Publications
Filter Total Items: 2070
Larval long-toed salamanders incur nonconsumptive effects in the presence of nonnative trout Larval long-toed salamanders incur nonconsumptive effects in the presence of nonnative trout
Predators can influence prey directly through consumption or indirectly through nonconsumptive effects (NCEs) by altering prey behavior, morphology, and life history. We investigated whether predator-avoidance behaviors by larval long-toed salamanders (Ambystoma macrodactylum) in lakes with nonnative trout result in NCEs on morphology and development. Field studies in lakes with and...
Authors
Erin K. Kenison, Andrea R. Litt, David S. Pilliod, Thomas E. McMahon
Mortality monitoring design for utility-scale solar power facilities Mortality monitoring design for utility-scale solar power facilities
Introduction Solar power represents an important and rapidly expanding component of the renewable energy portfolio of the United States (Lovich and Ennen, 2011; Hernandez and others, 2014). Understanding the impacts of renewable energy development on wildlife is a priority for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in compliance with Department of Interior Order No. 3285 (U.S...
Authors
Manuela M. Huso, Thomas Dietsch, Chris Nicolai
Quantitative evidence for the effects of multiple drivers on continental-scale amphibian declines Quantitative evidence for the effects of multiple drivers on continental-scale amphibian declines
Since amphibian declines were first proposed as a global phenomenon over a quarter century ago, the conservation community has made little progress in halting or reversing these trends. The early search for a “smoking gun” was replaced with the expectation that declines are caused by multiple drivers. While field observations and experiments have identified factors leading to increased...
Authors
Evan H. Campbell Grant, David A. W. Miller, Benedikt R. Schmidt, M. J. Adams, Staci M. Amburgey, Thierry A. Chambert, Sam S. Cruickshank, Robert N. Fisher, David M. Green, Blake R. Hossack, Pieter T.J. Johnson, Maxwell B. Joseph, Tracy A. G. Rittenhouse, Maureen E. Ryan, J. Hardin Waddle, Susan C. Walls, Larissa L. Bailey, Gary M. Fellers, Thomas A. Gorman, Andrew M. Ray, David S. Pilliod, Steven J. Price, Daniel Saenz, Walt Sadinski, Erin L. Muths
Dendritic network models: Improving isoscapes and quantifying influence of landscape and in-stream processes on strontium isotopes in rivers Dendritic network models: Improving isoscapes and quantifying influence of landscape and in-stream processes on strontium isotopes in rivers
A critical challenge for the Earth sciences is to trace the transport and flux of matter within and among aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric systems. Robust descriptions of isotopic patterns across space and time, called “isoscapes,” form the basis of a rapidly growing and wide-ranging body of research aimed at quantifying connectivity within and among Earth's systems. However...
Authors
Sean R. Brennan, Christian E. Torgersen, Jeff P. Hollenbeck, Diego P. Fernandez, Carrie K Jensen, Daniel E. Schindler
Aquatic Trophic Productivity model: A decision support model for river restoration planning in the Methow River, Washington Aquatic Trophic Productivity model: A decision support model for river restoration planning in the Methow River, Washington
Introduction The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed a dynamic food-web simulation model to provide decision support for Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) river restoration projects in the Methow River, Washington. This modeling effort was done to contribute to Reasonable and Prudent Alternative actions 56 and 57of the 2014 Federal Columbia River Power System Biological Opinion...
Authors
Joseph R. Benjamin, J. Ryan Bellmore
Landsat 8 and ICESat-2: Performance and potential synergies for quantifying dryland ecosystem vegetation cover and biomass Landsat 8 and ICESat-2: Performance and potential synergies for quantifying dryland ecosystem vegetation cover and biomass
The Landsat 8 mission provides new opportunities for quantifying the distribution of above-ground carbon at moderate spatial resolution across the globe, and in particular drylands. Furthermore, coupled with structural information from space-based and airborne laser altimetry, Landsat 8 provides powerful capabilities for large-area, long-term studies that quantify temporal and spatial...
Authors
Nancy F. Glenn, Amy Neuenschwander, Lee A. Vierling, Lucas Spaete, Aihua Li, Douglas J. Shinneman, David S. Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Susan McIlroy
Ecosystem engineering of harvester ants: Effects on vegetation in a sagebrush-steppe ecosystem Ecosystem engineering of harvester ants: Effects on vegetation in a sagebrush-steppe ecosystem
Harvester ants are influential in many ecosystems because they distribute and consume seeds, remove vegetation, and redistribute soil particles and nutrients. Understanding the interaction between harvester ants and plant communities is important for management and restoration efforts, particularly in systems altered by fire and invasive species such as the sagebrush-steppe. Our...
Authors
Elyce Gosselin, Joseph D. Holbrook, Katey Huggler, Emily Brown, Kerri T. Vierling, Robert Arkle, David S. Pilliod
Response to Smith et al. 18 February 2016 Response to Smith et al. 18 February 2016
No abstract available.
Authors
Susan M. Haig
Wind energy development: Methods for assessing risks to birds and bats pre-construction Wind energy development: Methods for assessing risks to birds and bats pre-construction
Wind power generation is rapidly expanding. Although wind power is a low-carbon source of energy, it can impact negatively birds and bats, either directly through fatality or indirectly by displacement or habitat loss. Pre-construction risk assessment at wind facilities within the United States is usually required only on public lands. When conducted, it generally involves a 3-tier...
Authors
Todd E. Katzner, Victoria Bennett, Tricia A. Miller, Adam E. Duerr, Melissa A. Braham, Amanda Hale
Wind energy development: Methods to assess bird and bat fatality rates post-construction Wind energy development: Methods to assess bird and bat fatality rates post-construction
Monitoring fatalities at wind energy facilities after they have been constructed can provide valuable information regarding impacts of wind power development on wildlife. The objective of this monitoring is to estimate abundance of a super-population of carcasses that entered the area within a designated period of time. By definition, the population is not closed and carcasses can enter...
Authors
Manuela M. Huso, Daniel Dalthorp, T. J. Miller, Dawn Bruns
Climate adaption and post-fire restoration of a foundational perennial in cold desert: Insights from intraspecific variation in response to weather Climate adaption and post-fire restoration of a foundational perennial in cold desert: Insights from intraspecific variation in response to weather
1.The loss of foundational but fire-intolerant perennials such as sagebrush due to increases in fire size and frequency in semiarid regions has motivated efforts to restore them, often with mixed or even no success. Seeds of sagebrush Artemisia tridentata and related species must be moved considerable distances from seed source to planting sites, but such transfers have not been guided...
Authors
Martha M. Brabec, Matthew J. Germino, Bryce A. Richardson
Persistent and novel threats to the biodiversity of Kazakhstan’s steppes and semi-deserts Persistent and novel threats to the biodiversity of Kazakhstan’s steppes and semi-deserts
Temperate grasslands have suffered disproportionally from conversion to cropland, degradation and fragmentation. A large proportion of the world’s remaining near-natural grassland is situated in Kazakhstan. We aimed to assess current and emerging threats to steppe and semi-desert biodiversity in Kazakhstan and evaluate conservation research priorities. We conducted a horizon-scanning...
Authors
Johannes Kamp, Maxim A Koshkin, Tatyana M Bragina, Todd E. Katzner, E. J. Milner-Gulland, Dagmar Schreiber, Robert Sheldon, Alyona Shmalenko, Ilya Smelansky, Julien Terraube, Ruslan Urazaliev