Publications
Below are publications associated with the Southwest Biological Science Center's research.
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Filter Total Items: 1512
Effects of high flow experiments on riparian vegetation resources in Grand Canyon Effects of high flow experiments on riparian vegetation resources in Grand Canyon
Flood events have historically had a strong impact on riparian vegetation within Grand Canyon. Pre-dam sandbars were nearly devoid of perennial riparian vegetation due to the magnitude and frequency of periodic floods (Turner and Karpiscak, 1980). Vegetation has increased since dam closure (Waring, 1995), particularly since the early 1990s (Sankey and others, 2015). This increase in...
Authors
B.J. Butterfield, Emily C. Palmquist, Joel B. Sankey
High elevation sand/cultural Sites: The response of source-bordering aeolian dunefields to the 2012-2016 high flow experiments of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon (Extended Abstract) High elevation sand/cultural Sites: The response of source-bordering aeolian dunefields to the 2012-2016 high flow experiments of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon (Extended Abstract)
Glen Canyon Dam has reduced downstream sediment supply to the Colorado River by about 95% in the reach upstream of the Little Colorado River confluence and by about 85% below the confluence (Topping and others, 2000). Operation of the dam for hydropower generation has additionally altered the flow regime of the river in Grand Canyon, largely eliminating pre-dam low flows (i.e., below 8...
Authors
Joel B. Sankey
Optimal timing of high-flow experiments for sandbar deposition Optimal timing of high-flow experiments for sandbar deposition
Sediment-transport theory and field measurements indicate that the greatest or most efficient deposition of sand in eddies occurs during controlled floods (a.k.a. High-Flow Experiments or HFEs) when the greatest amount of the finest sand is available on the bed of the Colorado River (Topping and others, 2010). Conducting HFEs when the sand on the bed of the Colorado River is depleted and...
Authors
David J. Topping, Paul E. Grams, Ronald E. Griffiths, Joseph E. Hazel, Matthew Kaplinski, David J. Dean, Nicholas Voichick, Joel A. Unema, Thomas A. Sabol
Effects of high flow experiments on warm-water native and nonnative fishes Effects of high flow experiments on warm-water native and nonnative fishes
The harsh environmental conditions and extreme flooding that created Grand Canyon also shaped the unique native fish that evolved in the Colorado River. Native fish have evolved their physiology, morphology and behavior to withstand high flood events. Flooding has been shown to benefit spawning, survival and recruitment of juvenile native fishes in many southwestern rivers. Annual pre...
Authors
David Ward
Effects of high flow events (and other factors) on Salmonids Effects of high flow events (and other factors) on Salmonids
Spring and fall high flow events released by Glen Canyon Dam appear to affect rainbow and brown trout in different ways that also very geographically, however other environmental factors are likely to play as important, or more important. Teasing apart impacts is made difficult by the lack of experimental design and limited replication of spring high flow events.
Authors
Charles B. Yackulic
Invasive buffelgrass detection using high-resolution satellite and UAV imagery on Google Earth Engine Invasive buffelgrass detection using high-resolution satellite and UAV imagery on Google Earth Engine
Methods to detect and monitor the spread of invasive grasses are critical to avoid ecosystem transformations and large economic costs. The rapid spread of non‐native buffelgrass(Pennisetum ciliare) has intensified fire risk and is replacing fire intolerant native vegetation in the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern US. Coarse‐resolution satellite imagery has had limited success in...
Authors
Kaitlyn Elkind, Temuulen T. Sankey, Seth M. Munson, Clare E. Aslan
Wind erosion and dust from US drylands: a review of causes, consequences, and solutions in a changing world Wind erosion and dust from US drylands: a review of causes, consequences, and solutions in a changing world
Erosion by wind is one of the principal processes associated with land degradation in drylands and is a significant concern to land managers and policymakers globally. In the drylands of North America, millions of tons of soil are lost to wind erosion annually. Of the 60 million ha in the United States identified as most vulnerable to wind erosion (arid and dominated by fine sandy soils)...
