Publications
Below are publications associated with the Southwest Biological Science Center's research.
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Filter Total Items: 1535
Breeding colonies of least terns (Sternula antillarum) in northern Sonora, Mexico, 2006-2008 Breeding colonies of least terns (Sternula antillarum) in northern Sonora, Mexico, 2006-2008
We document distribution of breeding least terns (Sternula antillarum) in northern Sonora, Mexico, 2006-2008. We report breeding activity at six sites with active colonies, including three previously undocumented colonies.
Authors
Alyssa Rosemartin, Charles van Riper
Stoichiometric patterns in foliar nutrient resorption across multiple scales Stoichiometric patterns in foliar nutrient resorption across multiple scales
*Nutrient resorption is a fundamental process through which plants withdraw nutrients from leaves before abscission. Nutrient resorption patterns have the potential to reflect gradients in plant nutrient limitation and to affect a suite of terrestrial ecosystem functions. *Here, we used a stoichiometric approach to assess patterns in foliar resorption at a variety of scales, specifically
Authors
Sasha C. Reed, Alan R. Townsend, Eric A. Davidson, Cory C. Cleveland
A history of herpetologists and herpetology in the U.S. Department of the Interior A history of herpetologists and herpetology in the U.S. Department of the Interior
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) has a long and distinguished history of employing herpetologists to conduct basic and applied research to better manage amphibian and reptile populations on public lands and even outside the boundaries of the United States. This history extends back over 125 years with roots in the U.S. Biological Survey, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau...
Authors
Jeffrey E. Lovich, Norman J. Scott, R. Bruce Bury, C. Kenneth Dodd, Roy W. McDiarmid
Clutch and egg allometry of the turtle Mauremys leprosa (Chelonia: Geoemydidae) from a polluted peri-urban river in west-central Morocco Clutch and egg allometry of the turtle Mauremys leprosa (Chelonia: Geoemydidae) from a polluted peri-urban river in west-central Morocco
We examined the relationships of clutch size (CS) and egg size to female body size (straight-line carapace length, CL) in a population of the turtle Mauremys leprosa from a polluted segment of oued (river) Tensift in arid west-central Morocco. Twenty-eight adult females were collected in May–July, 2009 and all were gravid. Each was weighed, measured, humanely euthanized and then...
Authors
Mohamed Naimi, Mohammed Znari, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Youssef Feddadi, Moulay Abdeljalil Ait Baamrane
Inferring local competition intensity from patch size distributions: a test using biological soil crusts Inferring local competition intensity from patch size distributions: a test using biological soil crusts
Dryland vegetation is inherently patchy. This patchiness goes on to impact ecology, hydrology, and biogeochemistry. Recently, researchers have proposed that dryland vegetation patch sizes follow a power law which is due to local plant facilitation. It is unknown what patch size distribution prevails when competition predominates over facilitation, or if such a pattern could be used to...
Authors
Matthew A. Bowker, Fernando T. Maestre
Optimal egg size in a suboptimal environment: reproductive ecology of female Sonora mud turtles (Kinosternon sonoriense) in central Arizona, USA Optimal egg size in a suboptimal environment: reproductive ecology of female Sonora mud turtles (Kinosternon sonoriense) in central Arizona, USA
We studied the reproductive ecology of female Sonora mud turtles (Kinosternon sonoriense) at Montezuma Well, a chemically-challenging natural wetland in central Arizona, USA. Females matured between 115.5 and 125 mm carapace length (CL) and 36-54% produced eggs each year. Eggs were detected in X-radiographs from 23 April-28 September (2007-2008) and the highest proportion (56%) of adult...
Authors
Jeffrey E. Lovich, Sheila V. Madrak, Charles A. Drost, Anthony J. Monatesti, Dennis Casper, Mohammed Znari
Using integrated research and interdisciplinary science: Potential benefits and challenges to managers of parks and protected areas Using integrated research and interdisciplinary science: Potential benefits and challenges to managers of parks and protected areas
Our purpose in this paper is to build a case for utilizing interdisciplinary science to enhance the management of parks and protected areas. We suggest that interdisciplinary science is necessary for dealing with the complex issues of contemporary resource management, and that using the best available integrated scientific information be embraced and supported at all levels of agencies...
