Publications
Explore WARC's science publications.
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Response to comments on "Productivity is a poor predictor of plant species richness" Response to comments on "Productivity is a poor predictor of plant species richness"
Pan et al. claim that our results actually support a strong linear positive relationship between productivity and richness, whereas Fridley et al. contend that the data support a strong humped relationship. These responses illustrate how preoccupation with bivariate patterns distracts from a deeper understanding of the multivariate mechanisms that control these important ecosystem...
Authors
James B. Grace, Peter B. Adler, Eric W. Seabloom, Elizabeth T. Borer, Helmut Hillebrand, Yann Hautier, Andy Hector, W. Stanley Harpole, Lydia R. O’Halloran, T. Michael Anderson, Jonathan D. Bakker, Cynthia S. Brown, Yvonne M. Buckley, Scott L. Collins, Kathryn L. Cottingham, Michael J. Crawley, Ellen Ingman Damschen, Kendi F. Davies, Nicole M. DeCrappeo, Philip A. Fay, Jennifer Firn, Daniel S. Gruner, Nicole Hagenah, Virginia L. Jin, Kevin P. Kirkman, Johannes M.H. Knops, Kimberly J. La Pierre, John G. Lambrinos, Brett A. Melbourne, Charles E. Mitchell, Joslin L. Moore, John W. Morgan, John L. Orrock, Suzanne M. Prover, Carly J. Stevens, Peter D. Wragg, Louie H. Yang
Estimating shorebird populations during spring stopover in rice fields of the Louisiana and Texas Gulf Coastal Plain Estimating shorebird populations during spring stopover in rice fields of the Louisiana and Texas Gulf Coastal Plain
Migrating shorebird populations using approximately 2% of Louisiana and Texas Gulf Coastal rice fields were surveyed during spring migration (March–May of 1997 and 1998) using biweekly stratified random surveys conducted at 50 roadside survey points and approximately 30,000 shorebirds were observed. Shorebird counts were extrapolated and almost 1.4 million birds in 1997 and over 1.6...
Authors
Wayne Norling, Clinton W. Jeske, Tyler F. Thigpen, Paul C. Chadwick
Myocastor coypus Molina (coypu) Myocastor coypus Molina (coypu)
Myocastor coypus (coypu) (Figure 30.1) is a large semi-aquatic rodent native to South America that is now present in all continents, except Oceania and Antarctica, after widespread introductions in the 1930-1940s. There is a division in English speaking countries as to common name usage. In England and former British colonies (i.e. Kenya) they are called "coypus". In North America and...
Authors
Sandro Bertolino, Laura M Guichon, Jacoby Carter
The role of fire-return interval and season of burn in snag dynamics in a south Florida slash pine forest The role of fire-return interval and season of burn in snag dynamics in a south Florida slash pine forest
Standing dead trees, or snags, are an important habitat element for many animal species. In many ecosystems, fire is a primary driver of snag population dynamics because it can both create and consume snags. The objective of this study was to examine how variation in two key components of the fire regime—fire-return interval and season of burn—affected population dynamics of snags. Using...
Authors
John D. Lloyd, Gary L. Slater, James R. Snyder
A hydrological budget (2002-2008) for a large subtropical wetland ecosystem indicates marine groundwater discharge accompanies diminished freshwater flow A hydrological budget (2002-2008) for a large subtropical wetland ecosystem indicates marine groundwater discharge accompanies diminished freshwater flow
Water budget parameters are estimated for Shark River Slough (SRS), the main drainage within Everglades National Park (ENP) from 2002 to 2008. Inputs to the water budget include surface water inflows and precipitation while outputs consist of evapotranspiration, discharge to the Gulf of Mexico and seepage losses due to municipal wellfield extraction. The daily change in volume of SRS is...
Authors
Amartya K. Saha, Christopher S. Moses, Rene M. Price, Victor Engel, Thomas J. Smith, Gordon Anderson
Hurricane disturbance and recovery of energy balance, CO2 fluxes and canopy structure in a mangrove forest of the Florida Everglades Hurricane disturbance and recovery of energy balance, CO2 fluxes and canopy structure in a mangrove forest of the Florida Everglades
Eddy covariance (EC) estimates of carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes and energy balance are examined to investigate the functional responses of a mature mangrove forest to a disturbance generated by Hurricane Wilma on October 24, 2005 in the Florida Everglades. At the EC site, high winds from the hurricane caused nearly 100% defoliation in the upper canopy and widespread tree mortality. Soil...
