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Publications

Filter Total Items: 1991

Nowhere to hide: The importance of instream cover for stream‐living Coastal Cutthroat Trout during seasonal low flow

Through their multiple functions, refuges may be important for stream‐living fishes, particularly during stressful events such as seasonal low flow or drought. Coastal Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii is an ideal study organism to understand the importance of refuge. During seasonal low flow, lower water levels limit access to refuge and emigration, survival of fish is low, and predati
Authors
Brooke E Penaluna, Jason B. Dunham, Heidi V. Andersen

Evaluating a rapid field assessment system for anticoagulant rodenticide exposure of raptors

Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are commonly used to control rodent pests. However, worldwide, their use is associated with secondary and tertiary poisoning of nontarget species, especially predatory and scavenging birds. No medical device can rapidly test for AR exposure of avian wildlife. Prothrombin time (PT) is a useful biomarker for AR exposure, and multiple commercially available point-of-c
Authors
Ariana J Dickson, James R. Belthoff, Kristen A Mitchell, Brian W. Smith, Zachary P. Wallace, Matthew J. Stuber, Michael J. Lockhart, Barnett A. Rattner, Todd E. Katzner

Harvester ant seed removal in an invaded sagebrush ecosystem: Implications for restoration

A better understanding of seed movement in plant community dynamics is needed, especially in light of disturbance‐driven changes and investments into restoring degraded plant communities. A primary agent of change within the sagebrush‐steppe is wildfire and invasion by non‐native forbs and grasses, primarily cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum). Our objectives were to quantify seed removal and evaluate ec
Authors
Kelsey E Paolini, Matthew Modlin, Alexis A Suazo, David Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Kerri T. Vierling, Joseph D. Holbrook

The snag’s the limit: Habitat selection modeling for the western purple martin in a managed forest landscape

The western purple martin (Progne subis arboricola), an avian insectivore, is a species of conservation concern throughout the Pacific Northwest. Compared to the well-studied eastern subspecies (Progne subis subis), little is known of the life history and biology of the western subspecies. Availability of breeding habitat is believed to be a major limiting factor for western purple martins in fore
Authors
Lorelle M. Sherman, Joan Hagar

High frequency of lead exposure in the population of an endangered Australian top predator, the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax fleayi)

Lead poisoning, mainly through incidental ingestion of lead ammunition in carcasses, is a threat to scavenging and predatory bird species worldwide. In Australia, shooting for animal control is widespread, and a range of native scavenging species are susceptible to lead exposure. However, the prevalence of lead exposure in Australia's scavenging and predatory birds is largely unknown. We evaluated
Authors
James M. Pay, Todd E. Katzner, Clare E. Hawkins, Amelia J. Koch, Jason M. Wiersm, William E. Brown, Nick J. Mooney, Elissa Z. Cameron

Relative abundance of coyotes (Canis latrans) influences gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) occupancy across the eastern United States

Gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Schreber, 1775)) populations in portions of the eastern United States have experienced declines whose trajectories differ from those of other mesocarnivore populations. One hypothesis is that gray fox declines may result from interspecific interactions, particularly competition with abundant coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823). Alternatively, gray foxes may respon
Authors
Michael E. Egan, Casey C. Day, Todd E. Katzner, Patrick A. Zollner

Diurnal timing of nonmigratory movement by birds: The importance of foraging spatial scales

