Publications

In the central Appalachians of Virginia and West Virginia, the Virginia northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus; VNFS) is a subspecies of northern flying squirrel generally associated with red spruce (Picea rubens)-dominated forests at high elevations. Listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 1985 to 2013, the VNFS currently is the subject of a 10-year...

Colonial seabirds often display high rates of interannual site fidelity to breeding locations, especially as adults. Species using more nearshore or coastal systems, however, may display comparatively less fidelity than highly pelagic species. We used long-term GPS tracking data to assess the frequency of interannual colony switching in Eastern Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis...

Populations of bears in Asia are vulnerable to extinction and effective monitoring is critical to measure and direct conservation efforts. Population abundance (local density) or growth (λ) are the most sensitive metrics to change. We discuss the value in implementing spatially explicit capture-recapture (SCR), the current gold standard for density estimation, and open population SCR...

Hydropower production is one of the greatest threats to fluvial ecosystems and freshwater biodiversity. Now that we have entered the Anthropocene, there is an opportunity to reflect on what might constitute a ‘sustainable’ Anthropocene in the context of hydropower and riverine fish populations. Considering elements of existing practices that promote favorable social-ecological outcomes...

We conducted a macroscale study of 2210 shallow lakes (mean depth ≤ 3 m or a maximum depth ≤ 5 m) in the Upper Midwestern and Northeastern USA. We asked the following: What are the patterns and drivers of shallow lake total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll a (CHLa), and TP–CHLa relationships at the macroscale, how do these differ from those for 4360 non-shallow lakes, and do results differ...

High fisheries production within estuaries is associated with coastal upwelling, tidal mixing, and land-based runoff facing increasing impacts from climate and human activities. Active river deltas receive large riverine inflows compared to inactive river deltas, providing contrasting estuaries to compare impacts of river inflow on estuarine nekton. We quantified nekton assemblages and...

Spring floods trigger spawning in many native fishes of the desert Southwest (USA), but less is known about fish community response when native fishes are rare. Here, we document change to native and nonnative fish captures and instream habitat features following a decade-high flooding event (2019) in the Verde River (AZ) where native fish captures were rare in the years pre-flood. Using

Behavioral interactions between conspecific animals can be influenced by relatedness and familiarity. Compared to other vertebrate taxa, considering such aspects of social behavior when housing captive reptiles has received less attention, despite the implications this could have for informing husbandry practices, enhancing welfare, and influencing outcomes of conservation translocations...

Reservoirs are examples of novel ecosystems that have developed into popular sport fisheries; these systems are also becoming seasonal refuges for migratory birds, including the piscivorous American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos). We (1) investigated the proportion of cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii utah) and other species consumed by pelicans, (2) compared whether...

Localized hypoxia can reduce available habitat, restrict movement and limit the abundance of aquatic invertebrates. Cultural eutrophication coupled with the effects of climate change is likely to increase the frequency and extent of hypoxia in aquatic ecosystems, yet little is known about how oxygen gradients in small reservoirs influence spatial distribution and abundance of aquatic...

Exposure and immunity to generalist pathogens differ among host species and vary across spatial scales. Anthrax, caused by a multi-host bacterial pathogen, Bacillus anthracis, is enzootic in Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa and Etosha National Park (ENP), Namibia. These parks share many of the same potential host species, yet the main anthrax host in one (greater kudu...

Agrochemicals including neonicotinoid insecticides and fungicides are frequently applied as seed treatments on corn, soybeans, and other common row crops. Crops grown from pesticide-treated seed are often directly planted in managed floodplain wetlands and used as a soil disturbance or food resource for wildlife. We quantified invertebrate communities within mid-latitude floodplain...