Publications

Context: Camera trapping is an effective tool for cost-efficient monitoring of species over large temporal and spatial scales and it is becoming an increasingly popular method for investigating wildlife communities and trophic interactions. However, camera trapping targeting rare and elusive species can be hampered by low detection rates, which can decrease the accuracy and precision of results fr

The daily nest-survival rates of Red-billed Tropicbirds (Phaethon aethereus) were estimated over six breeding seasons on St. Eustatius in the Caribbean. We analyzed 338 nesting attempts between 2013 and 2020. The daily survival rate (DSR) of tropicbird nests was modeled as a function of nest initiation date, sea surface temperature (SST), elevation, vegetation in front of the nest, and year. Yearl

Infectious bacterial pathogens are a concern for aquaculture as estimates suggest that billions of US dollars are lost annually in aquaculture due to disease. One of the most prevalent salmonid pathogens is the bacterium Flavobacterium psychrophilum that causes bacterial coldwater disease. We reviewed the published F. psychrophilum literature and conducted a Bayesian analysis to examine large-scal

The research described in this report was conducted as part of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration process in the Big River. Our purpose was to compare habitat features and landscape factors that may be important for the establishment and persistence of mussel concentrations between the Big River and the adjacent Bourbeuse and Meramec rivers, thereby testing their appropriatenes

Habitat selection involves a series of decisions that are arguably the most important decisions that animals make and these decisions occur at multiple hierarchical spatial scales. Colonial-nesting birds face a unique challenge when selecting a nest site because each bird’s choices are severely constrained by other birds within their breeding colony. Individuals must seek out optimum nesting locat

Stock assessment modeling provides a means to estimate the population dynamics of invasive fishes and may do so despite data limitations. Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) were introduced to the Chesapeake Bay watershed to support recreational fisheries but also consume species of conservation need and economic importance. To assess management tradeoffs, managers need to understand the current sta

Arthropods are important prey for many avian taxa, particularly during the breeding season. Many studies have used sticky traps to estimate relative abundance of arthropods as avian prey, but we know little about the potential biases associated with sticky traps. We evaluated the effect of small-scale variation in trap placement on the biomass of arthropods caught on sticky traps in six riparian w

Regional populations of lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) have been declining irregularly since the early 1900s (Jensen et al. 2000). Populations in the Sand Sagebrush Prairie Ecoregion of Kansas and Colorado, USA, have been experiencing declines during the last 2 decades. Ecoregion-wide declines included the Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands in southwestern Kansas and s

Seasonal movements cued by environmental variables are a critical component of riverine fish life history. Life-history events for species such as blue sucker Cycleptus elongatus are likely cued by discharge and temperature and may be disrupted if those life-history events and environmental regimes are mismatched. However, this effect may be dependent upon the habitat occupied when environmental c

The Red Shiner Cyprinella lutrensis is of increasing management interest as an invasive species that negatively impacts many native fishes throughout North America. Trojan sex chromosome (TSC)-carrying individuals could theoretically control invasive fish populations by skewing the sex ratio to 100% male. The efficacy of TSC-based control programs requires an understanding of a population's sex de

Understanding how the Earth's surface (i.e. ‘nature's stage') influences connections between biodiversity and ecosystem function (BEF) is a central objective in ecology. Despite recent calls to examine these connections at multiple trophic levels and at more complex and realistic scales, little is known about how landscape structure shapes BEF relationships among animal communities in nature. We c

Management of fish populations for conservation in thermally variable systems requires an understanding of the fish's underlying physiology and responses to thermal stress. Physiological research at the organismal level provides information on the overall effects of stressors such as extreme temperature fluctuations. While experiments with whole organisms provide information as to the overall effe