Timing of activity can reveal an organism's efforts to optimize foraging either by minimizing energy loss through passive movement or by maximizing energetic gain through foraging. Here, we assess whether signals of either of these strategies are detectable in the timing of activity of daily, local movements by birds. We compare the similarities of timing of movement activity among species using s
Authors
Julie M. Mallon, Marlee A. Tucker, Annalea Beard, Richard O Bierregaard Jr., Keith L. Bildstein, Katrin Böhning-Gaese, John N. Brzorad, Evan R. Buechley, Javier Bustamante, Carlos Carrapato, José Alfredo Castillo‐Guerrero, Elizabeth Clingham, Mark Desholm, Christopher R. DeSorbo, Robert Domenech, Hayley Douglas, Olivier Duriez, Peter Enggist, Nina Farwig, Wolfgang Fiedler, Anna Gagliardo, Clara García‐Ripollés, José Antonio Gil Gallús, Morgan E. Gilmour, Roi Harel, Autumn-Lynn Harrison, Leeann Henry, Todd E. Katzner, Roland Kays, Erik Kleyheeg, Rubén Limiñana, Pascual López-López, Giuseppe Lucia, Alan Maccarone, Egidio Mallia, Ugo Mellone, E.K. Mojica, Ran Nathan, Scott H. Newman, Steffen Oppel, Yotam Orchan, Diann J. Prosser, Hannah Riley, Sascha Rösner, Dana G. Schabo, Holger Schulz, Scott A. Shaffer, Adam Shreading, João Paulo Silva, Jolene Sim, Henrik Skov, Orr Spiegel, Matthew J. Stuber, John Y. Takekawa, Vicente Urios, Javier Vidal‐Mateo, Kevin Warner, Bryan D. Watts, Nicola Weber, Sam Weber, Martin Wikelski, Ramunas Zydelis, Thomas Mueller, William F. Fagan

Annotated bibliography of scientific research on greater sage-grouse published from 2015 to 2019

The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter GRSG) has been a focus of scientific investigation and management action for the past two decades. The 2015 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listing determination of “not warranted” was in part due to a large-scale collaborative effort to develop strategies to conserve GRSG populations and their habitat and to reduce threats to both. New
Authors
Sarah K. Carter, Robert S. Arkle, Heidi L. Bencin, Benjamin R. Harms, Daniel J. Manier, Aaron N. Johnston, Susan L. Phillips, Steven E. Hanser, Zachary H. Bowen

Integrating climate change considerations into natural resource planning—An implementation guide

Executive SummaryClimate change vulnerability assessments and associated adaptation strategies and actions connect existing climate science with possible effects on natural resources and highlight potential responses. However, these assessments, which are commonly generated for large regional areas, suggest management options in general terms without guidance for choosing among strategies and acti
Authors
Jessi Kershner, Andrea Woodward, Alicia Torregrosa

Illegal killing of nongame wildlife and recreational shooting in conservation areas

Illegal killing of nongame wildlife is a global yet poorly documented problem. The prevalence and ecological consequences of illegal killing are often underestimated or completely unknown. We review the practice of legal recreational shooting and present data gathered from telemetry, surveys, and observations on its association with illegal killing of wildlife (birds and snakes) within conservatio
Authors
Todd E. Katzner, Jay D. Carlisle, Sharon Poessel, Eve C. Thomason, Benjamin P. Pauli, David Pilliod, James R. Belthoff, Julie A. Heath, Kristina J. Parker, Kevin S. Warner, Heather Hayes, Madeline Aberg, Patricia Ortiz, Sandra Amdor, Steven Alsup, Stephanie E. Coates, Tricia A. Miller, Zoe K. T. Duran

Unfamiliar territory: Emerging themes for ecological drought research and management

Novel forms of drought are emerging globally, due to climate change, shifting teleconnection patterns, expanding human water use, and a history of human influence on the environment that increases the probability of transformational ecological impacts. These costly ecological impacts cascade to human communities, and understanding this changing drought landscape is one of today’s grand challenges.
Authors
Shelley D. Crausbay, Julio L. Betancourt, John B. Bradford, Jennifer M. Cartwright, William C. Dennison, Jason B. Dunham, Carolyn Armstrong Enquist, Abby G. Frazier, Kimberly R. Hall, Jeremy Littell, Charlie H. Luce, Richard Palmer, Aaron R. Ramirez, Imtiaz Rangwala, Laura Thompson, Brianne M. Walsh, Shawn Carter

U.S. Geological Survey sagebrush ecosystem research annual report for 2020

The sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem extends across 251,473 square miles over portions of 13 western States. Affected by multiple stressors, including interactions among fire, invasive plants, and human land uses, this ecosystem has experienced significant loss, fragmentation, and degradation of landscapes once dominated by sagebrush. In turn, wildlife populations have declined following these