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Publications

These publications showcase the significant science conducted in our Science Centers.

Filter Total Items: 16912

Changing land use: Problems and opportunities Changing land use: Problems and opportunities

Under the pressure of increasing human populations and expanding demands for food and fiber, native tropical and temperate habitats are becoming more restricted, and populations of many resident and migratory birds are declining. Mist net surveys of 111 forest and agricultural sites in Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala show that some migratory species use a wide variety of habitats during...
Authors
C.S. Robbins, D.K. Dawson, B.A. Dowell

The ecology of cormorants: some research needs and recommendations The ecology of cormorants: some research needs and recommendations

Concerns about Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) have arisen because of their rapid population increase across North America and their economic impact on several aquaculture and commercial fish industries. In spite of the concern for cormorants, little published research is available that addresses either basic population biology questions or management issues. Based on a
Authors
R.M. Erwin

Wildlife toxicity testing Wildlife toxicity testing

Reports of anthropogenic environmental contaminants affecting free-ranging wildlife first began to accumulate during the Industrial Revolution of the 1850s. early reports included cases of arsenic and lead shot ingestion, and industrial smokestack emission toxicity. One early report described the death of fallow deer (Dama dama) due to arsenic emissions from a silver foundry in Germany...
Authors
David J. Hoffman

Geographic patterns in relative abundances and population trends of breeding and wintering loggerhead shrikes in North America Geographic patterns in relative abundances and population trends of breeding and wintering loggerhead shrikes in North America

In North America, the Breeding Bird Survey and the Christmas Bird Count provide data that are collected at sites visited each year, and the site-specific data can be placed in a Geographic Information System and smoothed to produce contour maps of relative abundance and trend for the United States and southern Canada. We develop these contour maps for Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius...
Authors
J.R. Sauer, Sandra Orsillo, B.G. Peterjohn

Organochlorine pesticides Organochlorine pesticides

the discovery of the insecticidal properties of DDT, which led to its subsequent use in pest control,w as hailed as a tremendous scientiffic achievement. Initial success with DDT in controlling human health pests during World War II, and subsequent success in agricultural pest control, stimulated the synthesis and development of related organochlorine pestidices; their use increased...
Authors
Lawrence J. Blus

Acidic deposition: A review of biological effects Acidic deposition: A review of biological effects

The problem of acidic deposition and its possible effects on habitats, organisms, materials, and human health has been recognized for centuries. Earliest accounts date to Cicero (about 100 B.C.), who linked structural damage to buildings and statues in Rome to the smokey rains of wood and charcoal burning.3 Based on estimated of human demographics and centers of population, problems...
Authors
Donald W. Sparling

Electroplating wastes in marine environments: A case history at Quonset Point, Rhode Island Electroplating wastes in marine environments: A case history at Quonset Point, Rhode Island

All U.S. Navy electroplating and metal-finishing wastes are now required to pass through industrial-wastewater treatment plants and other treatment facilities for the removal of heavy metals and other potentially hazardous materials. In 1984 a total of 235,191 metric tons (t) of electroplating and metal-finishing wastes from 70 U.S. Navy installations - primarily shipyards, aviation...
Authors
Ronald Eisler

Ecological and toxicological aspects of the partial meltdown of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant reactor Ecological and toxicological aspects of the partial meltdown of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant reactor

the partial meltdown of the 1000-MW reactor at Chernobyl, Ukraine, on April 26, 1986, released large amounts of radiocesium and other radionuclides into the environment, causing widespread radioactive contamination of Europe and the former Soviet Union.1-7 At least 3,000,000 trillion becquerels (TBq) were released from the fuel during the accident (Table 24.1), dwarfing, by orders of...
Authors
Ronald Eisler

Population modeling and its role in toxicological studies Population modeling and its role in toxicological studies

A model could be defined as any abstraction from reality that is used to provide some insight into the real system. In this discussion, we will use a more specific definition that a model is a set of rules or assumptions, expressed as mathematical equations, that describe how animals survive and reproduce, including the external factors that affect these characteristics. A model...
Authors
John R. Sauer, Grey W. Pendleton

Effects of sampling strategy, detection probability, and independence of counts on the use of point counts Effects of sampling strategy, detection probability, and independence of counts on the use of point counts

Many factors affect the use of point counts for monitoring bird populations, including sampling strategies, variation in detection rates, and independence of sample points. The most commonly used sampling plans are stratified sampling, cluster sampling, and systematic sampling. Each of these might be most useful for different objectives or field situations. Variation in detection...
Authors
G.W. Pendleton
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