Publications
Below are publications associated with the Southwest Biological Science Center's research.
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Filter Total Items: 1512
Estimating the settling velocity of bioclastic sediment using common grain-size analysis techniques Estimating the settling velocity of bioclastic sediment using common grain-size analysis techniques
Most techniques for estimating settling velocities of natural particles have been developed for siliciclastic sediments. Therefore, to understand how these techniques apply to bioclastic environments, measured settling velocities of bioclastic sedimentary deposits sampled from a nearshore fringing reef in Western Australia were compared with settling velocities calculated using results...
Authors
Michael V. W. Cuttler, Ryan J. Lowe, James L. Falter, Daniel D. Buscombe
Shallow water benthic imaging and substrate characterization using recreational-grade sidescan-sonar Shallow water benthic imaging and substrate characterization using recreational-grade sidescan-sonar
In recent years, lightweight, inexpensive, vessel-mounted ‘recreational grade’ sonar systems have rapidly grown in popularity among aquatic scientists, for swath imaging of benthic substrates. To promote an ongoing ‘democratization’ of acoustical imaging of shallow water environments, methods to carry out geometric and radiometric correction and georectification of sonar echograms are...
Authors
Daniel D. Buscombe
A report on genetic affinities and relatedness of Agassiz’s desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) at opposite ends of the Coachella Valley in California A report on genetic affinities and relatedness of Agassiz’s desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) at opposite ends of the Coachella Valley in California
This report summarizes the results for mtDNA and STR genotyping of 41 desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) DNA samples from opposite sides of the Coachella Valley: one sample from the west side at the Mesa wind energy facility in the Whitewater Hills and the other from the mouth of Cottonwood Canyon in Joshua Tree National Park, both within the boundaries of the Coachella Valley Multiple...
Authors
Jeffrey E. Lovich, Taylor Edwards, Brian Kreiser, Shellie R. Puffer, Mickey Agha
Climate change and collapsing thermal niches of Mexican endemic reptiles Climate change and collapsing thermal niches of Mexican endemic reptiles
Recent climate change should result in expansion of species to northern or high elevation range margins, and contraction at southern and low elevation margins due to extinction. Climate models predict dramatic extinctions and distributional shifts in the next century, but there are few ground-truths of these dire forecasts leading to uncertainty in predicting extinctions due to climate...
Authors
Barry Sinervo, Donald B. Miles, Rafael A. Lara Resendiz, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Joshua R. Ennen, Johannes Muller, Robert D. Cooper, Philip C. Rosen, Joseph A. E. Stewart, Juan Carlos Santos, Jack W. Sites, Paul Gibbons, Eric Goode, L. Scott Hillard, Luke Welton, Mickey Agha, Gabriel Caetano, Mercy Vaughn, Cristina Melendez Torres, Hector Gadsden, Gamaliel Castenada Gaytan, Patricia Galina-Tessaro, Fernando I. Valle Jimenez, Jorge H. Valdez-Villavicencio, Norberto Martinez Mendez, Guillermo Woolrich Pina, Victor Luja Molina, Anibal Diaz de la Vega Perez, Diego M. Arenas Moreno, Saul Dominguez Guerrero, Natalia Fierro, Scott Butterfield, Michael Westpha, Raymond B. Huey, William Mautz, Víctor Sánchez-Cordero, Fausto R. Mendez de la Cruz
Linking fluvial and aeolian morphodynamics in the Grand Canyon, USA Linking fluvial and aeolian morphodynamics in the Grand Canyon, USA
In river valleys, fluvial and upland landscapes are intrinsically linked through sediment exchange between the active channel, near-channel fluvial deposits, and higher elevation upland deposits. During floods, sediment is transferred from channels to low-elevation nearchannel deposits [Schmidt and Rubin, 1995]. Particularly in dryland river valleys, subsequent aeolian reworking of these...
