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Explore WARC's science publications.

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Effects of natal departure and water level on survival of juvenile snail kites (Rostrhamus sociabilis) in Florida Effects of natal departure and water level on survival of juvenile snail kites (Rostrhamus sociabilis) in Florida

Survival rate from fledging to breeding, or juvenile survival, is an important source of variation in lifetime reproductive success in birds. Therefore, determining the relationship between juvenile survival and environmental factors is essential to understanding fitness consequences of reproduction in many populations. With increases in density of individuals and depletion of food...
Authors
V.J. Dreitz, W.M. Kitchens, D.L. DeAngelis

The effectiveness of a barrier wall and underpasses in reducing wildlife mortality on a heavily traveled highway in Florida The effectiveness of a barrier wall and underpasses in reducing wildlife mortality on a heavily traveled highway in Florida

Because of high numbers of animals killed on Paynes Prairie State Preserve, Alachua County, Florida, the Florida Department of Transportation constructed a barrier wall-culvert system to reduce wildlife mortality yet allow for passage of some animals across the highway. During a one year study following construction, we counted only 158 animals, excluding hylid treefrogs, killed in the...
Authors
C.K. Dodd, W.J. Barichivich, L. L. Smith

Effects of invasive alien plants on fire regimes Effects of invasive alien plants on fire regimes

Plant invasions are widely recognized as significant threats to biodiversity conservation worldwide. One way invasions can affect native ecosystems is by changing fuel properties, which can in turn affect fire behavior and, ultimately, alter fire regime characteristics such as frequency, intensity, extent, type, and seasonality of fire. If the regime changes subsequently promote the...
Authors
M.L. Brooks, C. M. D’Antonio, D.M. Richardson, J.M. DiTomaso, J.B. Grace, R.J. Hobbs, Jon E. Keeley, M. Pellant, D. Pyke

Comparison of litter decomposition in a natural versus coal-slurry pond reclaimed as a wetland Comparison of litter decomposition in a natural versus coal-slurry pond reclaimed as a wetland

Decomposition is a key function in reclaimed wetlands, and changes in its rate have ramifications for organic-matter accumulation, nutrient cycling, and production. The purpose of this study was to compare leaf litter decomposition rates in coal-slurry ponds vs. natural wetlands on natural floodplain wetlands in Illinois, USA. The rate of decomposition was slower in the natural wetland...
Authors
J. Taylor, B.A. Middleton

Use of a latitudinal gradient in bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) production to examine physiological controls of biotic boundaries and potential responses to environment change Use of a latitudinal gradient in bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) production to examine physiological controls of biotic boundaries and potential responses to environment change

Aim: Predictions of vegetation change with global warming require models that accurately reflect physiological processes underlying growth limitations and species distributions. However, information about environmental controls on physiology and consequent effects on species boundaries and ecosystem functions such as production is limited, especially for forested wetlands that are...
Authors
B.A. Middleton, K.L. McKee

Snakeheads (Pisces, Channidae): A biological synopsis and risk assessment Snakeheads (Pisces, Channidae): A biological synopsis and risk assessment

Snakeheads (family Channidae) are airbreathing freshwater fishes containing two genera, Channa with 26 species native to Asia, Malaysia, and Indonesia; and Parachanna with 3 species native to tropical Africa. Some snakeheads are small, reaching about 17 centimeters, but most are much larger, the largest reported to be 1.8 meters in length. All are considered thrust predators with most...
Authors
Walter R. Courtenay, James D. Williams

The habitats exploited and the species trapped in a Caribbean island trap fishery The habitats exploited and the species trapped in a Caribbean island trap fishery

We visually observed fish traps in situ to identify the habitats exploited by the U.S. Virgin Islands fishery and to document species composition and abundance in traps by habitat. Fishers set more traps in algal plains than in any other habitat around St. John. Coral reefs, traditionally targeted by fishers, accounted for only 16% of traps. Traps in algal plain contained the highest...
Authors
V.H. Garrison, C.S. Rogers, J. Beets, A. M. Friedlander

The occurrence of lysogenic bacteria and microbial aggregates in the lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica The occurrence of lysogenic bacteria and microbial aggregates in the lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica form the coldest and driest ecosystem on Earth. Within this region there are a number of perennially ice-covered (3–6 m thick) lakes that support active microbial assemblages and have a paucity of metazoans. These lakes receive limited allochthonous input of carbon and nutrients, and primary productivity is limited to only 6 months per year owing to...
Authors
J.T. Lisle, J.C. Priscu
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