Habitat Dynamics Active
The Habitat Dynamics Project examines how short and long-term changes in the environment affect the distribution and survival of wildlife populations.
Return to Ecosystems >> Marine Ecosystems or Terrestrial Ecosystems
An overarching strategy of the Project is to develop new methods that integrate satellite telemetry, remote sensing, meteorology, and GIS technologies. Studies focus on Department of Interior priorities by emphasizing the growing need to understand how changes in climate or land use practices affect wildlife migrations, habitat availability, habitat quality, and population dynamics. Climate is an overarching force that shapes suitability of wildlife habitat resources. Understanding linkages between the physical and biological environment is critical for making informed management decisions in the face of accelerating climate change and expanding human activities.
Emphasis of the Habitat Dynamics Project is placed on the Arctic, where species synchronize their reproductive and migration cycles with the landscape’s pronounced seasonal changes. The Project uses a variety of environmental data sources derived primarily from satellite remote sensing, and a variety of wildlife data through collaborations with other principal investigators.
Most studies fall under one of three general themes:
- observed and future changes in Arctic sea ice and the implications to polar bears and walruses
- variations and trends in the timing of spring vegetation growth and the implications to herbivores such as caribou and geese
- dynamics of daily wind conditions and the implications to bird migrations.
Links
Near-real-time sea ice monitoring and analysis
Arctic Sea Ice News, National Snow and Ice Data Center
Ice Analysis Products, National Ice Center
Arctic Sea-Ice Monitor, Arctic Data System
Daily AMSR2 Sea Ice Maps, University of Bremen
Future sea ice forecasts and projections
IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate
Changes in Sea Ice Cover, IPCC (see Chapter 12, Section 12.4.6.1)
Projections of an Ice-Diminished Arctic Ocean, Polar Science Center, UW
Sea Ice Prediction Network, ARCUS
Monitoring Vegetation Phenology with NDVI
Global NDVI time-series data, 1982-2016, Univ of Arizona
Global NDVI time-series data, GIMMS_3g, NASA
Global MODIS Global Subsets & Visualization , Oakridge National Lab
U.S. and Alaska eMODIS time series, USGS, 2000-present
U.S. Phenology Metrics, USGS
Alaska Phenology Metrics, GINA, Univ of Alaska
NOAA Global Vegetation Health, 1982-present
Climate data and data visualization portals
Large collection of web sites, variables and time scales, NOAA
Climate explorer, KNMI
Global wind, ocean current, SST dynamics, Cameron Beccario©
Global weather visualization portal
Satellite tracking animals
Satellite tracking data archive and acquisition portal, Movebank.org
Satellite tracking and analysis tool, Seaturtle.org
Arctic wildlife tracking data, USGS
The Argos System
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Rapid environmental change drives increased land use by an Arctic marine predator
Multi-decadal trends in spring arrival of avian migrants to the central Arctic coast of Alaska: Effects of environmental and ecological factors
Polar bear population dynamics in the southern Beaufort Sea during a period of sea ice decline
Evaluating and ranking threats to the long-term persistence of polar bears
Density dependence and phenological mismatch: consequences for growth and survival of sub-arctic nesting Canada Geese
Hemispheric-scale wind selection facilitates bar-tailed godwit circum-migration of the Pacific
Evaluation of potential protective factors against metabolic syndrome in bottlenose dolphins:feeding and activity patterns of dolphins in Sarasota Bay, Florida
Variation in the response of an Arctic top predator experiencing habitat loss: Feeding and reproductive ecology of two polar bear populations
Migration and wintering areas of American Bitterns (Botaurus lentiginosus) that summer in central North America as determined by satellite and radio telemetry, 1998-2003
Movements of wild ruddy shelducks in the Central Asian Flyway and their spatial relationship to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1
Patterns of social association in the franciscana, Pontoporia blainvillei
Movements and dive patterns of short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) released from a mass stranding in the Florida Keys
- Overview
The Habitat Dynamics Project examines how short and long-term changes in the environment affect the distribution and survival of wildlife populations.
Return to Ecosystems >> Marine Ecosystems or Terrestrial Ecosystems
An overarching strategy of the Project is to develop new methods that integrate satellite telemetry, remote sensing, meteorology, and GIS technologies. Studies focus on Department of Interior priorities by emphasizing the growing need to understand how changes in climate or land use practices affect wildlife migrations, habitat availability, habitat quality, and population dynamics. Climate is an overarching force that shapes suitability of wildlife habitat resources. Understanding linkages between the physical and biological environment is critical for making informed management decisions in the face of accelerating climate change and expanding human activities.
