Publications

Ecohydrology emphasizes the interactions between ecological and hydrological patterns and processes in wetlands. Given that wetlands are fundamentally defined by prolonged saturation or flooding of land, an ecohydrological perspective is implicit in wetland ecology. In this review, we provide examples of how variation in hydrologic processes in space and time influences wetland...

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions and contribute to the observed increase in atmospheric methane over the last 20 years. Methane production in wetlands is the final step of carbon decomposition performed by anaerobic archaea. Although hydrogen/carbon dioxide and acetate are the substrates most often attributed to methanogenesis, other substrates—such as methylated...

The development of environmental DNA (eDNA) methods for terrestrial arthropods could be transformative for the difficult task of assessing the status of species of conservation concern. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the efficacy of detecting the Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae) from its DNA left behind on inflorescences as a means of inferring species presence. We...

Subspecies are often targets for conservation, yet many lack the genetic data necessary to validate their status as distinctive evolutionary lineages. In 2016, conservationists faced this issue when designating the California glossy snake, Arizona elegans occidentalis, as a Species of Special Concern in California, a decision prompted by population declines and habitat loss but absent of...

Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) control in the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America is among the largest and most successful control programs of an invasive species anywhere on the planet. The effort began more than 75 years ago; it unites multiple nations, states, and provinces with the common goal of controlling this invasive species and protecting a valuable fishery. The science...

Since its discovery in 2006, the fungal disease known as white-nose syndrome (WNS) has killed millions of bats. Of the 47 bat species native to the conterminous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada, 12 have been affected by WNS, including 3 endangered species and 1 proposed endangered species. WNS has also been detected in 40 States and 9 Canadian Provinces. U.S. Geological Survey...

No abstract available.

Fire is a defining feature of our biosphere, having appeared when the first plants colonized the land, and it continues to occur across the planet at different frequencies and intensities. Fire has been and remains as an evolutionary force in many plant and animal lineages and contributes to explaining the variability of our biodiversity. Fire has also shaped the structure of many...

Drought and reservoir management in the Colorado River Watershed have decreased peak flows and sediment loads reducing the ability of rivers to change their channels. Multiple studies have documented the resulting decrease in channel width, but less attention has been paid to long-term trends in shoreline complexity, including the number and size of islands. We used a sequence of aerial

Conservation translocations and reintroductions are widely used to improve conservation outcomes for declining species. Reintroductions are unlikely to be successful if the threats that led to the extirpation of the focal species, such as non-native predators, have not been ameliorated. The non-native brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) was introduced to Guam in the mid-20th century and...

Texas Tortoises (Gopherus berlandieri) are understudied compared to federally protected congeners. Despite important early studies on the basic ecology of G. berlandieri, quantitative identification of habitat associations with specific environmental conditions has been limited. Gopherus berlandieri inhabits Tamaulipan thornscrub across its range, and coastal populations are historically

The installation of offshore wind energy infrastructure (OWEI) at sea may affect marine birds by increasing the risk of mortality from collision with OWEI (Collision Vulnerability) and causing disturbance and displacement from important habitats (Displacement Vulnerability). In 2017, we published the first comprehensive database quantifying marine bird Collision Vulnerability and...