL Barkman, EE Conklin, DM Wulstein, and MJ Donahue. Pollutant Thresholds for the Development of Management Guidelines for Corals: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. *NOAA Technical Report*, September 2021. 75 p. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.33436.97920	September 2021
Nalley, EM, LJ Tuttle, AL Barkman, EE Conklin, DM Wulstein, RH Richmond, and MJ Donahue. 2021. Water quality thresholds for coastal contaminant impacts on corals: A systematic review and meta-analysis. *Science of the Total Environment*. 794, 148632. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148632	December 2021
Naficy, C E GW Meigs, MJ Gregory, R Davis, DM Bell, K Dugger, JD Wiens, and MA Krawchuk. 2022. Fire refugia in old-growth forests—Final report to the USGS Northwest Climate Adaptation Center. Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR. 39 p.	April 2022
Muths, E, R Scherer, SM Amburgey, PS Corn. 2018. "Twenty-nine years of population dynamics in a small-bodied montane amphibian". Ecosphere 9: e02522. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2522	December 2018
Muthersbaugh, M.S., W.M. Ford, A. Silvis and K.E. Powers. 2019. Activity patterns of cave-dwelling bat species during pre-hibernation swarming and post-hibernation emergence in the central Appalachians. Diversity 2019, 11, 159; doi:10.3390/d11090159	September 2019
Muthersbaugh MS, Ford WM, Powers KE, Silvis A. 2019. Activity patterns of bats during the fall and spring along ridgelines in the central Appalachians. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 10(1):180–195; e1944-687X. https://doi.org/10.3996/082018-JFWM-072	June 2019
Murphy-Mariscal, M., S. M. Grodsky, and R. R. Hernandez. 2018. Solar energy development and the biosphere. Pp. 387-401 in A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Energy Systems. T. Letcher and V. Fthenakis (eds.). Elsevier. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-811479-7.00020-8.	September 2018
Murphy, C.A., Pollock, A.M.M., Strecker, A., Johnson, S.L. 2022. Minimal diel vertical migration and consistent zooplankton capturability in low productivity reservoirs, Oregon. Journal of Plankton Research https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbac060 \| Abstract	November 2022	Diel migrations of zooplankton occur throughout marine and freshwater systems, and can complicate inferences from studies that focus on daytime observations. Sampling only during daytime can mischaracterize zooplankton distributions and abundances if populations perform vertical or horizontal diel migrations. Zooplankton often display reduced capture avoidance at night in addition to occupying areas easier to sample near the surface and away from littoral structure and the benthos. We examined zooplankton during daytime and nighttime new moon periods using discrete depth sampling in oligo-mesotrophic reservoirs in Oregon, USA. These reservoirs have limited littoral structure, but support populations of zooplanktivorous fishes that we expected to drive diel vertical migrations. Contrary to our expectations, most zooplankton taxa were within 2 meters of their daytime distributional peak and did not display significant differences in abundance from day to night sampling. We consider factors that may help predict whether diel migration occurs in a system. Where daytime sampling is sufficient for characterizing zooplankton densities and distributions, costs and risks specific to nighttime sampling may be avoided. Improving our understanding of zooplankton dynamics, particularly in ecosystems with limited diurnal variability, is an important part of understanding lake and reservoir food webs and can optimize the efforts of future studies.
Murphy, C.A., Pollock, A.M., Johnson, S.L., and Arismendi, I. (accepted) Linked foraging and bioenergetics modeling may inform fish parasite infection dynamics. Environmental Biology of Fishes \| Abstract	May 2023	The parasitic copepod <i>Salmincola californiensis</i> infects Pacific salmon and trout (<i>Oncorhynchus </i>spp.) and often reaches high prevalence and intensity in reservoirs compared to stream systems. Recent research has indicated an important role of temperature in copepod development and fish susceptibility. Here, we examine the role of temperature on relative infection risk for juvenile Chinook Salmon in multiple reservoirs of the upper Willamette River Basin, Oregon. We used and expanded the GrowChinook model (a linked foraging and bioenergetics model) to estimate juvenile salmon infection risk. Based on salmon vertical migration patterns, we added estimates of copepod generations produced and thermal strata metrics for the infectious copepodid lifestage that appear associated with copepodid aggregations and increased infection risk. Our model predicted that Chinook Salmon in Lookout Point Reservoir consistently presented the greatest infection hours and estimated copepod generations, especially compared to Cougar Reservoir. This relative modelled risk is consistent with recent models of infection driven mortality and the severe damage caused by the infectious copepodid, a lifestage that is not readily visible in the field and thus has not been included in traditional infection prevalence and intensity counts. We discuss model limitations, potential for future research, and the potential for application of the copepod expansion equations to existing linked foraging and bioenergetics models or observed behaviors of salmonids in other lentic systems. We demonstrate that using a temperature sensitive model framework to test our existing knowledge and assumptions about copepod infection dynamics is useful in interpreting other lines of evidence, such as mortality estimates. Collectively, this work provides a testable framework for future comparisons of infection potential by this parasite infecting Pacific salmon and trout species.
Murphy, B., T. Walsworth, P. Belmont, M.M. Conner, and P. Budy. 2020. Dynamic Habitat Disturbance and Ecological Response (DyHDER)-PVA: modeling fish population dynamics in response to landscape disturbance. Ecosphere 11(1):e03023. 10.1002/ecs2. 3023. USGS FSP IP-110023.	January 2020
Murphy, A. M., D. R. Diefenbach, M. Ternent, M. Lovallo, D. Miller. 2021. Threading the needle: How humans influence predator-prey spatiotemporal interactions in a multiple-predator system. Journal of Animal Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13548 \| Download	January 2021
Murphy RD, Hagan JA, Harris BP, Sethi SA, Smeltz TS, Restrepo F. (2021) Can Landsat thermal imagery and environmental data accurately estimate water temperatures in small streams? Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management. 12:12-26. \| Abstract	February 2021	The ability to monitor water temperature is important for assessing changes in riverine ecosystems resulting from climate warming. Direct in situ water temperature collection efforts provide point-samples but are cost-prohibitive for characterizing stream temperatures across large spatial scales, especially for small, remote streams. In contrast, satellite thermal infrared imagery may provide a spatially extensive means of monitoring riverine water temperatures, however, the accuracy of these remotely sensed temperatures for small streams is not well understood. Here, we investigated the utility of Landsat 8 thermal infrared imagery and both local and regional environmental variables to estimate subsurface temperatures in high latitude small streams (2 – 30 m wetted width), from a test watershed in southcentral Alaska. Our results suggested that Landsat-based surface temperatures were biased high, and the degree of bias varied with hydrological and meteorological factors. However, with limited in-stream validation work, results indicated it is possible to reconstruct average in situ water temperatures for small streams at regional-scales using a regression modelling framework coupled with publicly-available Landsat or air temperature information. Generalized additive models built from stream stage information from a single gage and air temperatures from a single weather station in the drainage fit to a limited set of in situ temperature recordings could estimate average stream temperatures at the watershed-level with reasonable accuracy (root mean square error = 2.4°C). Landsat information did track closely with regional air temperatures and could also be incorporated into a regression model as a substitute for air temperature to estimate in situ stream temperatures at watershed scales. Importantly, however, while average watershed-scale stream temperatures may be predictable, site-level estimates did not improve with the use of Landsat information or other local covariates, indicating that additional information may be necessary to generate accurate spatially explicit temperature predictions for small order streams.
