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Publications

These publications showcase the significant science conducted in our Science Centers.

Filter Total Items: 16780

Modeling participation duration, with application to the North American Breeding Bird Survey

We consider “participation histories,” binary sequences consisting of alternating finite sequences of 1s and 0s, ending with an infinite sequence of 0s. Our work is motivated by a study of observer tenure in the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). In our analysis, j indexes an observer’s years of service and Xj is an indicator of participation in the survey; 0s interspersed among 1s corresp
Authors
William A. Link, John R. Sauer

Integrated conceptual ecological model and habitat indices for the southwest Florida coastal wetlands

The coastal wetlands of southwest Florida that extend from Charlotte Harbor south to Cape Sable, contain more than 60,000 ha of mangroves and 22,177 ha of salt marsh. These coastal wetlands form a transition zone between the freshwater and marine environments of the South Florida Coastal Marine Ecosystem (SFCME). The coastal wetlands provide diverse ecosystem services that are valued by society an
Authors
G. Lynn Wingard, J. L. Lorenz

Quaternary ostracode and foraminiferal biostratigraphy and paleoceanography in the western Arctic Ocean

The stratigraphic distributions of ostracodes and selected calcareous benthic and planktic foraminiferal species were studied in sediment cores from ~ 700 to 2700 m water depth on the Northwind, Mendeleev, and Lomonosov Ridges in the western Arctic Ocean. Microfaunal records in most cores cover mid- to late Quaternary sediments deposited in the last ~ 600 ka, with one record covering the last ~ 1.
Authors
Thomas M. Cronin, Lauren H. DeNinno, L.V. Polyak, Emma K. Caverly, Richard Z. Poore, Alec R. Brenner, J. Rodriguez-Lazaro, R.E. Marzen

The effect of call libraries and acoustic filters on the identification of bat echolocation

Quantitative methods for species identification are commonly used in acoustic surveys for animals. While various identification models have been studied extensively, there has been little study of methods for selecting calls prior to modeling or methods for validating results after modeling. We obtained two call libraries with a combined 1556 pulse sequences from 11 North American bat species. We
Authors
Matthew Clement, Kevin L Murray, Donald I Solick, Jeffrey C Gruver

Temporal changes in taxonomic and functional diversity of fish assemblages downstream from mountaintop mining

Mountaintop mining (MTM) affects chemical, physical, and hydrological properties of receiving streams, but the long-term consequences for fish-assemblage structure and function are poorly understood. We sampled stream fish assemblages using electrofishing techniques in MTM exposure sites and reference sites within the Guyandotte River basin, USA, during 2010–2011. We calculated indices of taxonomi
Authors
Nathaniel P. Hitt, Douglas B. Chambers

Mineral resource of the month: Arsenic

Arsenic is a gray metal rarely encountered as a free element, but is widely distributed in minerals and ores that contain copper, iron and lead. Arsenic is often found in groundwater as a result of the natural weathering of rock and soil.
Authors
George M. Bedinger

Modification of the Quaternary stratigraphic framework of the inner-continental shelf by Holocene marine transgression: An example offshore of Fire Island, New York

The inner-continental shelf off Fire Island, New York was mapped in 2011 using interferometric sonar and high-resolution chirp seismic-reflection systems. The area mapped is approximately 50 km long by 8 km wide, extending from Moriches Inlet to Fire Island Inlet in water depths ranging from 8 to 32 m. The morphology of this inner-continental shelf region and modern sediment distribution patterns
Authors
William C. Schwab, Wayne E. Baldwin, Jane F. Denny, Cheryl J. Hapke, Paul T. Gayes, Jeffrey H. List, John C. Warner

List of recent land mammals from Mexico, 2014

We provide an updated list of the Recent land mammals of Mexico and include information on the taxonomy of certain species, and where appropriate, the endemic and threatened status of all species listed. Several taxonomic and nomenclatural changes have been made since publication of the last list of the Mexican terrestrial mammalian fauna. Within the period from 2005 to present, there have been at
Authors
Jose Ramirez-Pulido, Noe Gonzalez-Ruiz, Alfred L. Gardner, Joaquin Arroyo-Cabrales

Age-specific survival of male golden-cheeked warblers on the Fort Hood Military Reservation, Texas

Population models are essential components of large-scale conservation and management plans for the federally endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia; hereafter GCWA). However, existing models are based on vital rate estimates calculated using relatively small data sets that are now more than a decade old. We estimated more current, precise adult and juvenile apparent survival (Φ)
Authors
Adam Duarte, James E. Hines, James D. Nichols, Jeffrey S. Hatfield, Floyd W. Weckerly

Assessing the magnitude and timing of anthropogenic warming of a shallow aquifer: example from Virginia Beach, USA

Groundwater temperature measurements in a shallow coastal aquifer in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, suggest groundwater warming of +4.1 °C relative to deeper geothermal gradients. Observed warming is related to timing and depth of influence of two potential thermal drivers—atmospheric temperature increases and urbanization. Results indicate that up to 30 % of groundwater warming at the water table
Authors
John R. Eggleston, Kurt J. McCoy

Hydraulic assessment of existing and alternative stream crossings providing fish and wildlife passage at seven sites in Massachusetts

Seven existing road crossing structures at streams in Massachusetts were evaluated hydraulically and compared to hypothetical alternative structures designed for Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP) using standards developed by the Massachusetts River Continuity Partnership. Hydraulic simulations made for flood flows ranging from 20- to 0.2-percent annual exceedance probability (AEP) indicate that the e
Authors
Phillip J. Zarriello, Jeffrey R. Barbaro