Authors
Michael C. Duniway, Alix A. Pfennigwerth, Stephen E. Fick, Travis W. Nauman, Jayne Belnap, Nichole N. Barger
Changes in belowground biodiversity during ecosystem development Changes in belowground biodiversity during ecosystem development
We do not know how and why belowground biodiversity may change as soils develop over centuries to millennia, hampering our ability to predict the myriad of ecosystem processes regulated by belowground organisms under changing environments. We conducted a global survey of 16 soil chronosequences spanning a wide range of ecosystem types and found that in less productive ecosystems...
Authors
Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Richard D. Bardgett, Peter M. Vitousek, Fernando T. Maestre, Mark Williams, David J. Eldridge, Hans Lambers, Sigrid Neuhauser, Antonio Gallardo, Laura Garcia-Velazquez, Osvaldo E. Sala, Sebastian R. Abades, Fernando D. Alfaro, Asmeret A. Berhe, Matthew A. Bowker, Courtney M. Currier, Nick A. Cutler, Stephen C. Hart, Patrick E. Hayes, Zeng-Yei Hseu, Martin Kirchmair, Cecilia A. Perez, Sasha C. Reed, Victor M. Pena-Ramirez, Fernanda Santos, Christina Siebe, Benjamin W. Sullivan, Luis Weber-Grullon, Noah Fierer
Long‐term plant community trajectories suggest divergent responses of native and non‐native perennials and annuals to vegetation removal and seeding treatments Long‐term plant community trajectories suggest divergent responses of native and non‐native perennials and annuals to vegetation removal and seeding treatments
Land managers frequently apply vegetation removal and seeding treatments to restore ecosystem function following woody plant encroachment, invasive species spread, and wildfire. However, the long‐term outcome of these treatments is unclear due to a lack of widespread monitoring. We quantified how vegetation removal (via wildfire or management) with or without seeding and environmental...
Authors
Stella M. Copeland, Seth M. Munson, John B. Bradford, Bradley J. Butterfield, Kevin L. Gunnell
Observations on the range and nesting biology of the Mexican endemic rufous-capped brush-finch (Atlapetes Pileatus Pileatus) Observations on the range and nesting biology of the Mexican endemic rufous-capped brush-finch (Atlapetes Pileatus Pileatus)
The Rufous-capped Brush-finch (Atlapetes pileatus) is a species endemic to Mexico, whose breeding biology has received little attention. We studied two nests of the nominate subspecies from the mountains of southern Sonora. Nests were untidy, broad, open cups, placed in low, thick vegetation. Clutch size at one nest consisted of three immaculate white eggs. The second nest contained two...
Authors
Harold F. Greeney, Jeff Port, Charles van Riper
An introduced breeding population of Chrysemys picta marginata in the Kaibab National Forest, northern Arizona An introduced breeding population of Chrysemys picta marginata in the Kaibab National Forest, northern Arizona
The painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) is widely distributed from coast to coast in North America with each of four subspecies generally occupying different regions. In the southwestern USA and northern Mexico, where C. p. bellii is the expected native race, populations are small and widelyscattered. Introduced populations of other painted turtle subspecies are reported from various...
Authors
Jeffrey E. Lovich, Bruce L. Christman, Kristy L. Cummings, Jenna Norris, Shellie R. Puffer, Christina Jones
The past and future roles of competition and habitat in the range‐wide occupancy dynamics of Northern Spotted Owls The past and future roles of competition and habitat in the range‐wide occupancy dynamics of Northern Spotted Owls
Slow ecological processes challenge conservation. Short‐term variability can obscure the importance of slower processes that may ultimately determine the state of a system. Furthermore, management actions with slow responses can be hard to justify. One response to slow processes is to explicitly concentrate analysis on state dynamics. Here, we focus on identifying drivers of Northern...
Authors
Charles B. Yackulic, Larissa L. Bailey, Katie Dugger, Raymond J. Davis, Alan B. Franklin, Eric D. Forsman, Steven H. Ackers, Lawrence S. Andrews, Lowell V. Diller, Scott A. Gremel, Keith A. Hamm, Dale R. Herter, J. Mark Higley, Rob B. Horn, Christopher McCafferty, Janice A. Reid, Jeremy T. Rockweit, Stan G. Sovern