Murphy C.A., Zatkos L., Antonelli K., Cárdenas B., Linkem C., Manning M., Olivos J.A., Pollock A., Penaluna B.E., and Arismendi I. 2020. AFS Roots: Mothers of Fishes. Fisheries 45(7): 369-376. DOI:10.1002/fsh.10485	July 2020
Murphy C.A., Taylor G., Piece T., Arismendi I. and Johnson S.L. 2019. Short-term reservoir draining for juvenile salmon passage and non-native fish removal. Ecohydrology. DOI: 10.1002/eco.2096	April 2019
Murphy C.A., Romer J.D., Arismendi I., Emig R., Monzyk F., Stertz K. and Johnson S.L. 2021. Damming Chinook Salmon fry: Evidence for predation by non-native warmwater fishes in in reservoirs. Ecosphere 12(9):03757. DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3757	September 2021
Murphy C.A., Lee C.S, Johnson B., Arismendi I. and Johnson S.L. 2019. GrowChinook: A Linked Foraging and Bioenergetics Model for Juvenile Chinook Salmon Rearing in Lakes and Reservoirs. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 77(3): 564-575. DOI: 10.1139/cjfas-2018-0420	September 2019
Murphy C.A., Johnson S.L., Gerth W., Pierce, T. and Taylor G. 2021. Unintended consequences of selective water withdrawal: Thermal restoration may restructure downstream macroinvertebrate communities. DOI: 10.1029/2020WR029169 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	June 2021	Regulated rivers downstream of dams often exhibit highly modified thermal regimes in addition to modified hydrologic regimes; downstream river temperatures can be seasonally much warmer or cooler than unregulated streams. Selective water withdrawals can be used to minimize thermal impacts to downstream reaches. However, other water quality parameters, in-reservoir production, and species composition also vary with depth. In the South Fork McKenzie River, in the Pacific Northwest of North America, an existing large dam was retrofitted to mix and export water from multiple depths, allowing dam operators to adjust the outflow temperatures to be in sync with the upstream thermal regime. We examined benthic macroinvertebrate responses after implementation of selective water withdrawal, comparing it to thermally similar flow-through conditions, expecting to see shifts in the community over time to resemble upstream, undammed reaches. However, species composition and traits downstream of the dam became more dissimilar to upstream and to flow-through after selective water withdrawal. These changes included increases in non-insect taxa and taxa known to feed on plankton and detritus. The most likely explanation for this transition is that selective water withdrawal from multiple depths of a stratified reservoir included epilimnetic releases, which resulted in increased export of plankton and organic material downstream. This strategy favored taxa able to capitalize on resource subsidies from the reservoir. Our findings highlight the interconnected nature of responses to dams and dam operations, including the importance of considering biotic communities in addition to temperature and flow when planning water management strategies.
Murphy C.A., Gerth W., Pauk K., Konstantinidis P. and Arismendi I. 2020. Hiding in plain sight: Historical fish collections aid contemporary parasite research. Fisheries 45(5): 263-270. DOI: 10.1002/fsh.10411	May 2020
Murphy C.A., Gerth W., Neal T. and Arismendi I. 2022. A low-cost rigid plankton light trap design with specific wavelength LEDs and modifications for shallow and deep deployment. Neobiota. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.73.76515	April 2022
Murphy C.A., Gerth W., Arismendi I. 2020. Hatching and survival of the salmon gill maggot Salmincola californiensis (Copepoda: Lernaeopodidae) reveals extreme thermal dependence and undocumented naupliar stage. Parasitology. DOI: 10.1017/S0031182020001109	October 2020
Murphy C.A., Evans A., Coffin B., Arismendi I. and Johnson S.L. 2019. Resilience of zooplankton communities in temperate reservoirs with extreme water level fluctuations. Inland Waters 10(2). DOI: 10.1080/20442041.2019.1657349	December 2019
Murphy C.A., Arismendi I., Taylor G.A., and Johnson S.L. 2019. Evidence for lasting alterations to aquatic food webs with short-duration reservoir draining. PLOS ONE 14(2): e0211870. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211870	February 2019
Munger, J. E., D. P. Herrera, S. M. Haver, L. Waterhouse, M. F. McKenna, R. P. Dziak, J. Gedamke, S. A. Heppell, J. H. Haxel. 2022. Machine learning analysis reveals relationship between pomacentrid calls and environmental cues. Marine Ecology Progress Series 681:197-210. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13912 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	January 2022	Sound production rates of fishes can be used as an indicator for coral reef health, providing an opportunity to utilize long-term acoustic recordings to assess environmental change. As acoustic datasets become more common, computational techniques need to be developed to facilitate analysis of the massive data files produced by long-term monitoring. Machine learning techniques demonstrate an advantage in the identification of fish sounds over manual sampling approaches. Here we evaluate the ability of convolutional neural networks to identify and monitor call patterns for pomacentrids (damselfishes) in a tropical reef region of the western Pacific. A stationary hydrophone was deployed for 39 months(2014-2018) in the National Park of American Samoa to continuously record the local marine acoustic environment. A neural network was trained—achieving 94%identification accuracy of pomacentrids—to demonstrate the applicability of machine learning in fish acoustics and ecology. The distribution of sound production was found to vary on diel and interannual timescales. Additionally, the distribution of sound production was correlated with wind speed, water temperature, tidal amplitude, and sound pressure level. This research has broad implications for state--of--the--art acoustic analysis and promises to be an efficient, scalable asset for ecological research, environmental monitoring and conservation planning.
Mummah, R. O., Hoff, N. A., Rimoin, A. W., & Lloyd-Smith, J. O. (2020). Controlling emerging zoonoses at the animal-human interface. One Health Outlook, 2(1), 17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42522-020-00024-5	September 2020
Muletz-Wolz, C. R., S. E. Barnett, G. V. DiRenzo, K. R. Zamudio, L. F. Toledo, T. Y. James, & K. R. Lips. 2019. Diverse genotypes of the amphibian killing fungus produce distinct phenotypes through plastic responses to temperature. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 32, 287–298. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeb.13413 \| Abstract \| Download \| Publisher Website	December 2019	Phenotypes are the target of selection and affect the ability of organisms to persist in variable environments. Phenotypes can be influenced directly by genes and/or by phenotypic plasticity. The amphibian‐killing fungus <i>Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis</i> (Bd) has a global distribution, unusually broad host range, and high genetic diversity. Phenotypic plasticity may be an important process that allows this pathogen to infect hundreds of species in diverse environments. We quantified phenotypic variation of nine Bd genotypes from two Bd lineages (Global Pandemic Lineage [GPL] and Brazil) and a hybrid (GPL‐Brazil) grown at three temperatures (12, 18 and 24°C). We measured five functional traits including two morphological traits (zoospore and zoosporangium sizes) and three life history traits (carrying capacity, time to fastest growth and exponential growth rate) in a phylogenetic framework. Temperature caused highly plastic responses within each genotype, with all Bd genotypes showing phenotypic plasticity in at least three traits. Among genotypes, Bd generally showed the same direction of plastic response to temperature: larger zoosporangia, higher carrying capacity, longer time to fastest growth and slower exponential growth at lower temperatures. The exception was zoospore size, which was highly variable. Our findings indicate that Bd genotypes have evolved novel phenotypes through plastic responses to temperature over very short timescales. High phenotypic variability likely extends to other traits and may facilitate the large host range and rapid spread of Bd.
