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Publications

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

Filter Total Items: 16783

Resource allocation for coastal wetland management: Confronting uncertainty about sea level rise

Coastal wetlands are rich and diverse ecosystems with a wide variety of birdlife and other natural resources. Decision making for coastal wetland management is difficult given the complex nature of these ecological systems and the frequent need to meet multiple objectives for varied resources. Management challenges in the coastal zone are exacerbated by uncertainty about sea level rise and impac
Authors
James E. Lyons, Kevin S. Kalasz, Gregory Breese, Clint W. Boal

Fluoride occurrence in United States groundwater

Data from 38,105 wells were used to characterize fluoride (F) occurrence in untreated United States (U.S.) groundwater. For domestic wells (n = 11,032), water from which is generally not purposely fluoridated or monitored for quality, 10.9% of the samples have F concentrations >0.7 mg/L (U.S. Public Health Service recommended optimal F concentration in drinking water for preventing tooth decay) (8
Authors
Peter B. McMahon, Craig J. Brown, Tyler D. Johnson, Kenneth Belitz, Bruce D. Lindsey

Applications and utility of the surface elevation table–marker horizon method for measuring wetland elevation and shallow soil subsidence-expansion: Discussion/reply to: Byrnes M., Britsch L., Berlinghoff J., Johnson R., and Khalil S. 2019. Recent subside

Byrnes et al. (Geo-Marine Letters 39:265–278, Byrnes et al. 2019) present subsidence data for Barataria Basin located south and west of New Orleans in coastal Louisiana to better inform wetland protection and restoration planning by the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. They measured subsidence using geodetic GPS elevation surveys of rod benchmarks, similar to the rod benchma
Authors
Donald Cahoon, Denise Reed, John W. Day, James C. Lynch, Andrew Swales, Robert R. Lane

Harnessing multiple models for outbreak management

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered efforts by multiple modeling groups to forecast disease trajectory, assess interventions, and improve understanding of the pathogen. Such models can often differ substantially in their projections and recommendations, reflecting different policy assumptions and objectives, as well as scientific, logistical, and other uncertainty about
Authors
Katriona Shea, Michael C. Runge, David Pannell, William J. M. Probert, Shou-Li Li, Michael J. Tildesley, Matthew J. Ferrari

Sources of variation in maternal allocation in a long-lived mammal

1.Life history theory predicts allocation of energy to reproduction varies with maternal age, but additional maternal features may be important to the allocation of energy to reproduction.We aimed to characterize age‐specific variation in maternal allocation and assess the relationship between maternal allocation and other static and dynamic maternal features.Mass measurements of 531 mothers and p
Authors
Kaitlin R. Macdonald, Jay J. Rotella, Robert A. Garrott, William A. Link

Reserve network design for prairie-dependent taxa in South Puget Sound

Conserving species requires managing threats, including habitat loss. One approach to managing habitat loss is to identify and protect habitat in networks of reserves. Reserve network design is a type of resource allocation problem: how can we choose the most effective reserve network design given available resources? We undertook development and implementation of a patch dynamics model to allow u
Authors
Sarah J. Converse, Beth Gardner, Steve Morey

Adjusting the lens of invasion biology to focus on the impacts of climate-driven range shifts

As Earth’s climate rapidly changes, species range shifts are considered key to species persistence. However, some range-shifting species will alter community structure and ecosystem processes. By adapting existing invasion risk assessment frameworks, we can identify characteristics shared with high-impact introductions and thus predict potential impacts. There are fundamental differences between i
Authors
Piper D. Wallingford, Toni Lyn Morelli, Jenica M. Allen, Evelyn M. Beaury, Dana M. Blumenthal, Bethany A. Bradley, Jeffrey S. Dukes, Regan Early, Emily J. Fusco, Deborah E. Goldberg, Ines Ibanez, Brittany B. Laginhas, Montserrat Vila, Cascade J. B. Sorte

Comparison of underwater video with electrofishing and dive‐counts for stream fish abundance estimation

Advances in video technology enable new strategies for stream fish research. We compared juvenile (age‐0) and adult (age 1+) Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis abundance estimates from underwater video with backpack electrofishing and dive‐count methods across a series of stream pools in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia (n = 41). Video methods estimated greater mean abundance of adult trout than
Authors
Nathaniel P. Hitt, Karli M Rogers, Craig D. Snyder, C. Andrew Dolloff

Model selection for the North American Breeding Bird Survey

The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) provides data that can be used in complex, multiscale analyses of population change, while controlling for scale‐specific nuisance factors. Many alternative models can be fit to the data, but most model selection procedures are not appropriate for hierarchical models. Leave‐one‐out cross‐validation (LOOCV), in which relative model fit is assessed by om
Authors
William A. Link, John R. Sauer, Daniel K Niven

Biological control of Aedes mosquito larvae with carnivorous aquatic plant, Utricularia macrorhiza

BackgroundBiological controls with predators of larval mosquito vectors have historically focused almost exclusively on insectivorous animals, with few studies examining predatory plants as potential larvacidal agents. In this study, we experimentally evaluate a generalist plant predator of North America, Utricularia macrorhiza, the common bladderwort, and evaluate its larvacidal efficiency for th
Authors
Jannelle Couret, Marco Notarangelo, Sarashwathi Veera, Noah LeClaire-Conway, Howard S. Ginsberg, Roger A. LeBrun

Emerging diseases of avian wildlife

Climate change and the interaction with humans and domestic species influences disease in avian wildlife. This article provides updated information on emerging disease conditions such as the spread of an Asian tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, and its associated diseases among migratory birds in the eastern United States; lymphoproliferative disease virus in wild turkeys in the United States; and s
Authors
Susan J Tyson-Pello, Glenn H. Olsen

Using value of information to prioritize research needs for migratory bird management under climate change: A case study using federal land acquisition in the United States

In response to global habitat loss, many governmental and non‐governmental organizations have implemented land acquisition programs to protect critical habitats permanently for priority species. The ability of these protected areas to meet future management objectives may be compromised if the effects of climate change are not considered in acquisition decisions. Unfortunately, the effects of clim
Authors
Clark S Rushing, Madeleine A. Rubenstein, James E. Lyons, Michael C. Runge