Authors
Charles van Riper, Robert B. Powell, Gary Machlis, Jan W. van Wagtendonk, Carena J. van Riper, Eick von Ruschkowski, Steven E. Schwarzbach, Russell E. Galipeau
Plant species richness and ecosystem multifunctionality in global drylands Plant species richness and ecosystem multifunctionality in global drylands
Experiments suggest that biodiversity enhances the ability of ecosystems to maintain multiple functions, such as carbon storage, productivity, and the buildup of nutrient pools (multifunctionality). However, the relationship between biodiversity and multifunctionality has never been assessed globally in natural ecosystems. We report here on a global empirical study relating plant species...
Authors
Fernando T. Maestre, Jose L. Quero, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Adrian Escudero, Victoria Ochoa, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Miguel Garcia-Gomez, Matthew A. Bowker, Santiago Soliveres, Cristina Escolar, Pablo Garcia-Palacios, Miguel Berdugo, Enrique Valencia, Beatriz Gozalo, Antonio Gallardo, Lorgio Aguilera, Tulio Arredondo, Julio Blones, Bertrand Boeken, Donaldo Bran, Abel A. Conceicao, Omar Cabrera, Mohamed Chaieb, Mchich Derak, David J. Eldridge, Carlos I. Espinosa, Adriana Florentino, Juan Gaitan, M. Gabriel Gatica, Wahida Ghiloufi, Susana Gomez-Gonzalez, Julio R. Gutie, Rosa M. Hernandez, Xuewen Huang, Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald, Mohammad Jankju, Maria Miriti, Jorge Monerris, Rebecca L. Mau, Ernesto Morici, Kamal Naseri, Abelardo Ospina, Vicente Polo, Anibal Prina, Eduardo Pucheta, David A. Ramirez-Collantes, Roberto Romao, Matthew Tighe, Cristian Torres-Diaz, James Val, Jose P. Veiga, Deli Wang, Eli Zaady
Detection of tamarisk defoliation by the northern tamarisk beetle based on multitemporal Landsat 5 thematic mapper imagery Detection of tamarisk defoliation by the northern tamarisk beetle based on multitemporal Landsat 5 thematic mapper imagery
The spread of tamarisk (Tamarix spp., also known as saltcedar) is a significant ecological disturbance in western North America and has long been targeted for control, leading to the importation of the northern tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda carinulata) as a biological control agent. Following its initial release along the Colorado River near Moab, Utah in 2004, the beetle has successfully...
Authors
Ran Meng, Philip E. Dennison, Levi R. Jamison, Charles van Riper, Pamela Nager, Kevin R. Hultine, Dan W. Bean, Tom Dudley
Abiotic & biotic responses of the Colorado River to controlled floods at Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona, USA Abiotic & biotic responses of the Colorado River to controlled floods at Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona, USA
Closure of Glen Canyon Dam reduced sand supply to the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park by about 94% while its operation has also eroded the park's sandbar habitats. Three controlled floods released from the dam since 1995 suggest that sandbars might be rebuilt and maintained, but only if repeated floods are timed to follow tributary sand deliveries below the dam. Monitoring...
Authors
Josh Korman, Ted Melis, Theodore A. Kennedy
Shifting species interactions in terrestrial dryland ecosystems under altered water availability and climate change Shifting species interactions in terrestrial dryland ecosystems under altered water availability and climate change
Species interactions play key roles in linking the responses of populations, communities, and ecosystems to environmental change. For instance, species interactions are an important determinant of the complexity of changes in trophic biomass with variation in resources. Water resources are a major driver of terrestrial ecology and climate change is expected to greatly alter the...
Authors
Kevin E. McCluney, Jayne Belnap, Scott L. Collins, Angelica L. Gonzalez, Elizabeth M. Hagen, J. Nathaniel Holland, Burt P. Kotler, Fernando T. Maestre, Stanley D. Smith, Blair O. Wolf
Forecasting climate change impacts to plant community composition in the Sonoran Desert region Forecasting climate change impacts to plant community composition in the Sonoran Desert region
Hotter and drier conditions projected for the southwestern United States can have a large impact on the abundance and composition of long-lived desert plant species. We used long-term vegetation monitoring results from 39 large plots across four protected sites in the Sonoran Desert region to determine how plant species have responded to past climate variability. This cross-site analysis
Authors
Seth M. Munson, Robert H. Webb, Jayne Belnap, J. Andrew Hubbard, Don E. Swann, Sue Rutman