Muir, A.M., J.R. Bernhardt, N.W. Boucher, C. Cvitanovic, J.M. Dettmers, M. Gaden, J.L.M. Hinderer, B. Locke, K.F. Robinson, M.J. Siefkes, N. Young, S.J. Cooke. 2023. Confronting a post-pandemic new-normal— threats and opportunities to trust-based relationships in natural resource science and management. Journal of Environmental Management 330:117140. 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.117140	March 2023
Mueller T, CS Teitelbaum, WF Fagan, and SJ Converse. 2019. Movement ecology of reintroduced migratory whooping cranes. Pages 217-238 in French Jr JB, SJ Converse, and JE Austin, editors. Whooping Cranes: Biology and Conservation. Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscapes. Academic Press, London, UK.	September 2018
Mrnak, J.T., L.B. Heironimus, D.A. James, and S.R. Chipps. 2020. Effect of water velocity and temperature on energy use, behavior, and mortality of pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus larvae. Journal of Fish Biology 97:1690-1700.	October 2020
Mouton, J. C., and T. E. Martin. 2019. Nest structure affects auditory and visual detectability, but not predation risk, in a tropical songbird community. Functional Ecology 33:1973–1981.	October 2019
Mouton, J. C. and T. E. Martin. 2018. Fitness consequences of interspecific nesting associations among cavity nesting birds. American Naturalist 192: 389–396.	September 2018
Mouton J. C., B. W. Tobalske, N. A. Wright, and T. E. Martin. 2020. Compensatory plasticity offsets performance and survival costs of predation risk across life stages. Functional Ecology https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13650.	September 2020
Mouser, J.B., D.C. Ashley, T. Aley, and S. K. Brewer. 2019. Subterranean invasion by gapped ringed crayfish: A removal effort and barrier installation. Diversity 11,3; doi: 10.3390/d11010003	January 2019
Mouser, J., S. K. Brewer, M. L. Niemiller, R. Mollenhauer, and R. A. Van Den Bussche. 2021. Comparing traditional visual surveys to novel environmental DNA surveys for detection of cavefishes and cave crayfishes. Subterranean Biology 39: 79-105doi: 10.3897/subtbiol.39.64279	July 2021
Mouser, J., J. Glover, and S. K. Brewer. 2020. Age Estimates For North American Crayfish And The Influence Of Temperature On Gastric Mill Band Formation. Freshwater Crayfish.	April 2020
Mouser, J. B., S. K. Brewer, M. L. Niemiller, R. Mollenhauer, and R. A. Van Den Bussche. 2022. Lithology and disturbance drive cavefish and cave crayfish occurrence in the Ozark Highlands ecoregion. Scientific Reports (2022)12:19559	November 2022
Mouser, J. B., R. Mollenhauer, and S. K. Brewer. 2018. Relationships between landscape constraints and a crayfish assemblage with consideration of competitor presence. Diversity and Distributions. DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12840	September 2018
Mouser, J. B., D. C. Ashley, D. L. Zentner, and S. K. Brewer. 2022. Seasonal context of bristly cave crayfish Cambarus setosus habitat use and life history. Journal of Cave and Karst Studies v. 84, no. 3, p. 85-95. DOI:10.4311/2021LSC0110	September 2022
Mott, R., A. E. Rosenberger, and D. Novinger. 2021. Use of non-lethal endpoints to establish water quality requirements and optima of the Topeka Shiner (Notropis Topeka). Environmental Biology of Fishes 104: 1215-1233. (IP-096850) \| Abstract \| Download	October 2021	Water quality standards based on sub-lethal effects and performance optima for aquatic organisms, rather than onset of mortality, are more ecologically relevant for management of species of conservation concern. We investigated the effects of hypoxia, temperature (with acclimation), nitrogenous chemical compounds, and chloride on Topeka shiners (<i>Notropis topeka</i>) by monitoring behavioral responses to a reduction in oxygen and, using swimming speed, determining thermal optima and onset of effect for concentrations of nitrogenous compounds and chloride. We found ASR<sub>50</sub> (i.e., dissolved oxygen concentrations where 50% of fish use aquatic surface respiration) to be 1.65 mg/L and ASR<sub>90</sub> to be 1.08 mg/L of dissolved oxygen. Optimum temperatures for the species ranged from 17.7 to 28.0 °C, while predicted 100% mortality ranged from 33.7 to 40.3 °C, depending on the temperature at which fish were acclimated prior to experiments. Ammonia and sodium chloride reduced swimming speed at concentrations below known LC<sub>50</sub> values, while nitrite concentrations did not correspond with swimming speed, but rather, post-experiment mortality. This provides insight into where Topeka shiners can not only persist, but also thrive. Although swimming speed may not be a suitable metric for determining the effects of all contaminants, our focus on optima and sub-lethal effects over tolerance allows selections of the most suitable reintroduction site matching the species’ physiological profile.
Morrison, T. A., Merkle, J. A., Hopcraft, J. G. C., Aikens, E. O., Beck, J. L., Boone, R. B., Courtemanch, A. B., Dwinnell, S. P., Fairbanks, W. S., Griffith, B., Middleton, A.D., Monteith, K.L., Oates, B., Riotte‐Lambert, L., Sawyer, H., Smith, K. T., Stabach, J. A., Taylor, K. T., and Kauffman, M. J. (2021). Drivers of site fidelity in ungulates. Journal of animal ecology, 90(4), 955-966. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13425. \| Abstract	April 2021	While the tendency to return to previously visited locations—termed ‘site fidelity’—is common in animals, the cause of this behaviour is not well understood. One hypothesis is that site fidelity is shaped by an animal's environment, such that animals living in landscapes with predictable resources have stronger site fidelity. Site fidelity may also be conditional on the success of animals’ recent visits to that location, and it may become stronger with age as the animal accumulates experience in their landscape. Finally, differences between species, such as the way memory shapes site attractiveness, may interact with environmental drivers to modulate the strength of site fidelity. We compared inter-year site fidelity in 669 individuals across eight ungulate species fitted with GPS collars and occupying a range of environmental conditions in North America and Africa. We used a distance-based index of site fidelity and tested hypothesized drivers of site fidelity using linear mixed effects models, while accounting for variation in annual range size. Mule deer <i>Odocoileus hemionus</i> and moose <i>Alces alces</i> exhibited relatively strong site fidelity, while wildebeest <i>Connochaetes taurinus</i> and barren-ground caribou <i>Rangifer tarandus granti</i> had relatively weak fidelity. Site fidelity was strongest in predictable landscapes where vegetative greening occurred at regular intervals over time (i.e. high temporal contingency). Species differed in their response to spatial heterogeneity in greenness (i.e. spatial constancy). Site fidelity varied seasonally in some species, but remained constant over time in others. Elk employed a ‘win-stay, lose-switch’ strategy, in which successful resource tracking in the springtime resulted in strong site fidelity the following spring. Site fidelity did not vary with age in any species tested. Our results provide support for the environmental hypothesis, particularly that regularity in vegetative phenology shapes the strength of site fidelity at the inter-annual scale. Large unexplained differences in site fidelity suggest that other factors, possibly species-specific differences in attraction to known sites, contribute to variation in the expression of this behaviour. Understanding drivers of variation in site fidelity across groups of organisms living in different environments provides important behavioural context for predicting how animals will respond to environmental change.
Morris, S.A., C.W. Boal, and R. Patino. 2021. Assessing Cormorant Populations and Associations with Fish Stocking in Texas. Bulletin of the Texas Ornithological Society 54:1-8	February 2022
Morris RL, La Peyre MK, Webb BM, Marshall DA, Bilkovic DM, Cebrian J, McClenachan G, Kibler KM, Walters LJ, Bushek D, Sparks EL, Temple NA, Moddy J, Angstadt K, Goff J, Boswell M, Sacks P, Swearer SE. 2021. Large-scale variation in wave attenuation of oyster reef living shorelines and the influence of inundation duration. Ecological Applications. doi:10.1002/eap.2382. \| Abstract	January 2021	One of the paramount goals of oyster reef living shorelines is to achieve sustained and adaptive coastal protection, which requires meeting ecological (i.e., develop a self-sustaining oyster population) and engineering (i.e., provide coastal defence) targets. In a large-scale comparison along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, the efficacy of various designs of oyster reef living shorelines at providing wave attenuation and shoreline stabilization was evaluated. Historical aerial imagery (to quantify shoreline change) combined with on-ground wave attenuation measurements of 15 oyster reef living shorelines, and paired controls, was analyzed. Oyster reef living shorelines varied in age, construction material (oyster shell or pre-cast concrete units), reef dimensions (i.e. length, width, height) and placement (i.e., tidal height, wave exposure, distance from shore) among sites. At six sites oyster reefs showed significantly greater wave attenuation than the paired controls, and the reduction in wave height at those oyster reefs varied between 13 – 55%. The oyster reefs in the other sites were not effective at wave attenuation and substantial continued shoreline erosion was observed. Wave attenuation was greatest at reefs where either (1) the crest height was at or above the water depth; or (2) the reef had a wider footprint. However, some of the tall reefs exceeded the tolerable aerial exposure for oysters (i.e., the amount of time a reef can spend out of the water) and, thus, the peak of such reefs was not suitable oyster habitat. There is, therefore, a trade-off between maximizing coastal protection or oyster habitat when designing an oyster reef living shoreline. Yet our results provide evidence that oyster reefs may be designed to deliver both substantial coastal protection and oyster habitat through further study of the relationship between reef structural attributes (height and width) and oyster habitat suitability. Verification of these observations under storm conditions, which drive erosive events, will be important to inform appropriate design and wider implementation of living shorelines globally.
