Publications

Habitat loss can trigger migration network collapse by isolating migratory birds’ breeding grounds from non-breeding grounds. Theoretically, habitat loss can have vastly different impacts depending on the site’s importance within the migratory corridor. However, migration network connectivity and the impacts of site loss are not completely understood. Here we used GPS tracking data from...

Throughout the Intermountain West, there has been significant investment in understanding how social factors influence manager and citizen experiences of drought in particular locations. Yet there is still a gap in knowledge of how human dimensions of drought impacts, planning, and resilience are similar and different across cases and regions. Building on the natural science...

Major geological processes have shaped biogeographical patterns of riverine biota. The Edwards Plateau of central Texas, USA, exhibits unique aquatic communities and endemism, including several species of freshwater mussels. Lampsilis bracteata (Gould, 1855) is endemic to the Edwards Plateau region; however, its phylogenetic relationship with other species in the Gulf coastal rivers and

Maintenance of the natural flow regime is essential for continued wetland integrity; however, the flow regime is greatly influenced by both natural and anthropogenic forces. Wetlands may be particularly susceptible to altered flow regimes as they are directly impacted by water flows at a variety of time scales. In Puerto Rico, contemporary water management is decreasing freshwater...

Ecotones can increase free-living species richness, but little is known about how parasites respond to ecotones. Here we use parasite communities in raccoons (Procyon lotor) to test the hypothesis that parasite communities can be divided into core and satellite species, each with fundamentally different responses to ecotones. We used published parasite surveys to classify parasites as...

Atmospheric nitrogen and sulfur pollution increased over much of the United States during the twentieth century from fossil fuel combustion and industrial agriculture. Despite recent declines, nitrogen and sulfur deposition continue to affect many plant communities in the United States, although which species are at risk remains uncertain. We used species composition data from >14,000...

Historically, closed eastern forests transitioned into open savannas and prairies in the US Midwest, but this transition is poorly understood. To investigate the eastern boundary of the prairie-forest ecotone, we conducted a case study of historic and modern vegetation patterns of the Yellow River watershed in northwest Indiana. Historic vegetation came from the Public Land Survey notes...

Channel dredging and erosion in the Atchafalaya River basin have resulted in changes to the hydraulic connectivity of this floodplain swamp that have not been previously quantified. In this study, analyses were conducted to determine hydraulic and geomorphic factors that have changed since channel closure in 1962. Results indicated changes occurred in the Atchafalaya main channel cross...

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Geomorphology and Sediment Transport Laboratory (GSTL), in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), acquired remotely sensed data from several Alaskan rivers in 2017 and 2018 with the goal of developing a methodology for measuring streamflow from a helicopter. CRREL operates a custom...

Introduced pathogens causing emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are serious contemporary threats to animal, plant, and ecosystem health. The invasive fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has established populations of European origin in North America, resulting in mass mortality of several hibernating bat species. Extensive monitoring for this pathogen exists in Europe and North...

Local and global measurements of parasite prevalence and abundance are critical for understanding the dynamics that underlie the diversity, distribution, and evolution of infectious diseases. Here, we present a data set of gut helminths found in (1) raccoons throughout their range, based on primary literature from 1925–2017 and (2) raccoons in Santa Barbara County, California, USA...

Surveys of environmental DNA (eDNA) have become an important and multifaceted tool for monitoring and identifying distributions and occupancy of aquatic species. This tool is attractive because it is powerful, easy to apply, and provides an alternative to traditional field survey methods. However, validating eDNA survey methods against traditional field survey methods is warranted prior...