Authors
Alan Kasprak, Sara G. Bangen, Daniel D. Buscombe, Joshua Caster, Amy E. East, Paul E. Grams, Joel B. Sankey
The response of arid soil communities to climate change: Chapter 8 The response of arid soil communities to climate change: Chapter 8
Arid and semiarid ecosystems cover approximately 40% of Earth’s terrestrial surface and are present on each of the planet’s continents [1]. Drylands are characterized by their aridity, but there is substantial geographic, edaphic, and climatic variability among these vast ecosystems, and these differences underscore substantial variation in dryland soil microbial communities, as well as...
Authors
Blaire Steven, Theresa Ann McHugh, Sasha C. Reed
Human land-use and soil change Human land-use and soil change
Soil change refers to the alteration of soil and soil properties over time in one location, as opposed to soil variability across space. Although soils change with pedogensis, this chapter focuses on human caused soil change. Soil change can occur with human use and management over long or short time periods and small or large scales. While change can be negative or positive; often soil...
Authors
Skye A. Wills, Candiss O. Williams, Michael C. Duniway, Jessica Veenstra, Cathy Seybold, DeAnn Pressley
Effectiveness of environmental flows for riparian restoration in arid regions: A tale of four rivers Effectiveness of environmental flows for riparian restoration in arid regions: A tale of four rivers
Environmental flows have become important restoration tools on regulated rivers. However, environmental flows are often constrained by other demands within the river system and thus typically are comprised of smaller water volumes than the natural flows they are meant to replace, which can limit their functional efficacy. We review environmental flow programs aimed at restoring riparian...
Authors
Edward P. Glenn, Pamela L. Nagler, Patrick B. Shafroth, Christopher Jarchow
Diet patterns of island foxes on San Nicolas Island relative to feral cat removal Diet patterns of island foxes on San Nicolas Island relative to feral cat removal
Island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) are a species of conservation concern that occur on six of the Channel Islands off the coast of southern California. We analysed island fox diet on San Nicolas Island during 2006–12 to assess the influence of the removal of feral cats (Felis catus) on the food use by foxes. Our objective was to determine whether fox diet patterns shifted in response to...
Authors
Brian L. Cypher, Erica C. Kelly, Francesca J. Ferrara, Charles A. Drost, Tory L. Westall, Brian Hudgens
Testing the limits of temporal stability: Willingness to pay values among Grand Canyon whitewater boaters across decades Testing the limits of temporal stability: Willingness to pay values among Grand Canyon whitewater boaters across decades
We directly compare trip willingness to pay (WTP) values between 1985 and 2015 stated preference surveys of private party Grand Canyon boaters using identically designed valuation methods. The temporal gap of 30 years between these two studies is well beyond that of any tests of WTP temporal stability in the literature. Comparisons were made of mean WTP estimates for four hypothetical...
Authors
Chris J. Neher, John Duffield, Lucas S. Bair, David A. Patterson, Katherine Neher
Disentangling the complexities of how legumes and their symbionts regulate plant nitrogen access and storage Disentangling the complexities of how legumes and their symbionts regulate plant nitrogen access and storage
Nitrogen (N) availability strongly influences the structure and function of ecosystems (e.g. Vitousek & Howarth, 1991), but only a relatively small number of microbial groups have the ability to convert the N2 in our atmosphere into biologically available forms.This process, N2 fixation, is the dominant source of new N to the biosphere outside of anthropogenic inputs (Vitousek et al., 2013...
Authors
Sasha C. Reed
Influence of repeated prescribed fire on tree growth and mortality in Pinus resinosa forests, northern Minnesota Influence of repeated prescribed fire on tree growth and mortality in Pinus resinosa forests, northern Minnesota
Prescribed fire is widely used for ecological restoration and fuel reduction in fire-dependent ecosystems, most of which are also prone to drought. Despite the importance of drought in fire-adapted forests, little is known about cumulative effects of repeated prescribed burning on tree growth and related response to drought. Using dendrochronological data in red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait...
Authors
Alessandra Bottero, Anthony W. D’Amato, Brian J. Palik, Christel C. Kern, John B. Bradford, Sawyer S. Scherer