Morris RL, Bilkovic DM, Boswell MK, Bushek D, Cebrian J, Goff J Kibler KM, La Peyre MK, McClenachan G, Moody J, Sacks P, Shinn JP, Sparks EL, Temple NA, Walters LJ, Webb BM, Swearer BM. 2019. Oysters reefs in shoreline protection: are we over-engineering for an ecosystem engineer? Journal of Applied Ecology. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.13390	April 2019
Moritsch, MM, KB Byrd, MJ Davis, A Good, JZ Drexler, I Woo, JT Morris, L Windham-Myers, G Nakai, EE Grossman, K Poppe, and J Rybczyk. 2022. Can coastal ecosystems rise to the challenge? Shifts in distribution and carbon accumulation of deltaic ecosystems in response to sea-level rise and management in a South Puget Sound estuary. Estuaries and Coasts xx:xx-xx. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-022-01087-5	May 2022
Morin, D.J., J. Boulanger, R. Bischof, D.C. Lee, D. Ngoprasert, A.K. Fuller, B. McLellan, R. Steinmetz, S. Sharma, D. Garshelis, A. Gopalaswamy, M.A. Nawaz, and U. Karanth. 2022. Comparison of methods for estimating density and population trends for low-density Asian bears. Global Ecology and Conservation. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02058	February 2022
Morin, D. J., S. D. Higdon, R. C. Lonsinger, E. N. Gosselin, M. J. Kelly, and L. P. Waits. 2019. Comparing methods of estimating carnivore diets with uncertainty and imperfect detection. Wildlife Society Bulletin 43:651–660. doi: 10.1002/wsb.1021 \| Abstract \| Download \| Publisher Website	November 2019	Carnivore diet‐selection studies based on scat analyses are frequently used to elucidate predator ecology, predict potential effects on prey populations, and inform management decisions. However, accuracy of results and the following inference are contingent on multiple sources of sampling error including missed detections and pseudoreplication in statistical comparisons that assume independence within scat samples. We compared a repeated‐sampling occupancy framework intended to estimate detection and occurrence rates for diet items with a multinomial modeling approach intended to estimate diet selection while accounting for nonindependence of diet items within samples. Both methods allowed for multimodel inference to specifically test hypotheses about differences in diet. We applied each method to 2 example data sets, a bobcat (<i>Lynx rufus</i>) scat data set (<i>n</i> = 101) collected in western Virginia, USA, from 2011 to 2013 with morphological identification of diet items, and a coyote (<i>Canis latrans</i>) scat data set (<i>n</i> = 50) collected in Tooele County, Utah, USA, in 2014 with molecular identification of diet items, and compared results with those commonly implemented in diet studies (frequency of occurrence calculations). We found imperfect detection of diet items was not a major source of bias in either the morphological or molecular data set results, but grouping similar or indistinguishable diet items in the morphological data set affected estimates when there was heterogeneity in detection among items. Using the occupancy approach on the morphological data set demonstrated that presence or amount of some diet items could decrease detection of other items and bias occurrence estimates. Furthermore, comparing multiple models of bobcat diet using Akaike's Information Criterion with either approach revealed no support for seasonal differences, even though traditional frequency of occurrence calculations differed by almost 10%. Thus, we suggest even moderate trends in diet based on frequency of occurrence calculations without incorporating measures of uncertainty may represent sampling error, and not true differences in diet. When detection is not conditional on other diet items, comparison of multinomial models will typically be sufficient to make accurate inference about carnivore diets without requiring additional processing of scat samples.
Moriarity M, Sethi SA, Pedreschi D, Smeltz TS, McGonigle C, Harris BP, Wolf N, Greenstreet SPR. (2020) Combining fisheries surveys to inform marine species distribution modelling. ICES Journal of Marine Science 77:539-552. \| Abstract	March 2020	Ecosystem-scale examination of fish communities typically involves creating spatio-temporally explicit relative abundance distribution maps using data from multiple fishery-independent surveys. However, sampling performance varies by vessel and sampling gear, which may influence estimated species distribution patterns. Using GAMMs, the effect of different gear–vessel combinations on relative abundance estimates at length was investigated using European fisheries-independent groundfish survey data. We constructed a modelling framework for evaluating relative efficiency of multiple gear–vessel combinations. 19 northeast Atlantic surveys for 254 species-length combinations were examined. Space-time variables explained most of the variation in catches for 181/254 species-length cases, indicating that for many species, models successfully characterized distribution patterns when combining data from disparate surveys. Variables controlling for gear efficiency explained substantial variation in catches for 127/254 species-length data sets. Models that fail to control for gear efficiencies across surveys can mask changes in the spatial distribution of species. Estimated relative differences in catch efficiencies grouped strongly by gear type, but did not exhibit a clear pattern across species’ functional forms, suggesting difficulty in predicting the potential impact of gear efficiency differences when combining survey data to assess species’ distributions and highlighting the importance of modelling approaches that can control for gear differences.
Morandini, V., K.M. Dugger, D.G. Ainley and M. Ferrer. 2020. Rockhopper Penguin-Imperial Cormorant mixed colonies in the Falkland Islands: a stroke of luck for late breeders. Eosphere 11(11):e03272. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.3272	November 2020
Morandini, V., K.M. Dugger, A. Lescroel, A. Schmidt and G. Ballard. 2021. Maintenance of nest quality in Adélie penguins: an additional benefit to life in the center. Polar Biology 44:1553-1562, DOI://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-021-02894-5	June 2021
Morandini, V., A. Lescröel, D. Jongsomjit, S. Winquist, A. Schmidt, G. Ballard, P. Kappes, and K. M. Dugger. 2019. Prevalence of three-chick nests in Adelie penguin Pygoscelis Adeliae at Cape Crozier, Ross Island. Marine Ornithology 47:77-80	April 2019
Morandini, V, KM Dugger G Ballard, M Elrod, A Schmidt, V Ruoppolo, A Lescroël, D Jongsomjit, M Massaro, J Pennycook, GL Kooyman, K Schmidlin, S Kraberger, D Ainley, and A Varsani. 2019. Identification of a novel Adélie penguin circovirus at Cape Crozier (Ross Island, Antarctica). Viruses 11, 1088; doi:10.3390/v11121088	December 2019
Moran, M.L., W. Boyd, J.L. De La Cruz, A.S. Bertke and W.M. Ford. 2023. Oral Sampling of Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus) Maternity Colonies for SARS-CoV-2 in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, USA. Animals 2023, 13, 550. doi.org/10.3390/ani13040550	February 2023
Moorman, C. E., S. M. Grodsky, and S. P. Rupp. 2019. Introduction: Renewable energy and wildlife conservation. Pp. 1-13 in Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation. C. Moorman, S. Grodsky, and S. Rupp (eds.). Johns Hopkins University Press.	September 2019
Moorman, C. E., S. M. Grodsky, and S. P. Rupp (eds.). 2019. Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, 10 September 2019.	September 2019
Moore, M., C. Paukert, and T. Moore. 2021. Effects of latitude, season and temperature on Lake Sturgeon movement. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 41: 916-928. https://doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10416.	August 2021
Moore, M., C. Paukert, B. Brooke, and T. Moore. 2021. Lake Sturgeon Seasonal Movements in Regulated and Unregulated Missouri River Tributaries. Ecohydrology http://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2362	October 2021
Moore, M., C. P. Paukert, S. Owens, and T. Moore. 2021. Habitat selection in a southern Lake Sturgeon population: implications of temporal, spatial, and ontogenetic variation for restoration. Restoration Ecology http://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13602	December 2021
Moore, M. J., C. P. Paukert, T. Bonnot, B. Brooke, and T. Moore. 2021. Does where they start affect where they finish? A multi-method investigation of the role of stocking location on survival and dispersal of hatchery-reared Lake Sturgeon in Missouri River tributaries. River Research and Applications 38:627-638. http://doi.org/10.1002/rra.3925	December 2021
Moore, M. J., C. P. Paukert, T. Bonnot, B. Brooke, and T. Moore. 2021. Does where they start affect where they finish? A multi-method investigation of the role of stocking location on survival and dispersal of hatchery-reared Lake Sturgeon in Missouri River tributaries. River Research and Applications 38:627-638. http://doi.org/10.1002/rra.3925	December 2021
Moore, J.D., D.E. Andersen, T. Cooper, J.P. Duguay, S.L. Oldenburger, C.A. Stewart, and D.G. Krementz. 2021. Migratory phenology and patterns of American woodcock in central North America derived using satellite telemetry. Wildlife Biology 2021: wlb.00816. https://doi.org/10.2981/wlb.00816	March 2021
Moore, J.D., D.E. Andersen, T. Cooper, J.P. Duguay, S.L. Oldenburger, C.A. Stewart, and D.G. Krementz. 2019. Migratory connectivity of American woodcock derived using satellite telemetry. Journal of Wildlife Management 83:1617–1627. DOI:10.1002/jwmg.21741. \| Abstract	August 2019	As with many migratory birds, migratory connectivity of American woodcock (Scolopax minor; hereafter, woodcock) is largely unknown. Understanding migratory connectivity and migration phenology is important in identifying factors that influence survival and fitness over the full annual cycle. However, until recently, practical methods (i.e., data derived from banding and VHF telemetry) for elucidating migratory connectivity and migration phenology of woodcock have provided relatively coarse-resolution delineation of migration patterns. Based largely on analysis of band returns, woodcock are managed in 2 management regions (Eastern and Central Management Regions) with management region boundaries analogous to those of the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways. To better understand woodcock migration and evaluate the validity of current management regions, we deployed satellite transmitters on 73 woodcock in the Central Management Region, and from 2014-2016 documented migration paths of 60 individual woodcock and 87 autumn or spring woodcock migrations. Marked woodcock captured in the Central Management Region used 2 primary migrations routes: a Western Route and a Central Route. The Western Route ran north-south, connecting the breeding and wintering grounds within the Central Management Region. The hourglass-shaped Central Route connected an area on the wintering grounds reaching from Texas to Florida, to sites throughout northeastern North America in the Eastern Management Region and Central Management Region. Woodcock following the Central Route migrated through the area between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi Alluvial Valley in western Tennessee during both autumn and spring. A higher than anticipated (based on previous banding data analyses) percentage (36%, n = 12) of marked woodcock captured in Texas and Louisiana and monitored during spring migration migrated to breeding-period sites in the Eastern Management Region, raising questions about the biological relevance of managing woodcock in separate management regions.
