Publications

Invasive annual grasses are often facilitated by fire, yet they can become ecologically dominant in susceptible locations even in the absence of fire. We used an extensive vegetation plot database to model susceptibility to the invasive annual grass cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) in the sagebrush biome as a function of climate and soil water availability variables. We built random...

Hydrologic stress is increasing in Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii) forests across the southwestern United States because of increased temperature and streamflow diversion. The spatial variability of this stress is large yet poorly understood. Along the Yampa and Green Rivers in Colorado and Utah, vapour pressure deficit and flow diversions increase downstream. To investigate...

No abstract available.

Understanding the movement patterns of an invasive species can be a powerful tool in designing effective management and control strategies. Here, we used a Bayesian multistate model to investigate the movement of two invasive carp species, silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (H. nobilis), using acoustic telemetry. The invaded portions of the Illinois and Des...

Using a selection of native grass and forb seeds commonly seeded in local restoration projects, we conducted a field experiment to evaluate the effects of seed species, distance of seed patches from nests, and distance between patches on patterns of seed removal by Owyhee harvester ants, Pogonomyrmex salinus (Olsen) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). To provide context for ants’ seed preferences...

Introduction National parks and preserves in the South Atlantic-Gulf Region contain valuable coastal habitats such as tidal wetlands and mangrove forests, as well as irreplaceable historic buildings and archeological sites located in low-lying areas. These natural and cultural resources are vulnerable to accelerated sea-level rise and escalating high tide flooding events. Through a...

For many drylands, both long- and short-term drought conditions can accentuate landscape heterogeneity at both temporal (e.g., role of seasonal patterns) and spatial (e.g., patchy plant cover) scales. Furthermore, short-term drought conditions occurring over one season can exacerbate long-term, multidecadal droughts or aridification, by limiting soil water recharge, decreasing plant...

Interjurisdictional migrations lead to seasonally changing patterns of exploitation risk, emphasizing the importance of spatially explicit approaches to fishery management. Understanding how risk changes along a migration route supports time-area based fishery management, but quantifying risk can be complicated when multiple fishing methods are geographically segregated and when bycatch...

A massive expansion of renewable energy (RE) is underway to meet the world’s climate goals. Although RE serves to reduce threats from climate change, it can also pose threats to species whose current and future ranges intersect with RE installations. Here, we propose a “Climate-Smart Siting” framework for addressing potential conflicts between RE expansion and biodiversity conservation...

No current technology can specifically target grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) for control within aquatic ecosystems. Rotenone and Carbon Dioxide-Carp are currently the only available registered pesticides for grass carp; they are nonselective and typically applied throughout the water, equally exposing target and native species. A more selective control tool or pesticide application...

Assessment of similarity in species composition or abundance across sampled locations is a common goal in multi-species monitoring programs. Existing ordination techniques provide a framework for clustering sample locations based on species composition by projecting high-dimensional community data into a low-dimensional, latent ecological gradient representing species composition...

Antibiotic resistant bacteria are prevalent environmental contaminants in freshwaters, and antibiotic resistance genes circulate throughout the urban water cycle. The increase of antibiotic resistant pathogens threatens public health through direct and indirect exposure, and natural resource managers need information on the spatial patterns of antibiotic resistant bacteria and...