Authors
Jordan G. Barr, Vic Engel, Thomas J. Smith, Jose D. Fuentes
Ensemble forecasting of potential habitat for three invasive fishes Ensemble forecasting of potential habitat for three invasive fishes
Aquatic invasive species pose major ecological and economic threats to aquatic ecosystems worldwide via displacement, predation, or hybridization with native species and the alteration of aquatic habitats and hydrologic cycles. Modeling the habitat suitability of alien aquatic species through spatially explicit mapping is an increasingly important risk assessment tool. Habitat modeling...
Authors
Helen M. Poulos, Barry Chernoff, Pam L. Fuller, David Butman
Deepwater Program: Studies of Gulf of Mexico lower continental slope communities related to chemosynthetic and hard substrate habitats Deepwater Program: Studies of Gulf of Mexico lower continental slope communities related to chemosynthetic and hard substrate habitats
This report summarizes research funded by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in collaboration with the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) on the ecology of deep chemosynthetic communities in the Gulf of Mexico. The research was conducted at the request of the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE; formerly Minerals Management Service) to
Authors
Steve W. Ross, Amanda W.J. Demopoulos, Christina A. Kellogg, Cheryl L. Morrison, Martha S. Nizinski, Cheryl L. Ames, Tara L. Casazza, Daniel Gualtieri, Kaitlin Kovacs, Jennifer P. McClain, Andrea M. Quattrini, Adela Y. Roa-Varon, Andrew D. Thaler
Can elevated CO2 modify regeneration from seed banks of floating freshwater marshes subjected to rising sea-level? Can elevated CO2 modify regeneration from seed banks of floating freshwater marshes subjected to rising sea-level?
Higher atmospheric concentrations of CO2 can offset the negative effects of flooding or salinity on plant species, but previous studies have focused on mature, rather than regenerating vegetation. This study examined how interacting environments of CO2, water regime, and salinity affect seed germination and seedling biomass of floating freshwater marshes in the Mississippi River Delta...
Authors
Beth A. Middleton, Karen L. McKee
Connectivity of tropical marine ecosystems--An overview of interdisciplinary research to understand biodiversity and trophic relationships in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Connectivity of tropical marine ecosystems--An overview of interdisciplinary research to understand biodiversity and trophic relationships in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
The Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico contain marine reserves and protected areas that encompass a variety of tropical ecosystems, including coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds. Reserves and protected areas are established for a variety of reasons, such as preserving nursery habitats and biodiversity, or reducing anthropogenic effects associated with pollution and land use. Questions...
Authors
Jennifer P. McClain-Counts, Amanda W.J. Demopoulos
Corpus Christi, Nueces, and Aransas Bays: Chapter C in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010 Corpus Christi, Nueces, and Aransas Bays: Chapter C in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010
Corpus Christi Bay and Nueces Bay comprise the middle estuarine portion of Texas’ Coastal Bend region (Figure 1; Burgan and Engle, 2006). Aransas Bay is part of the upper estuarine portion of the region. These bays make up part of the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, one of the many estuarine areas in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program (Holt, 1998...
Authors
Lawrence R. Handley, Kathryn A. Spear, Eleonor Taylor, Cindy A. Thatcher
Transplantation of storm-generated coral fragments to enhance Caribbean coral reefs: A successful method but not a solution Transplantation of storm-generated coral fragments to enhance Caribbean coral reefs: A successful method but not a solution
In response to dramatic losses of reef-building corals and ongoing lack of recovery, a small-scale coral transplant project was initiated in the Caribbean (U.S. Virgin Islands) in 1999 and was followed for 12 years. The primary objectives were to (1) identify a source of coral colonies for transplantation that would not result in damage to reefs, (2) test the feasibility of transplanting...
Authors
Virginia H. Garrison, Greg A. Ward