Publications
Below are publications associated with the Southwest Biological Science Center's research.
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Filter Total Items: 1332
Turtles and tortoises are in trouble
Turtles and tortoises (chelonians) have been integral components of global ecosystems for about 220 million years and have played important roles in human culture for at least 400,000 years. The chelonian shell is a remarkable evolutionary adaptation, facilitating success in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Today, more than half of the 360 living species and 482 total taxa (species a
Authors
C.B. Stanford, J.B. Iverson, A.G.J. Rhodin, P.P. van Dijk, R.A. Mittermeier, G. Kuchling, Kristin H. Berry, A. Bertolero, K.A. Bjorndal, T.E.G. Blanck, K. A. Buhlmann, R.L. Burke, J.D. Congdon, T. Diagne, Taylor Edwards, C.C. Eisemberg, J.R. Ennen, G. Forero-Medina, M. Frankel, U. Fritz, N. Gallego-Garcia, A. Georges, J.W Gibbons, S. Gong, E.V. Goode, H.T. Shi, H. Hoang, M.D. Hofmeyr, B.D Horne, R. Hudson, J.O. Juvik, R.A. Kiester, P.V. Koval, M.-A. Lea, P.V. Lindeman, Jeffrey E. Lovich, L. Luiselli, T.E.M. McCormack, G.A. Meyer, V.P. Paez, K. Platt, S.G. Platt, P.C.H. Pritchard, H.R. Quinn, W.M. Roosenburg, J.A. Seminoff, H.B. Shaffer, R. Spencer, J.U. Van Dyke, R.C. Vogt, A.D. Walde
Survival estimates for the invasive American bullfrog
American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) are significant invaders in many places and can negatively impact native species. Despite their impact and wide distribution, little is known about their demography. We used five years of capture mark-recapture data to estimate annual apparent survival of post-metamorphic bullfrogs in a population on the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in their in
Authors
Paige E. Howell, Erin L. Muths, Brent H. Sigafus, Blake R. Hossack
Remarkable response of native fishes to invasive trout suppression varies with trout density, temperature, and annual hydrology
Recovery of imperiled fishes can be achieved through suppression of invasives, but outcomes may vary with environmental conditions. We studied the response of imperiled desert fishes to an invasive brown (Salmo trutta) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) suppression program in a Colorado River tributary, with natural flow and longitudinal variation in thermal characteristics. We investigated t
Authors
Brian D Healy, Robert Schelly, Charles Yackulic, Emily Omana Smith, Phaedra E. Budy
Recognition of typical antibiotic residues in environmental media related to groundwater in China (2009−2019)
The potential adverse environmental and health-related impacts of antibiotics are becoming more and more concerning. China is globally the largest antibiotic producer and consumer, possibly resulting in the ubiquity and high detection levels of antibiotics in environmental compartments. Clear status on the concentration levels and spatial distribution of antibiotic contamination in China's environ
Authors
Fuyang Huang, Ziyi An, Michael J. Moran, Fei Liu
Spatial population structure of a widespread aquatic insect in the Colorado River Basin: Evidence for a Hydropsyche oslari species complex
Structural connectivity and dispersal ability are important constraints on functional connectivity among populations. For aquatic organisms that disperse among stream corridors, the regional structure of a river network can, thus, define the boundaries of gene flow. In this study, we used mitochondrial DNA (mtCO1 barcoding gene) to examine the genetic diversity and population structure of a caddis
Authors
Anya N. Metcalfe, Theodore A. Kennedy, Jane C. Marks, Aaron D. Smith, Jeffrey D. Muehlbauer
Effect of spatial resolution of satellite images on estimating the greenness and evapotranspiration of urban green spaces
Urban green spaces (UGS), like most managed land covers, are getting progressively affected by water scarcity and drought. Preserving, restoring and expanding UGS require sustainable management of green and blue water resources to fulfil evapotranspiration (ET) demand for green plant cover. The heterogeneity of UGS with high variation in their microclimates and irrigation practices builds up the c
Authors
Hamideh Nouri, Pamela L. Nagler, Sattar Chavoshi Borujeni, Armando Barreto Munez, Sina Alaghmand, Behnaz Noori, Alejandro Galindo, Kamel Didan
Climate-induced abrupt shifts in structural states trigger delayed transitions in functional states
Theoretical models suggest that ecosystems can be found in one of several possible alternative stable states, and a shift in structural stable state (SSS) can trigger a change in functional stable state (FSS). But we still lack the empirical evidence to confirm these states and transitions, and to inform the rates of change. Here, a 30-yr dataset from long-term ungrazed and grazed temperate grassl
Authors
Yanbin Hao, Wenjun Liu, Xingliang Xu, Seth M. Munson, Xiaoyong Cui, Xiaoming Kang, Nianpeng He, Yan Wang
Robust ecological drought projections for drylands in the 21st century
(Bradford) Dryland ecosystems may be especially vulnerable to expected 21st century increases in temperatures and aridity because they are tightly controlled by patterns of moisture availability. However, climate impact assessments in drylands are difficult because ecological dynamics are dictated by drought conditions that are difficult to define and complex to estimate from climate conditions al
Authors
John B. Bradford, Daniel Rodolphe Schlaepfer, William K. Lauenroth, Kyle A. Palmquist
Unexpected hybridization reveals the utility of genetics in native plant restoration
Native plant materials (NPMs) are increasingly utilized during the restoration of disturbed plant communities. Here, we analyze next‐generation genetic sequencing data for Hilaria jamesii, a dominant graminoid across drylands of the southwestern United States, and document that the species' only commercially‐available NPM, ‘Viva’, is a hybrid between H. jamesii and its sister species, H. mutica. I
Authors
Daniel E. Winkler, Robert Massatti
Vegetation‐groundwater dynamics at a former uranium mill site following invasion of a biocontrol agent: A time series analysis of Landsat normalized difference vegetation index data
Because groundwater recharge in dry regions is generally low, arid and semiarid environments have been considered well‐suited for long‐term isolation of hazardous materials (e.g., radioactive waste). In these dry regions, water lost (transpired) by plants and evaporated from the soil surface, collectively termed evapotranspiration (ET), is usually the primary discharge component in the water balan
Authors
Christopher J. Jarchow, William J. Waugh, Kamel Didan, Armando Barreto-Munoz, Stefanie M. Herrmann, Pamela L. Nagler
The impact is in the details: Evaluating a standardized protocol and scale for determining non-native insect impact
Assessing the ecological and economic impacts of non-native species is crucial to providing managers and policymakers with the information necessary to respond effectively. Most non-native species have minimal impacts on the environment in which they are introduced, but a small fraction are highly deleterious. The definition of ‘damaging’ or ‘high-impact’ varies based on the factors determined to
Authors
Ashley N. Schulz, Angela M. Mech, Craig Allen, Matthew P. Ayres, Kamal J.K. Gandhi, Jessica Gurevitch, Nathan P. Havill, Daniel A. Herms, Ruth A. Hufbauer, Andrew M. Liebhold, Kenneth F. Raffa, Michael J. Raupp, Kathryn A. Thomas, Patrick C. Tobin, Travis D. Marsico
Multiple mechanisms determine the effect of warming on plant litter decomposition in a dryland
In drylands, where soil fertility is typically low, plant litter decomposition provides particularly critical carbon and nitrogen inputs into soil. Although climate change is projected to increase the already large global extent of drylands, it is unknown how warmer temperatures will affect core ecosystem processes, such as plant litter decomposition, in these systems. To address this key unknown,
Authors
Peter F. Chuckran, Robin H. Reibold, Heather L. Throop, Sasha C. Reed