Moore, J. D., T. R. Cooper, R. Rau, D. E. Andersen, J. P. Duguay, C. A. Stewart, and D. G. Krementz. 2019. Assessment of the American Woodcock Singing-Ground Survey zone timing and coverage. Pages 181-192 in Krementz, D.G., D. E. Andersen, and T.R. Cooper (eds.). Proceedings of the 11th American Woodcock Symposium, University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A. DOI:10.24926/AWS.0124. \| Abstract \| Download	December 2019	The American woodcock (Scolopax minor) Singing-Ground Survey (SGS) was developed to inform management decisions by monitoring changes in the relative abundance of woodcock. The timing of the designated survey windows were designed to count woodcock that have settled in an area while minimizing the counting of migrating woodcock to the best extent possible. Since the implementation of the SGS in 1968, concerns over survey protocols that may bias data have been raised and investigated; however, the extent of survey coverage , the timing of the survey window zones, and whether double counting might occur within and among survey zones have not been critically investigated We used three years of data collected from satellite-marked male and female woodcock to assess the timing of the SGS survey windows and to what extent there was potential to double count woodcock among the survey zones. SGS coverage encompassed the majority of woodcock breeding-period sites within the U.S. (n = 17, 92%) and approximately half of the breeding period sites in Canada (n = 6, 43%). Thirteen of the 37 monitored woodcock with known breeding-period site arrival dates (35%) were migrating through a survey zone during an active survey window, all in the northernmost four out of five SGS zones. Thirteen woodcock arrived at breeding period sites after the start of surveys, all but one with breeding-period sites in the northernmost two zones. The combination of these situations may result in the SGS weighing too heavily the contribution of routes in southern portion of the primary breeding range while weighing too lightly the routes in the northern portion of the primary breeding range. We believe that we have demonstrated enough concerns about zone window timing to suggest that additional information is necessary to evaluate whether current zone window dates are sufficient, or whether they need to be changed.
Moore, D. M. and S. K. Brewer. 2021. Evaluation of VIE, PIT, and p-Chip tagging methods in a small bodied minnow species. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 41:1066-1078.	June 2021
Moore, C. T., and J. Hepinstall-Cymerman. 2018. An adaptive landscape planning and decision framework for gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) conservation. Final project memorandum to Southeast Climate and Adaptation Science Center. \| Download	February 2019
Moore, C. T., and J. C. Maerz. 2020. Accelerating conservation of at-risk species in the longleaf system. Final project memorandum to Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center. \| Download	August 2020
Moore, C. T., and E. A. Hunter. 2021. Gopher tortoise demographic variables estimated from long-term mark-recapture data. Journal of Wildlife Management 85:615-616. https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.22039 \| Download	May 2021
Moore, C. T., J. J. Gannon, and T. L. Shaffer. 2018. NPAM predictive model improvements and piloting NPAM on partner lands. U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Cooperator Science Series FWS/CSS-130-2018, Washington, D.C. https://doi.org/10.3996/css74130649	April 2022
Moore, C. T., J. J. Gannon, T. L. Shaffer, and C. S. Dixon. 2020. An adaptive approach to vegetation management in native prairies of the northern Great Plains. Pages 246-257 in M. C. Runge, S. J. Converse, J. E. Lyons, and D. R. Smith, eds., Structured Decision Making: Case Studies in Decision Analysis for Natural Resources Management. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD.	May 2020
Moon, J.A., S.E. Lehnen, K.L. Metzger, M.A. Squires, M.G. Brasher, B.C. Wilson, W.C. Conway, D.A. Haukos, B.E. Davis, F.C. Rohwer, E.M. Wehland, and B.M. Ballard. 2021. Projected impact of sea-level rise and urbanization on mottled duck (Anas fulvigula) habitat along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Texas through 2100. Ecological Indicators Ecological Indicators 132 (2021) 108276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.108276	October 2021
Monteith, K.L., M.M. Hayes, M.J. Kauffman, H.E. Copeland, and H. Sawyer. Functional attributes of ungulate migration: landscape features facilitate movement and access to forage. Ecological Applications	October 2018
Mollenhauer, R., Y. Zhou, and S. K. Brewer. 2019. Multiscale Habitat Factors Explain Variability in Stream Fish Occurrence in the Ozark Highlands Ecoregion, U.S.A. Copeia 107:219-231.	July 2019
Mollenhauer, R., S. K. Brewer, D.Moore, D. Swedberg, and M. Wedgeworth. 2022. A hierarchical approach to fish conservation in semiarid landscapes: A need to understand multiscale environmental relationships In: River Basin Management - Under a Changing Climate, DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.105602	September 2022
Mollenhauer, R., J. B. Mouser, V. L Roland, and S. K. Brewer. 2022. Increased landscape disturbance and streamflow variability threaten fish biodiversity in the Red River catchment, USA. Diversity and Distributions, 28, 1934– 1950. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13595	July 2022
Mollenhauer, R., A. Miller, J. Goff, and S. K. Brewer. 2020. Population size and body size varies in relation to reach-scale groundwater contribution for warmwater stream fishes. Southeastern Naturalist 19:308-324.	January 2020
Mollenhauer, R., J Mouser, and SK Brewer. 2018. Sampling the stream landscape: improving the applicability of an ecoregion-level capture probability model for stream fishes. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences	September 2018
Mollenhauer, R. and S. K. Brewer. 2018. Snorkeling efficiency of sunfishes in clear, warmwater streams of the south-central United States. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management. DOI: 10.3996/032018-JFWM-027	September 2018
Mollenhauer R., S. K. Brewer, J. S. Perkin, D. Swedberg, M. Wedgeworth, and Z. D. Steffensmeier. 2021. Connectivity and flow regime direct conservation priorities for pelagophil fishes. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems	July 2021
Molina-Moctezuma, A., and Zydlewski, J. (2020) A decision making tool for evaluating biological and statistical thresholds for survival analysis. River Research and Applications 2020:1–9. DOI: 10.1002/rra.3616 \| Download	February 2020
Molina-Moctezuma, A., Peterson, E., and Zydlewski, J. (2021) Movement, Survival, and Delays of Atlantic Salmon Smolts in the Piscataquis River, Maine, USA. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 150(3), 345-360. DOI: 10.1002/tafs.10289 \| Download	May 2021
Molina-Moctezuma, A., Stich, D., and Zydlewski, J. (2022) Effects of dam-induced delays on survival of Atlantic salmon juveniles in the Penobscot River. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. DOI: TBD. IP-129261, BAO approval date August 31, 2022. [C:60, D:10, I:20, W:10]. \| Download	November 2022
