Publications
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Floristic and climatic reconstructions of two Lower Cretaceous successions from Peru
Climate during the Early Cretaceous in tropical South America has often been reconstructed as arid. However, some areas seem to have been humid. We reconstructed the floristic composition of two tropical stratigraphic successions in Peru using quantitative palynology (rarefied species richness and abundance), and used the abundance of aridity vs. humidity indicator species to infer the predominant
Authors
Paula J. Mejia-Velasquez, Steven R. Manchester, Carlos A. Jaramillo, Luiz Quiroz, Lucas B. Fortini
Patch age since disturbance drives patch dynamics for flycatchers breeding in both reservoir and riverine habitat
Species dependent upon early-successional landscapes often occupy patches at different stages of recovery after disturbance. The demographic processes that drive patch dynamics in these systems have rarely been described but are important for developing effective conservation and management plans, especially when humans have modified the timing and intensity of disturbances that drive regeneration
Authors
Tad C Theimer, Mark K. Sogge, Eben H. Paxton
The risk of rodent introductions from shipwrecks to seabirds on Aleutian and Bering Sea islands
Accidental introductions of rodents present one of the greatest threats to indigenous island biota, especially seabirds. On uninhabited remote islands, such introductions are likely to come from shipwrecks. Here we use a comprehensive database of shipwrecks in Western Alaska to model the frequency of shipwrecks per Aleutian and Bering Sea island, taken as a proxy for the threat of rodent introduct
Authors
Martin Renner, Eric Nelson, Jordan Watson, Alan Haynie, Aaron Poe, Martin D. Robards, Steve C. Hess
Density estimation of sound-producing terrestrial animals using single automatic acoustic recorders and distance sampling
Obtaining accurate information on the distribution, density, and abundance of animals is an important first step toward their conservation. Methodological approaches using automatic acoustic recorders for species that communicate acoustically are gaining increased interest because of their advantages over traditional sampling methods. In this study, we created and evaluated a protocol to estimate
Authors
Esther Sebastián-González, Richard J. Camp, Ann M. Tanimoto, Priscilla Monteiro de Oliveira, Bruna Barreto Lima, Tiago A. Marques, Patrick J. Hart
Research and management priorities for Hawaiian forest birds
Hawai‘i's forest birds face a number of conservation challenges that, if unaddressed, will likely lead to the extinction of multiple species in the coming decades. Threats include habitat loss, invasive plants, non-native predators, and introduced diseases. Climate change is predicted to increase the geographic extent and intensity of these threats, adding urgency to implementation of tractable co
Authors
Eben H. Paxton, Megan Laut, John P. Vetter, Steve J. Kendall
Extreme drought alters frequency and reproductive success of floaters in Willow Flycatchers
Changes in habitat quality, including those caused by extreme events like droughts and floods, could alter costs and benefits of territoriality and thereby the prevalence and reproductive consequences for individuals capable of breeding that do not do so (floaters). We studied floating behavior in a population of Southwestern Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii extimus) in central Arizona durin
Authors
Tad Theimer, Mark K. Sogge, Suzanne N. Cardinal, Scott L. Durst, Eben H. Paxton
The epidemiology of avian pox and interaction with avian malaria in Hawaiian forest birds
Despite the purported role of avian pox (Avipoxvirus spp.) in the decline of endemic Hawaiian birds, few studies have been conducted on the dynamics of this disease, its impact on free‐living avian populations, or its interactions with avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum). We conducted four longitudinal studies of 3–7 yr in length and used generalized linear models to evaluate cross‐sectional preva
Authors
Michael Samuel, Bethany L. Woodworth, Carter T. Atkinson, Patrick J. Hart, Dennis Lapointe
Ecological genomics predicts climate vulnerability in an endangered southwestern songbird
Few regions have been more severely impacted by climate change in the USA than the Desert Southwest. Here, we use ecological genomics to assess the potential for adaptation to rising global temperatures in a widespread songbird, the willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii), and find the endangered desert southwestern subspecies (E. t. extimus) most vulnerable to future climate change. Highly signifi
Authors
Kristin Ruegg, Rachael A. Bay, Eric C. Anderson, James F. Saracco, Ryan J. Harrigan, Mary J. Whitfield, Eben H. Paxton, Thomas B. Smith
Characterization of Plasmodium relictum, a cosmopolitan agent of avian malaria
BackgroundMicroscopic research has shown that Plasmodium relictum is the most common agent of avian malaria. Recent molecular studies confirmed this conclusion and identified several mtDNA lineages, suggesting the existence of significant intra-species genetic variation or cryptic speciation. Most identified lineages have a broad range of hosts and geographical distribution. Here, a rare new linea
Authors
Gediminas Valkiunas, Mikas Ilgūnas, Dovilė Bukauskaitė, Karin Fragner, Herbert Weissenböck, Carter T. Atkinson, Tatjana Iezhova
Biology and impacts of Pacific Islands invasive species. 14. Sus scrofa the feral pig (Artiodactyla: Suidae)
Feral pigs (Sus scrofa L.) are perhaps the most abundant, widespread, and economically significant large introduced vertebrate across the Pacific island region. Unlike many other nonnative invasive species, feral pigs have both cultural and recreational importance in the region, complicating their management. Today, Pacific island feral pigs are a mixture of several strains of domestic swine, Asia
Authors
Nathaniel H. Wehr, Steven C. Hess, Creighton M. Litton
Potential impacts of projected climate change on vegetation management in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park
Climate change will likely alter the seasonal and annual patterns of rainfall and temperature in Hawai`i. This is a major concern for resource managers at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park where intensely managed Special Ecological Areas (SEAs), focal sites for managing rare and endangered plants, may no longer provide suitable habitat under future climate. Expanding invasive species’ distributions
Authors
Richard J. Camp, Rhonda Loh, S. Paul Berkowitz, Kevin W. Brinck, James D. Jacobi, Jonathan Price, Sierra McDaniel, Lucas B. Fortini
Population estimates of the Endangered Hawaiʻi ʻĀkepa (Loxops coccineus) in different habitats on windward Mauna Loa
Endangered Hawai‘i ʻĀkepas (Loxops coccineus) are endemic to Hawai‘i island, where they occur in five spatially distinct populations. Data concerning the status and population trends of these unique Hawaiian honeycreepers are crucial for assessing the effectiveness of recovery and management actions. In 2016, we used point‐transect distance sampling to estimate the abundance of Hawai‘i ʻĀkepas in
Authors
Seth W. Judge, Richard J. Camp, Patrick J. Hart, Scott T. Kichman