Publications
Below are publications associated with the Southwest Biological Science Center's research.
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Filter Total Items: 1576
EMIT reveals elevated calcite signatures in shorelines of Lake Powell and Lake Mead exposed by drought and Colorado River management EMIT reveals elevated calcite signatures in shorelines of Lake Powell and Lake Mead exposed by drought and Colorado River management
Nearly half of Earth’s seasonal freshwater storage variability occurs in human-managed reservoirs, resulting in large areas of reservoir-bed that are episodically inundated or subaerially exposed. Here we use hyperspectral data from NASA’s Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission to map calcite mineral assemblages across exposed surfaces in two large U.S. reservoirs...
Authors
Michael Raymond Fischella, Joel B. Sankey, Raymond F. Kokaly, Amy E. East, Alan Kasprak, Joshua Caster, Bridget R. Deemer, Ryan S. Crow, Skyler Mavor, Derek V. Mallia
Spatial ecology and recovery patterns of a translocated mammal community in southern Africa Spatial ecology and recovery patterns of a translocated mammal community in southern Africa
Conservation translocations are an increasingly common tool to restore wildlife populations within protected areas. Along with identifying and mitigating threats, post-release monitoring allows managers to evaluate recovery effectiveness and improve success rates. Multispecies translocations present challenges in monitoring design, data processing, and analysis. Camera traps coupled with...
Authors
Cara L. Appel, Damon B. Lesmeister, Alinafe Chibwana, Raymond J. Davis, Samuel Kamoto, John Kerkering, Marnet Ngosi, Dave Robertson, Charles B. Yackulic, Taal Levi
Fluvially-sourced sediment supply and climate modulate morphodynamics and state transitions in bistable aeolian dunefields Fluvially-sourced sediment supply and climate modulate morphodynamics and state transitions in bistable aeolian dunefields
Alternative stable state theory in aeolian geomorphology describes the occurrence of bare and vegetated aeolian dunes in response to long-term climatic and ecological drivers. Transitions between states, as well as their co-occurrence (bistability), can arise from perturbations to drivers, disturbance, and associated biophysical feedbacks. Here, we examine the role of upwind fluvial...
Authors
Joshua Caster, Joel B. Sankey, Temuulen Sankey, Taylor Joyal, Matthew A. Bowker
Human factors used to estimate and forecast water supply and demand in the Delaware River Basin Human factors used to estimate and forecast water supply and demand in the Delaware River Basin
The objective of this report by the U.S. Geological Survey is to identify cultural and economic determinants of water demand, supply, and access, and to locate associated datasets of those determinants. Although climate and its influence on hydrology are important components of water availability, this study focused only on the components of the human system. The Delaware River Basin...
Authors
Nicole M. Herman-Mercer, Veronica Y. Romero, Diana L. Restrepo-Osorio, Megan K. Hines, Lucas S. Bair
First application of a coastal-dune model (AeoLiS) to simulate fluvial-aeolian morphodynamics First application of a coastal-dune model (AeoLiS) to simulate fluvial-aeolian morphodynamics
Quantifying aeolian processes is important to decision-making in river management and for optimizing strategies for ecosystem conservation, natural resource management, and recreation. We applied the AeoLiS aeolian transport model, originally developed for coastal environments, to a dryland river corridor to evaluate its ability to simulate sediment dynamics in a fluvial-aeolian system...
Authors
Madeline Margaret Kelley, Joel B. Sankey, Nicholas Cohn, Amy E. East, Alan Kasprak, Helen C. Fairley, Joshua Caster, B. van Westen
The further you are, the closer you get: Environmental similarity connects aquatic invertebrate communities across the terrestrial landscape in a large river network The further you are, the closer you get: Environmental similarity connects aquatic invertebrate communities across the terrestrial landscape in a large river network
Biodiversity is structured on the landscape through a combination of spatial, environmental, and stochastic factors. In freshwater river networks, the interaction of the linear river network and the three-dimensional terrestrial landscape creates multiple pathways for ecological connectivity that affect aquatic community structure through habitat filtering and dispersal dynamics. Here...
Authors
Jared W. Freedman, Theodore Kennedy, David A. Lytle
DRIFteRS: A dataset of drift invertebrate densities in streams and rivers across western North America, 1997–2024 DRIFteRS: A dataset of drift invertebrate densities in streams and rivers across western North America, 1997–2024
Prey availability is among the most influential and highly variable determinants of fish growth and freshwater habitat carrying capacity, yet it remains understudied compared to physical habitat variables (Ouellet et al., 2025; Rosenfeld et al., 2014; Weber et al., 2017). We often lack a clear understanding of how much food is available to fishes, how it varies spatially and temporally...