Emphasis of the Habitat Dynamics Project is placed on the Arctic, where species synchronize their reproductive and migration cycles with the landscape’s pronounced seasonal changes. The Project uses a variety of environmental data sources derived primarily from satellite remote sensing, and a variety of wildlife data through collaborations with other principal investigators.
Most studies fall under one of three general themes:
- observed and future changes in Arctic sea ice and the implications to polar bears and walruses
- variations and trends in the timing of spring vegetation growth and the implications to herbivores such as caribou and geese
- dynamics of daily wind conditions and the implications to bird migrations.
Links
Near-real-time sea ice monitoring and analysis
Arctic Sea Ice News, National Snow and Ice Data Center
Ice Analysis Products, National Ice Center
Arctic Sea-Ice Monitor, Arctic Data System
Daily AMSR2 Sea Ice Maps, University of BremenFuture sea ice forecasts and projections
IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate
Changes in Sea Ice Cover, IPCC (see Chapter 12, Section 12.4.6.1)
Projections of an Ice-Diminished Arctic Ocean, Polar Science Center, UW
Sea Ice Prediction Network, ARCUSMonitoring Vegetation Phenology with NDVI
Global NDVI time-series data, 1982-2016, Univ of Arizona
Global NDVI time-series data, GIMMS_3g, NASA
Global MODIS Global Subsets & Visualization , Oakridge National Lab
U.S. and Alaska eMODIS time series, USGS, 2000-present
U.S. Phenology Metrics, USGS
Alaska Phenology Metrics, GINA, Univ of Alaska
NOAA Global Vegetation Health, 1982-presentClimate data and data visualization portals
Large collection of web sites, variables and time scales, NOAA
Climate explorer, KNMI
Global wind, ocean current, SST dynamics, Cameron Beccario©
Global weather visualization portalSatellite tracking animals
Satellite tracking data archive and acquisition portal, Movebank.org
Satellite tracking and analysis tool, Seaturtle.org
Arctic wildlife tracking data, USGS
The Argos System - Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
- Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 29Rapid environmental change drives increased land use by an Arctic marine predator
In the Arctic Ocean’s southern Beaufort Sea (SB), the length of the sea ice melt season (i.e., period between the onset of sea ice break-up in summer and freeze-up in fall) has increased substantially since the late 1990s. Historically, polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the SB have mostly remained on the sea ice year-round (except for those that came ashore to den), but recent changes in the extentAuthorsTodd C. Atwood, Elizabeth L. Peacock, Melissa A. McKinney, Kate Lillie, Ryan H. Wilson, David C. Douglas, Susanne Miller, Pat TerletzkyMulti-decadal trends in spring arrival of avian migrants to the central Arctic coast of Alaska: Effects of environmental and ecological factors
Warming in the Arctic has caused the transition from winter to summer to occur weeks earlier over the last half century, yet little is known about whether avian migrants have altered their timing of arrival on breeding areas to match this earlier seasonal transition. Over a 50-yr period, we examined trends in the timing of the first arrival for 16 avian migrant species at the terminus of their norAuthorsDavid H. Ward, J. Helmericks, Jerry W. Hupp, L. McManus, Michael Budde, David C. Douglas, K.D. TapePolar bear population dynamics in the southern Beaufort Sea during a period of sea ice decline
In the southern Beaufort Sea of the United States and Canada, prior investigations have linked declines in summer sea ice to reduced physical condition, growth, and survival of polar bears (Ursus maritimus). Combined with projections of population decline due to continued climate warming and the ensuing loss of sea ice habitat, those findings contributed to the 2008 decision to list the species asAuthorsJeffrey F. Bromaghin, Trent L. McDonald, Ian Stirling, Andrew E. Derocher, Evan S. Richardson, Eric V. Regehr, David C. Douglas, George M. Durner, Todd C. Atwood, Steven C. AmstrupEvaluating and ranking threats to the long-term persistence of polar bears
The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) was listed as a globally threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2008, mostly due to the significant threat to their future population viability from rapidly declining Arctic sea ice. A core mandate of the ESA is the development of a recovery plan that identifies steps to maintain viable populations of a listed species. A substantive evaluAuthorsTodd C. Atwood, Bruce G. Marcot, David C. Douglas, Steven C. Amstrup, Karyn D. Rode, George M. Durner, Jeffrey F. BromaghinDensity dependence and phenological mismatch: consequences for growth and survival of sub-arctic nesting Canada Geese
