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Filter Total Items: 1994

USGS: providing scientific understanding of the sagebrush biome

Early explorers wrote about the vast sea of sagebrush that stretched in front of them. Today, the consequences of land-use practices, invasion by exotic plants, and altered disturbance regimes have touched virtually all of these seemingly endless expanses. Increasing human populations in the western United States, the infrastructure necessary to support these populations, and a growing demand for
Authors

Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI): A successful start to a national program in the United States

Most research to assess amphibian declines has focused on local-scale projects on one or a few species. The Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) is a national program in the United States mandated by congressional directive and implemented by the U.S. Department of the Interior (specifically the U.S. Geological Survey, USGS). Program goals are to monitor changes in populations of am
Authors
Gary M. Fellers, Erin Muths, C. Kenneth Dodd, D. Earl Green, William A. Battaglin, P. Stephen Corn, M. J. Adams, Alisa L. Gallant, Robert N. Fisher, Cecil R. Schwalbe, Larissa L. Bailey, Walter J. Sadinski, Robin E. Jung, Susan C. Walls

The U.S. Geological Survey's Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative

The Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) began in 2000 as an attempt by the United States Geological Survey to determine the status and trends of amphibians on federal lands in the United States and its territories. ARMI research focuses on determining causes of declines, if observed, developing new techniques to sample populations and analyze data, and disseminating information to
Authors
P. S. Corn, E. Muths, M.J. Adams, C. K. Dodd

The value of agricultural wetlands as invertebrate resources for wintering shorebirds

Agricultural landscapes have received little recognition for the food resources they provide to wintering waterbirds. In the Willamette Valley of Oregon, modest yet significant populations of wintering shorebirds (Charadriiformes) regularly use hundreds of dispersed wetlands on agricultural lands. Benthic invertebrates are a critical resource for the survival of overwintering shorebirds, yet the a
Authors
Oriane W. Taft, Susan M. Haig

The role of fire in shaping avian communities in sagebrush ecosystems

Four experiments were conducted to examine the riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and choline requirements of young Bobwhite quail. Quail fed purified diets deficient in either riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid or choline grew poorly and high mortality occurred by 5 weeks of age. Under the conditions of these experiments, it was found that: (1) young quail require approximately 3.8 mg. ribo
Authors
Aaron Holmes, Steven T. Knick, R.F. Miller

Microclimate and nest-site selection in Micronesian Kingfishers

We studied the relationship between microclimate and nest-site selection in the Pohnpei Micronesian Kingfisher (Todiramphus cinnamominus reichenbachii) which excavates nest cavities from the mudlike nest structures of arboreal termites (Nasutitermes sp.) or termitaria. Mean daily high temperatures at termitaria were cooler and daily low temperatures were warmer than at random sites in the forest.
Authors
Dylan C. Kesler, Susan M. Haig

Estimated ultraviolet radiation doses in wetlands in six national parks

Ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B, 280–320-nm wavelengths) doses were estimated for 1024 wetlands in six national parks: Acadia (Acadia), Glacier (Glacier), Great Smoky Mountains (Smoky), Olympic (Olympic), Rocky Mountain (Rocky), and Sequoia/Kings Canyon (Sequoia). Estimates were made using ground-based UV-B data (Brewer spectrophotometers), solar radiation models, GIS tools, field characterization o
Authors
S. A. Diamond, P.C. Trenham, M. J. Adams, B. R. Hossack, R.A. Knapp, L. Stark, D. Bradford, P. S. Corn, K. Czarnowski, P. D. Brooks, D.B. Fagre, B. Breen, N.E. Dentenbeck, K. Tonnessen

Distribution patterns of lentic-breeding amphibians in relation to ultraviolet radiation exposure in western North America

An increase in ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation has been posited to be a potential factor in the decline of some amphibian population. This hypothesis has received support from laboratory and field experiments showing that current levels of UV-B can cause embryo mortality in some species, but little research has addressed whether UV-B is influencing the distribution of amphibian populations. We comp
Authors
M. J. Adams, B. R. Hossack, R.A. Knapp, P. S. Corn, S. A. Diamond, P.C. Trenham, D.B. Fagre

Assessing mercury exposure and effects to American dippers in headwater streams near mining sites

To evaluate mercury (Hg) exposure and possible adverse effects of Hg on American dipper (Cinclus mexicanus) reproduction, we collected eggs and nestling feathers and the larval/nymph form of three Orders of aquatic macroinvertebrates (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera = EPT) important in their diet from three major headwater tributaries of the upper Willamette River, Oregon in 2002. The Co
Authors
Charles J. Henny, James L. Kaiser, Heidi A. Packard, Robert A. Grove, Mike R. Taft

Spacing and physical habitat selection patterns by peregrine falcons in central West Greenland

We examined nest-site spacing and selection of nesting cliffs by Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) in central West Greenland. Our sample included 67 nesting cliffs that were occupied at least once between 1972 and 1999 and 38 cliffs with no known history of Peregrine Falcon occupancy. We measured 29 eyrie, cliff, and topographical features at each occupied nesting cliff and unused cliff in 1998
Authors
Catherine S Wightman, Mark R. Fuller

The influence of forest management on headwater stream amphibians at multiple spatial scales

Understanding how habitat structure at multiple spatial scales influences vertebrates can facilitate development of effective conservation strategies, but until recently most studies have focused on habitat relationships only at fine or intermediate scales. In particular, patterns of amphibian occurrence across broad spatial scales are not well studied, despite recent concerns over regional and gl
Authors
M. Stoddard, J. P. Hayes