Miyazono S, AA Pease, TB Grabowski, & SR Fritts. 2019. Recruitment dynamics and reproductive ecology of Blue Sucker in Texas, with a focus on the Big Bend region of the Rio Grande. U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Cooperator Science Series XXX-XXX. Washington, D.C. \| Abstract	June 2019	Blue Sucker (Cycleptus elongatus) is a state-listed threatened species in Texas and is considered vulnerable throughout its range. Once considered a single, wide-ranging species, blue suckers are now recognized as a complex of closely related, but genetically and morphologically distinct species within the genus Cycleptus, including an undescribed species within the Rio Grande Basin. Numerous factors likely are driving the decline of blue suckers in Texas, including flow alteration, water quality, habitat fragmentation, and changing land-use patterns, but it is not clear how these factors interact to influence the abundance and distribution of the species. Our research integrates a variety of methodologies to provide information critical to the conservation and management of Blue Sucker in the Sabine River (Texas and Louisiana) and Colorado River (Texas) and Rio Grande Blue Sucker (Cycleptus sp. cf. elongatus) in the Rio Grande. The objectives of this report are to 1) determine the habitat associations of the young-of-the-year (YOY) Rio Grande Blue Sucker; 2) assess the effects of flow regime on growth and recruitment of Blue Sucker in the lower Sabine River; and 3) examine differences in life-history traits of Blue Suckers and flow regime across river basins in Texas. This study is the first to quantitatively address the sequence of YOY blue sucker mesohabitat use and increases our understanding of early life history of blue suckers, and the results of this work will help to develop conservation and management strategies (e.g., prioritizing conservation areas, developing flow recommendation, etc.) for blue suckers throughout their geographic distribution. Key findings of this study were: 1) The body size of YOY Rio Grande Blue Sucker in pool habitats were significantly lower than that in other mesohabitats, suggesting that YOY Rio Grande Blue Sucker undergo onotogenetic habitat shifts into higher current velocity habitats as they grow. 2) Slow current areas, such as pools, could be important nursery habitats for small YOY Rio Grande Blue Sucker (total length ≤ 45 mm). 3) YOY Rio Grande Blue Sucker move into riffles and runs as they grow from April to June, suggesting that extreme low flow conditions during early summer may negatively affect the habitat quality or availability for YOY Rio Grande Blue Sucker. 4) The growth and recruitment of Blue Sucker in the lower Sabine River increased with increasing the river discharge from early summer to fall in our study areas. 5) The life-history traits of Blue Sucker differed between the lower Sabine River and the lower Colorado River: the total length and age of Blue Sucker in the lower Colorado River were larger than those of Blue Sucker in the lower Sabine River, and the growth and mortality rates of Blue Sucker of the lower Sabine River tended to be higher than those of the lower Colorado River. 6) Our results suggest that mesohabitat area and flow regime could be important factors determining the growth and recruitment of blue suckers, and the importance of these environmental factors could change according to the life-history stage (larval stage, juvenile stage, and adult stage). 7) Important areas for future research efforts include a) quantifying the differences in the mesohabitat area/quality/density among the three river basins; b) examining interactions between the spatial distributions of potential spawning habitat relative to suitable YOY mesohabitat and how variations in river flow influence their quality and connectivity to each other; and c) continuing to monitor the effects of flow regime on blue suckers for longer time periods.
Miyazono S, AA Pease, S Fritts, & TB Grabowski. 2020. Ontogenetic shifts in mesohabitat use of young-of-year Rio Grande Blue Sucker in the Big Bend region of the Rio Grande. Environmental Biology of Fishes 103:1471-1480. doi: 10.1007/s10641-020-01038-8 \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	December 2020	Changes in flow regime by anthropogenic activities is one of the primary environmental problems in riverine systems. It is important to understand how hydrologic conditions can affect ontogenetic habitat shifts of imperiled fishes in order to develop conservation and management strategies for each life-history stage. To better understand the factors affecting ontogenetic habitat shifts of an imperiled aridland river fish, we examined relationships between the abundance of young-of-the-year (YOY) Rio Grande Blue Sucker and various abiotic variables in the Trans-Pecos region of the Rio Grande in Texas, USA using open <i>N</i>-mixture modeling. In addition, we examined differences in Rio Grande Blue Sucker total length among three mesohabitat types (pool, riffle, and run). The results of open <i>N</i>-mixture modeling suggested that as pool area increased, the recruitment of Rio Grande Blue Sucker increased. Total length of YOY Rio Grande Blue Sucker also significantly differed among the three mesohabitat types. The total lengths of YOY Rio Grande Blue Sucker in pool habitats were lower than in other mesohabitats, suggesting that YOY Rio Grande Blue Sucker undergo ontogenetic habitat shifts into greater current velocity habitats as they grow. The habitat associations we documented support the growing body of research emphasizing the importance of maintaining sufficient and appropriately timed flows to avoid prolonged low flows that limit habitat availability for native fish species during sensitive life stages in the Rio Grande and other aridland rivers.
Mitchell, N.R., C.W. Boal, and B.R. Skipper. 2020. Distribution, density, and land cover associations of wintering golden eagles in the southern Great Plains. Western North American Naturalist 80:452-461.	January 2021
Mitchell, C.I., D.A. Friend, L.T. Phillips, E.A. Hunter, J.E. Lovich, M. Agha, S.R. Puffer, K.L. Cummings, P.A. Medica, T.C. Esque, K.E. Nussear, and K.T. Shoemaker. 2021. ‘Unscrambling’ the drivers of egg production in Agassiz’s desert tortoise: climate and individual attributes predict reproductive output. Endangered Species Research 44:217-230. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01103	March 2021
Mirochnitchenko, N., E. Stuber, and J.J. Fontaine. 2021. Biodiversity scale-dependence, and opposing multi-level covariance lead to mismatches among taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity. Journal of Biogeography, 48, 2989– 3003. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14248	January 2022
Miranda, L.E., and P.W. Bettoli. 2019. Largemouth bass natural history. Pages 1-27 in J.H. Tidwell, S.D. Coyle, and L.A. Bright, eds. Largemouth bass aquaculture. 5M Publishing, Sheffield, UK.	May 2019
Miranda, L.E., and N.M. Faucheux. 2022. Climate change alters aging patterns of reservoir fish habitats. Climatic Change 174(9). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-022-03432-w \| Abstract	September 2022	Two slow-moving developments are threatening reservoir aquatic habitats globally: aging and climate change. These events are projected to transform reservoir aquatic habitats in various and often unpredictable ways. Aging affects in-lake habitats directly, whereas climate change affects both in-lake and off-lake conditions. Climate change is expected to accelerate and, in some instances, possibly decelerate aging. Aging can be indexed as functional age, an index that signals the position of a reservoir along its lifespan relying on in lake descriptors of aquatic habitat. Using existing habitat datasets and climate projections, we developed semi-quantitative predictions about the effect of climate change on reservoir functional age in the USA. Driven by increased warming, functional age was predicted to increase latitudinally from south to north with no obvious longitudinal gradient. Functional age also changed with precipitation, increasing latitudinally from south to north and longitudinally in the east and west but decreasing in the central USA. Our projections are tentative because of the uncertain nature of reservoir aging and climate change sciences, as well as the inexactness of available data and models. We review general strategies suitable for systematically dealing with the unpredictable and constantly changing conditions expected to occur this century as reservoirs certainly continue to get older, within the scope of uncertain climate change projections.