The extent to which species are plastic in the timing of their reproductive events relative to phenology suggests how change might affect their demography. An ecological mismatch between the timing of hatch for avian species and the peak availability in quality and quantity of forage for rapidly growing offspring might ultimately affect recruitment to the breeding population unless individuals canAuthorsRodney W. Brook, James O. Leafloor, David C. Douglas, Kenneth F. AbrahamHemispheric-scale wind selection facilitates bar-tailed godwit circum-migration of the Pacific
The annual 29 000 km long migration of the bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica baueri, around the Pacific Ocean traverses what is arguably the most complex and seasonally structured atmospheric setting on Earth. Faced with marked variation in wind regimes and storm conditions across oceanic migration corridors, individuals must make critical decisions about when and where to fly during nonstop fliAuthorsRobert E. Gill, David C. Douglas, Colleen M. Handel, T. Lee Tibbitts, Gary Hufford, Theunis PiersmaEvaluation of potential protective factors against metabolic syndrome in bottlenose dolphins:feeding and activity patterns of dolphins in Sarasota Bay, Florida
Free-ranging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) living in Sarasota Bay, Florida appear to have a lower risk of developing insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome compared to a group of dolphins managed under human care. Similar to humans, differences in diet and activity cycles between these groups may explain why Sarasota dolphins have lower insulin, glucose, and lipids. To identify potenAuthorsRandall S. Wells, Katherine A. McHugh, David C. Douglas, Steve Shippee, Elizabeth Berens McCabe, Nélio B. Barros, Goldie T. PhillipsVariation in the response of an Arctic top predator experiencing habitat loss: Feeding and reproductive ecology of two polar bear populations
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) have experienced substantial changes in the seasonal availability of sea ice habitat in parts of their range, including the Beaufort, Chukchi, and Bering Seas. In this study, we compared the body size, condition, and recruitment of polar bears captured in the Chukchi and Bering Seas (CS) between two periods (1986–1994 and 2008–2011) when declines in sea ice habitat ocAuthorsKaryn D. Rode, Eric V. Regehr, David C. Douglas, George M. Durner, Andrew E. Derocher, Gregory W. Thiemann, Suzanne M. BudgeMigration and wintering areas of American Bitterns (Botaurus lentiginosus) that summer in central North America as determined by satellite and radio telemetry, 1998-2003
Twenty adult male American Bitterns (Botaurus lentiginosus) were marked on summer range in central North America with satellite tracking Platform Transmitter Terminals (PTTs) to document migration routes and wintering range. Nineteen complete fall migration routes were documented for 17 individuals. Of the successful migrations, 63% (n = 12) went to southern Florida, 32% (n = 6) to southern LouisiAuthorsGuy Huschle, John E. Toepfer, David C. DouglasMovements of wild ruddy shelducks in the Central Asian Flyway and their spatial relationship to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1
Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 remains a serious concern for both poultry and human health. Wild waterfowl are considered to be the reservoir for low pathogenic avian influenza viruses; however, relatively little is known about their movement ecology in regions where HPAI H5N1 outbreaks regularly occur. We studied movements of the ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea), a wild migratory waterAuthorsJohn Y. Takekawa, Diann J. Prosser, Bridget M. Collins, David C. Douglas, William M. Perry, Yan Baoping, Ze Luo, Yuansheng Hou, Fumin Lei, Tianxian Li, Yongdong Li, Scott H. NewmanPatterns of social association in the franciscana, Pontoporia blainvillei
Little is known from living animals about the social patterns of the franciscana, Pontoporia blainvillei, a small dolphin inhabiting a narrow strip of coastal waters off Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. These dolphins tend to be found in small groups, typically composed of two or three individuals (Bordino et al. 1999). Throughout much of the species' range, franciscanas encounter artisanal gill neAuthorsRandall S. Wells, Pablo Bordino, David C. DouglasMovements and dive patterns of short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) released from a mass stranding in the Florida Keys
Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) are among the most common cetaceans to engage in mass strandings in the southeastern United States. Because these are primarily pelagic, continental shelf-edge animals, much of what is known about this species has derived from mass stranding events. Post-release monitoring via satellite-linked telemetry was conducted with two adult males deterAuthorsRandall S. Wells, Erin M. Fougeres, Arthur G. Cooper, Robert O. Stevens, Micah Brodsky, Robert Lingenfelser, Chris Dold, David C. Douglas