Authors
Elsa K. Toskey, Toshio Matsuoka, Peter M. Kiffney, Sean M. Naman, Martin C. Liermann, Javan Bailey, David Beauchamp, J. Ryan Bellmore, Christopher A. Binckley, Steven C. Blumenshine, Timothy J. Caldwell, Michael P. Carey, Shannon Claeson, Chelsea Clawson, Rosa Cox, Cromwell. Kara J., Robert J. Danehy, Michael J. Dodrill, Jeffrey J. Duda, Jason B. Fellman, Adrianne Z. Grimm, Tyson B. Hallbert, Chris E. Jordan, Ernest R. Keeley, Brian P. Kennedy, Theodore Kennedy, Andre E. Kohler, Erin D. Lowery, Kate H Macneale, Kyle D. Martens, Sarah A. Morley, Jeffrey Muehlbauer, Jason B. Neuswanger, Alison O'Dowd, Shelley Pneh, Mary E. Power, Suzanne J. Rhoades, Jordan Rosenfeld, Gabriel Rossi, Beth L. Sanderson, Katy K. Shelby, Thomas Starky-Owens, Jamie N. Thompson, Carol Volk, Jasmine S. Williamshen, Robert W. Wisseman
At the edge of change: Native Phragmites persistence and nonnative arrival along the dam-regulated Colorado River At the edge of change: Native Phragmites persistence and nonnative arrival along the dam-regulated Colorado River
Premise
Authors
Emily C. Palmquist, Joel B. Sankey, Claudia DiMartini, Tanyan Benson, Brooke Damon, Helen C. Fairley, Bradley J. Butterfield
Core microbiomes as a potential fingerprinting method of Western USA dust sources Core microbiomes as a potential fingerprinting method of Western USA dust sources
Introduction: Changing frequency and intensity of dust emissions impacts ecosystems and human health. Dust carries microbes, nutrients, heavy metals, and other materials that may change environmental biogeochemistry at deposition sites. Identifying dust sources provides key information on where and when mitigation strategies should be employed. However, commonly used geochemical or...
Authors
DeTiare L. Leifi, Sarah C. Peterson, Jakob L. Young, Gregory T. Carling, Janice Brahney, Michael C. Duniway, Beth A. Newingham, Nicholas P. Webb, Travis W. Nauman, Zachary T. Aanderud
Resurvey of the Marble Canyon and Bridge Canyon dam sites in Grand Canyon National Park—Changes in sediment storage and evidence supporting the occurrence of bedrock incision through the mid-20th century Resurvey of the Marble Canyon and Bridge Canyon dam sites in Grand Canyon National Park—Changes in sediment storage and evidence supporting the occurrence of bedrock incision through the mid-20th century
The Bureau of Reclamation developed an extensive plan for a network of dams, water tunnels, and hydropower plants in and around Grand Canyon, Arizona, in the 1940s through 1960s. The two largest of these planned dams were the Marble Canyon and Bridge Canyon Dams on the Colorado River. Though these dams were ultimately never built, Reclamation conducted extensive topographic, bathymetric...
Authors
David J. Topping, Joseph E. Hazel, Matthew A. Kaplinski, Paul E. Grams
Listening for extinction: Range-wide occupancy highlights critical risks and priorities for northern spotted owls Listening for extinction: Range-wide occupancy highlights critical risks and priorities for northern spotted owls
The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) continues to decline across its range, threatened by habitat disturbances and invasive barred owls (Strix varia). We conducted a range-wide spotted owl occupancy assessment using 2.1 million h of passive acoustic recordings from 4081 survey stations within 1027 randomly selected 5-km2 hexagons across six physiographic regions...
Authors
Damon B. Lesmeister, Julianna M.A. Jenkins, Raymond J. Davis, Natalie M. Rugg, Cara L. Appel, Larissa L. Bailey, Erin Bayne, Chestnut Tara, Leila S. Duchac, Katie M. Dugger, Taylor D. Ellis, Alan B. Franklin, Scott A. Gremel, Aaron Henderson, Edward Henson, J. Mark Higley, James E. Hines, Bruce A. Hollen, William L. Kendall, Taal Levi, Darryl I. MacKenzie, Christopher E. McCafferty, Thomas Munger, David Press, Caroline Provost, Suzanne Reffler, Zachary J. Ruff, James K. Swingle, Erica Tevini, Alaina D. Thomas, Matthew J. Weldy, Kirsten Wert, Angela White, Charles B. Yackulic
Tropical and subtropical drylands dominate the interannual variability in global net terrestrial carbon flux irrespective of different global ecosystem classifications or geographic scales Tropical and subtropical drylands dominate the interannual variability in global net terrestrial carbon flux irrespective of different global ecosystem classifications or geographic scales
Global terrestrial ecosystems exhibit substantial interannual variability (IAV) in net carbon (C) flux. Determining the biogeographic origin of this variability is essential for the understanding and forecasting of global C cycling and carbon-climate feedbacks. Currently, most studies identify either global drylands or moist tropical forests as the dominant source of IAV. Considering...
Authors
Liam Bogucki, Andrew F. Feldman, David J.P. Moore, Cibele Amaral, Lixin Wang, Julia K. Green, Flurin Babst, Dennis S. Ojima, Rubaya Pervin, Sasha C. Reed, William K. Smith, Wen Zhang, Natasha MacBean