Miranda, L.E., and K.J. Killgore. 2020. Longitudinal distribution of uncommon fishes in a species-rich basin. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3262	January 2020
Miranda, L.E., and K.J. Killgore. 2019. Abundance-occupancy patterns in a riverine fish assemblage. Freshwater Biology 64:2221-2233. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/fwb.13408	November 2019
Miranda, L.E., Raines, C.D. 2019. Reservoir diel water quality patterns relative to riparian shade. Lake and Reservoir Management 35:148–155. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10402381.2019.1570573 \| Abstract	April 2019	Investigations into the effects of riparian shade on water quality have focused on streams, with less emphasis on natural lakes, and almost no attention given to reservoirs. In view of this deficit, our objective was to assess diel water quality patterns in the nearshore zone of a reservoir and test whether diel patterns differed relative to the presence or absence of riparian shade. Light intensity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, oxidation-reduction potential, and specific conductance were greater in unshaded sites (p < 0.05), whereas concentrations of phosphate and nitrate were greater in shaded sites, and pH values were similar in shaded and unshaded sites. Most variables exhibited distinct diel cycles, except specific conductance, turbidity, phosphate, and nitrate. Other than light intensity (average 66% lower in shade), differences in water quality patterns between shaded and unshaded sites seemed small (average <5%) and within the range of tolerances of aquatic biotic communities. In most lacustrine systems the nearshore shaded band is small relative to the unshaded open water, and the large open-water volume tends to neutralize effects of shading on water physicochemistry. As a result, riparian shade may not have a large influence on water temperature and chemistry of lacustrine systems, and its biggest effect may be a reduction in light intensity in the nearshore band. The observed decrease in light intensity in shaded sites has the potential to influence biotic assemblages through competitive mechanisms associated with finding food, avoiding predation, and other aspects associated with rather than through physiologic effects via water quality.
Miranda, L.E., R.V. Granzotti, and D.J. Dembkowski. 2019. Gradients in fish feeding guilds along a reservoir cascade. Aquatic Sciences 81:15.	January 2019
Miranda, L.E., N.M. Faucheux, and K.M. Lakin. 2021. Fishing gear performance nearshore is substantiated by spatial analyses. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 31:977–987. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-021-09683-7 \| Abstract	September 2021	We estimated whether the fish assemblages nearshore represented by electrofishing and gillnetting indexed location of reservoirs in a river basin. We expected that location in the basin would reflect a multiplicity of factors that determine fish habitat and fish assemblage composition, and therefore also anticipated a correlation between fish species composition and spatial variables if the gear type reflected legitimate differences in fish assemblages. We collected 1.6 million fish of 129 species in 22 reservoirs of the Tennessee River basin, USA. Standardized electrofishing represented different aspects of the fish assemblages than standardized gillnetting. Nevertheless, the assemblages documented by each gear type were correlated with the spatial location of the reservoirs in the river basin. Thus, even as these gear types reflected different aspects of existing fish assemblages, they each tracked spatial differences, suggesting that they reflected standing fish assemblages. Our study endorses the use of standardized boat electrofishing and gillnetting as proper means for monitoring fish assemblages at large spatial scales. Our results further suggest that a well-designed and standardized sampling protocol can in fact provide an informative bird’s eye view of fish assemblages at regional, national, or continental scales suitable for informing conservation programs.
Miranda, L.E., M.C. Rhodes, Y. Allen, and K.J. Killgore. 2021. An inventory and typology of permanent floodplain lakes in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley: A first step to conservation planning. Aquatic Sciences https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-020-00775-3 \| Abstract	January 2021	The alluvial valley of the Mississippi River is an extensive area harboring hundreds of lakes created by fluvial dynamics. These floodplain lakes are scattered throughout the valley and carved over thousands of years by shifting river courses and other hydro-fluvial processes associated with contemporary and prehistoric rivers. These lakes have significant ecological importance as they support a large component of North American biodiversity. We used remote sensing to catalog lakes, to characterize morphology, and to construct a typology via cluster analysis. We identified over 1,300 permanent lakes totaling over 100,000 ha. The lakes were classified into 12 types according to lake size, shape, depth, connectivity, inundation frequency, and surrounding landcover. We anticipate that biotic characteristics differ among the 12 types, but large-scale systematic analyses of biotic assemblages of floodplain lakes in the region are mostly absent. Our typology can provide the framework essential for organizing research to define water dynamics, water quality, and ecological conditions such as forests, mussel, fish, and avian communities to construct conservation plans. The typology encourages a large-scale view of the properties of floodplain lakes in the alluvial valley. It is a functional tool that can be used to begin identifying conservation and research needs, adapt monitoring and management programs, customize environmental programs, and use conservation resources more effectively to achieve large-scale management objectives.
Miranda, L.E., K.M. Lakin, and N.M. Faucheux. 2021. Habitat associations of black bass in a reservoir system. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 150:538-547. https://doi.org/10.1002/tafs.10302 \| Abstract	April 2021	Habitat associations of three black bass (<i>Micropterus</i>) species were examined in six habitat types (i.e., sediment, gravel, rock, riprap, brush, aquatic plants) along a cascade of ten reservoirs in the Tennessee River. We tested whether black bass habitat selection differed among species, and if species co-occurrence depended on habitat type. We found that some species occurred in some habitats in proportion to habitat availability, some at higher frequencies, some at frequencies lower than availability, and that juveniles and adults exhibited similar occurrence patterns. Our habitat selection results largely corroborate previous descriptions of black bass habitat associations and generally track preference for lithic habitats as reported in native streams. We expected black bass species to show negative co‐occurrence to avoid competitive interactions. Nevertheless, we found that with few exceptions, adults co-occurred in habitats mostly as expected by chance, and juveniles co-occurred more often than expected by chance. Our findings imply that environmental filtering, rather than competitive interactions that dominate in natural environments, may be the dominant mechanism shaping black bass assemblages in reservoirs of the Tennessee River. The observed patterns of habitat selection and co-occurrence further suggest that conservation and management of black bass assemblages in reservoirs can be supported through habitat management activities. Protecting and enhancing the remaining lithic habitat in the reservoirs as well as recovering habitat blanketed by sediment could provide desirable environments for all black bass species.
Miranda, L.E., K.J. Killgore, and W.T. Slack. 2019. Spatial organization of fish diversity in a species-rich basin. River Research and Applications. https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.3392	January 2019
Miranda, L.E., J.A. Martínez-Lanfranco, and K.J. Killgore. 2019. Wetlands and development influence fish diversity in a species-rich small river. Environmental Biology of Fishes 102:873-886. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10641-019-00876-5	April 2019
Miranda, L.E., J. Tompkins, C.G. Dunn, J. Morris, and M.C. Combs. 2023. Patterns of zero and nonzero counts indicate spatiotemporal distributions, aggregation, and dispersion of invasive carp. Management of Biological Invasions 14(2): 363-377. https://doi.org/10.3391/mbi.2023.14.2.12 \| Abstract \| Download \| Publisher Website	February 2023	Bigheaded carp Hypophthalmichthys spp. are invasive species native to Asia expanding in the Mississippi River Basin in North America. An understanding of spatiotemporal distribution and aggregation of invasive carp is key to establishing when and where to focus surveillance designed to monitor expansion, and to managing harvest programs designed to curb population densities. We applied a two-stage hurdle model to assess three aspects of bigheaded carp ecology: distribution, relative abundance, and aggregation. Stage 1 was a binary 0/1 model that represented fish presence (p), and stage 2 was a truncated count distribution that had no zeros and included counts ≥ 1 only (C). Estimates of p and C varied temporally and spatially, but not in harmony and sometimes in opposing directions, indicating temporal and spatial swings in fish distributions and aggregations. Intense fish aggregations in channels in spring shown by low p’s and high C’s, eventually scattered by summer and fall as shown by high p’s and low C’s. An alternative but complementary interpretation of our observations is that p indexes incidence of aggregations and C indexes size of aggregations. Partitioning catch into its zero and nonzero components provided insight into population ecology that can inform development of monitoring and management of harvesting programs targeted at lessening potential effects of the invasion.
