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

Filter Total Items: 16786

Atmospheric lead deposition to Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia, USA

Contamination of the environment from atmospheric deposition during the twentieth century is pervasive even in areas ostensibly considered pristine or remote from point sources. In this study, Pb concentrations in a 210Pb-dated peat core collected from the Okefenokee Swamp, GA were used to assess historical contaminant input via atmospheric deposition. Lead isotope ratios were determined by dynami
Authors
B. P. Jackson, P. V. Winger, P. J. Lasier

Stand development on reforested bottomlands in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley

Reforestation of bottomland hardwood sites in the southeastern United States has markedly increased in recent years due, in part, to financial incentives provided by conservation programs. Currently >250,000 ha of marginal farmland have been returned to hardwood forests. I observed establishment of trees and shrubs on 205 reforested bottomlands: 133 sites were planted primarily with oak species (Q
Authors
D.J. Twedt

The effect of nitrogen loading on a brackish estuarine faunal community: A stable isotope approach

Coastal ecosystems worldwide face increased nutrient enrichment from shoreline and watershed development and atmospheric pollution. We investigated the response of the faunal community of a small microtidal estuary dominated by Ruppia maritima (widgeon grass) in Maine, United States, to increased nitrogen loading using an in situ mesocosm enrichment experiment. Community response was characterize
Authors
R.A. Keats, L.J. Osher, H.A. Neckles

Influence of weather extremes on the water levels of glaciated prairie wetlands

Orchid Meadows is a long-term wetland research and monitoring site on the Coteau des Prairie in extreme east-central South Dakota, USA. It is a 65-ha Waterfowl Production Area with numerous temporary, seasonal, and semi-permanent wetlands. Ground water and surface water have been monitored at the site from 1987 to 1989 and from 1993 to the present. Vegetation has been monitored since 1993. The
Authors
W.C. Johnson, S.E. Boettcher, K.A. Poiani, G. Guntenspergen

Dispersal and individual quality in a long lived species

The idea of differences in individual quality has been put forward in numerous long-term studies in long-lived species to explain differences in lifetime production among individuals. Despite the important role of individual heterogeneity in vital rates in demography, population dynamics and life history theory, the idea of 'individual quality' is elusive. It is sometimes assumed to be a static or
Authors
E. Cam, J. -Y. Monnat, J. Andrew Royle

Sediment quality in freshwater impoundments at Savannah National Wildlife Refuge

Freshwater impoundments at Savannah National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), South Carolina, provide an important habitat for wildlife species, but degraded sediment quality in the Savannah River downstream of the discharge from two impoundments have caused concern about potential contaminant problems within the impoundments. The quality of sediments from five impoundments (impoundments no. 1, 2, 6, 7, and
Authors
P. V. Winger, P. J. Lasier

Decomposed gosling feet provide evidence of insecticide exposure

Canada goose goslings were exposed to turf sprayed with D · Z · N® diazinon 50W application (2.24 kg a.i./ha). The control plot was subjected to a water application. One foot from each bird was placed outdoors for 7 d to decompose and the other foot was kept frozen. Diazinon residues were analyzed on both feet. Results showed that diazinon was detected from undecomposed and decomposed feet of the
Authors
N.B. Vyas, J. W. Spann, C.S. Hulse, M. Torrez, B.I. Williams, R. Leffel

Detection of Ehrlichia chaffeensis in adult and nymphal stage lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) from Long Island, New York

The lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.), has increased in abundance in several regions of the northeastern United States, including areas of Long Island, NY. Adult and nymphal stage A. americanum collected from several sites on Long Island were evaluated for infection with Ehrlichia chaffeensis, the causative agent of human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME), by using a nested polymerase chain rea
Authors
T.R. Mixson, H. S. Ginsberg, S.R. Campbell, J.W. Sumner, C.D. Paddock

Avian dispersal and demography: Scaling up to the landscape and beyond

No abstract available.
Authors
R. G. Clark, K.A. Hobson, J. D. Nichols, S. Bearhop

Effects of rearing treatment on the behavior of captive whooping cranes (Grus americana)

Small founder populations of whooping cranes are managed to maximize egg production for the purpose of reintroducing young to the wild. This results in an excessive number of hatched chicks that cannot be naturally reared by parents. Hand-rearing techniques have been developed to raise the additional hatches. However, hand rearing may affect the behavior of the birds and their chances of surviva
Authors
M.D. Kreger, I. Estevez, J. S. Hatfield, G.F. Gee

The relationship between species detection probability and local extinction probability

In community-level ecological studies, generally not all species present in sampled areas are detected. Many authors have proposed the use of estimation methods that allow detection probabilities that are < 1 and that are heterogeneous among species. These methods can also be used to estimate community-dynamic parameters such as species local extinction probability and turnover rates (Nichols et
Authors
R. Alpizar-Jara, J. D. Nichols, J. E. Hines, J.R. Sauer, K. H. Pollock, C.S. Rosenberry