Miranda, L.E., G. Coppola, and J. Boxrucker. 2020. Reservoir fish habitats: a perspective on coping with climate change. Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture 28:478-498. https://doi.org/10.1080/23308249.2020.1767035 \| Abstract	May 2020	Climate change is the defining environmental problem for our generation. The effects of climate change are increasingly evident and are anticipated to profoundly affect our ability to conserve fish habitats and fish assemblages as we know them. Preparing to cope with the effects of climate change is developing as the central concern of aquatic resources conservation and management. Reservoirs are important structures for coping with projected shifts in water supply, but they also provide refuge for riverine fishes and retain distinct fish assemblages that support diverse fisheries. The effects of climate change on reservoirs are unique among aquatic systems because reservoirs have distinctive habitat characteristics due to their terrestrial origin and strong linkage to catchments. We review (1) the projected effects of rising temperature and shifting precipitation on reservoir fish habitats, and (2) adaptation strategies to cope with the anticipated effects. Climate warming impacts to reservoirs include higher water temperatures and shifts in hydrology that can result in reduced water levels in summer and fall, altered water residence cycles, disconnection from upstream riverine habitats and backwaters, increased stratification, eutrophication, anoxia, and a general shift in biotic assemblages including plants, invertebrates, and fishes. We suggest that what is needed to cope with these changes is a perspective that focuses on maintaining ecosystem functionality rather than on retaining a certain species composition. To that end, we identify various strategies organized into planning, monitoring, and managing compartments. The coping strategies we identify are broad and general and represent a starting line applicable for developing creative alternatives relevant to local conditions.
Miranda, L.E., G. Coppola, H.R. Hatcher, M.B. Jargowsky, Z.S. Moran, and M.C. Rhodes. 2020. A bird’s-eye view of reservoirs in the Mississippi Basin tips a need for large-scale coordination. Fish and Fisheries. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12509 \| Abstract	September 2020	Reservoirs are mostly managed at local scales as spatially independent units. A basin-scale perspective may increase awareness at a broader scope and generate insight not evident at local scales. We examined the diversity of reservoir attributes and fisheries in the Mississippi Basin to identify management opportunities. The basin is the third largest in the world and includes over 1,700 reservoirs >100 ha, the most of any river basin anywhere. Our bird’s-eye view reveals a piecemeal approach where reservoirs are mostly administered at the local level. Basin-wide or catchment coordination to holistically address problems that recur across the basin is mostly lacking. A basin-wide coordination arrangement akin to the North American Waterfowl Management Plan could facilitate various facets of reservoir management. Such an arrangement may steer reservoir fisheries management through a potentially turbulent 21st century as reservoirs age beyond their useful life and climate shifts render status-quo management ineffective.
Miranda, L.E., D.M. Norris, V.R. Starnes, N.M. Faucheux, and T. Holman. 2019. Stock-recruitment dynamics of a freshwater clupeid. Fisheries Research 221:105378. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165783619302334?via%3Dihub	September 2019
Miranda, L.E. 2023. Fish life-history traits predict abundance-occupancy patterns in artificial lakes. Frontiers in Freshwater Science. DOI: 10.1111/fwb.14087 \| Abstract	September 2023	Life-history traits of a species have been postulated as a factor in abundance and occupancy patterns. Understanding how traits contribute to the ubiquity and rarity of taxa can facilitate the development of effective conservation policy by establishing a connection between species requirements and resource. I evaluated fish assemblages in artificial lakes for evidence of the abundance-occupancy patterns reported in natural environments and, if evident, to explore if observed patterns of abundance and occupancy could be attributed to species traits. Consistent with reports for many other taxonomic groups in natural environments, there was a positive association amidst 114 fish species between abundance and occupancy in artificial lakes (<i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.78). This result indicates that the synthetic fish assemblages that develop in this anthropized environments follow the fundamental abundance-occupancy patterns uncovered in natural environments, despite assemblages having been disfigured by the dramatic rearrangement of habitats brought by impoundment. Moreover, a redundancy analysis focusing mostly on reproductive and habitat traits adequately predicted abundance-occupancy patterns of fish assemblages in artificial lakes (<i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.69). Species abundance-occupancy is influenced by the interplay between life-history traits and habitat availability, even in artificial lakes, and by extension, possibly other artificial ecosystems.
Miranda, L.E. 2023. Facing our freshwater crisis via fluid and agile communication: A Grand Challenge. Frontiers in Freshwater Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/ffwsc.2023.1068115 \| Abstract	May 2023	No abstract needed
Miranda, L.E. 2023. Aging, climate, and invasions threaten reservoirs in the Mississippi Basin. Fisheries. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsh.10990 \| Abstract	August 2023	Reservoirs in the Mississippi Basin are facing three momentous threats. The first two, aging and climate change, are relatively slow-moving and their signal can be hard to discern given their stretched temporal scales. The third, species invasions, is faster-paced and discernable within shorter temporal scales and restricted spatial scales. Aging and climate directly impact reservoir environments and indirectly their biotic communities. Climate change is expected to interact with aging to speed up and, in some instances, slow down aging. Conversely, invasions primarily imperil biotic communities but can also impact environmental elements. This triple jeopardy is expected to transform reservoir environs and their biotic assemblages in various, often uncertain, ways. I take a broad view of these threats within the Mississippi Basin. A basin-scale perspective, in contrast to a single reservoir or regional scale, may enhance awareness of reservoirs at a larger level and produce understanding less evident at local levels, hence possibly offering a wider range of choices for confronting threats. My aim was to (1) provide a synopsis of the assemblage of reservoirs and their attributes over the Mississippi Basin, (2) describe the issues related to aging, climate change, and invasions, and (3) consider a conservation framework suitable for confronting these pressures. Given the overlapping temporal, spatial, and ecological effects of these threats, it is essential to address their effects simultaneously.
Miranda, L.E. 2023. Abundance-occupancy patterns of black bass in an impounded river. Fisheries 48:29-37. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsh.10839 \| Abstract	January 2023	A positive relationship has been documented for a wide diversity of taxa between the percentage of transects sampled in which a species is recorded (i.e., occupancy) and the average abundance of the species at transects where recorded. This positive relationship implies that abundance increases faster than occupancy, so populations that occupy more sites also tend to occupy them at higher abundances. Plainly, there is a limit to the sites available for a species to occupy, so as the population expands numerically, abundance at a site must also increase. The pattern may differ across species and geography depending on aspects such as species vital rates, resource use, and resource availability. I investigated abundance-occupancy patterns of three black basses Micropterus (Centrarchidae) in reservoirs of the mainstem Tennessee River, USA. The dataset included relative abundance estimates made at 7,237 sites in nine reservoirs sampled during 1997–2018 for 43,243 black bass including 67% Largemouth Bass M. salmoides, 14% Smallmouth Bass M. dolomieu, and 19% Spotted Bass M. punctulatus. As relative abundance increased due to natural annual population fluctuations, occupancy also increased but faster for Largemouth Bass and more slowly for Smallmouth Bass and Spotted Bass. Largemouth Bass abundance was spread more thinly over many sites, and Smallmouth Bass and Spotted Bass abundance was spread more thickly over fewer sites. The recognition that black bass populations that decline in occupancy face the additional burden of disproportionally larger decreases in abundance per site, or that black bass that decline in abundance per site face decreases in occupancy, has various conservation and habitat management implications
Milsap, B. A., G. S. Zimmerman, W. L. Kendall, ,J. G. Barnes, M. A. Braham, B. E. Bedrosian, D. A. Bell, P. H. Bloom, R. H. Crandall, R. Domenech, D. Driscoll, A. E. Duerr, R. Gerhardt, S. E. J. Gibbs, A. R. Harmata, K. Jacobson, T. E. Katzner, R. N. Knight, J. M. Lockhart, C. McIntyre, R. K. Murphy, S. J. Slater, B. W. Smith, J. P. Smith, D. W. Stahlecker, and J. W. Watson. 2022. Age-specific survival rates, causes of death, and allowable take of golden eagles in the western United States. Ecological Applications 32:e2544, https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2544.	April 2022

Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

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Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources