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At least 1,639 records · Page 91Linked to original sources

USGS2006

Ecology of bonytail and razorback sucker and the role of off-channel habitats in their recovery

The bonytail and razorback sucker are two of four endangered mainstem fishes found in the Colorado River. Unlike the Colorado pikeminnow and humpback chub, wild populations of the bonytail and razorback sucker are either extirpated from the mainstem river or are nearly so. Agencies are aggressively stocking these fish and while repatriated fish spawn, their young are rapidly eaten by introduced predators. A decade of predator removal efforts has proved ineffective in restoring natural recruitment. Today, the presence of these species is totally dependent on stocking, suggesting both species are worse off today than when recovery efforts began nearly two decades ago. In contrast, both species readily produce young in ponds where nonnative predators are absent. Evidence shows they evolved with the ability to spawn in both flowing and standing water, which suggests isolated oxbow communities may have been an essential feature in their evolution and survival strategy. Sustainable populations during the past few decades have only occurred in isolated ponds devoid of predatory nonnative fish. Efforts to force recovery in the main channel river continue to fail due to the presence of nonnative predators that may be economically important recreational species. Off-channel sanctuaries provide research and management opportunities on a scale that are both biologically and economically realistic. Effective management of these species in small habitats appears to be the most logical approach to advance recovery in larger river reaches. This report presents new findings, updates existing information, and describes what may well represent the only practical approach to these species’ conservation and recovery. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the Colorado River system from its origin to the Gulf of California and includes a description of propagation and stocking programs which have not been described elsewhere. The report also updates what is known or suspected on the life history and ecology of these two endangered fishes. Chapter 2 describes the successful recruitment of both species at an oxbow pond on the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona, discusses factors that contribute to completion of the life cycle of both fishes, and provides recommendations for future management of the impoundment. Chapter 3 provides historical evidence that oxbow habitats were formed historically in years of high runoff and the importance of these habitats for survival and evolution of native fishes. It also summarizes key features of habitats that can serve as sanctuaries that enhance early survival of the endangered fishes and allow the fish to complete their entire life cycles.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2020

Differences in rhizosphere microbial communities between native and non‐native Phragmites australis may depend on stand density

Microorganisms surrounding plant roots may benefit invasive species through enhanced mutualism or decreased antagonism, when compared to surrounding native species. We surveyed the rhizosphere soil microbiome of a prominent invasive plant, Phragmites australis , and its co‐occurring native subspecies for evidence of microbial drivers of invasiveness. If the rhizosphere microbial community is important in driving plant invasions, we hypothesized that non‐native Phragmites would cultivate a different microbiome from native Phragmites , containing fewer pathogens, more mutualists, or both. We surveyed populations of native and non‐native Phragmites across Michigan and Ohio USA, and we described rhizosphere microbial communities using culture‐independent next‐generation sequencing. We found little evidence that native and non‐native Phragmites cultivate distinct bacterial, fungal, or oomycete rhizosphere communities. Microbial community differences in our Michigan survey were not associated with plant lineage but were mainly driven by environmental factors, such as soil saturation and nutrient concentrations. Intensive sampling along transects consisting of dense monocultures of each lineage and mixed zones revealed bacterial community differences between lineages in dense monoculture, but not in mixture. We found no evidence of functional differences in the microbial communities surrounding each lineage. We extrapolate that the invasiveness of non‐native Phragmites , when compared to its native congener, does not result from the differential cultivation of beneficial or antagonistic rhizosphere microorganisms.

Michigan, Ohio↗

USGS2016

Detecting and inferring cause of change in an Alaska nearshore marine ecosystem

Community composition, species abundance, and species distribution are expected to change while monitoring ecosystems over time, and effective management of natural resources requires understanding mechanisms contributing to change. Marine ecosystems in particular can be difficult to monitor, in part due to large, multidimensional spatial scales and complex dynamics. However, within the temperate marine ecosystems, the nearshore food web is reasonably well described. This food web is ecologically and socially important, spatially constrained, and has been the focus of extensive experimental research that describes the underlying mechanisms important to system dynamics. Here, we describe a monitoring program initiated in 2006 that focuses on the nearshore benthic food web in the Gulf of Alaska, whose design anticipates potential causes of ecosystem change to improve rigor, resolution, and confidence in understanding the mechanisms underlying change. We established 15 long‐term monitoring sites across more than 1000 km of coastline, including 10 within two national parks and 5 within Prince William Sound, area of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. The program evaluates six ecological indicators and more than 200 species that range from primary producers to top‐level consumers, and is designed to examine both bottom‐up and top‐down dynamics. Employing a design that allows broad spatial inference and selecting species with direct food‐web linkages, we demonstrate the ability of our monitoring program to simultaneously detect change and assess potential mechanisms underlying that change. Detecting change and understanding mechanisms can help guide management and conservation policy. Specifically, we provide an example focusing on the sea otter ( Enhydra lutris ) that illustrates how (1) analytical methods are used to evaluate changes on various scales and infer potential mechanisms of change, (2) food‐web linkages can enhance the understanding of changes and their effects, and (3) data can be used to inform management.

Alaska↗

USGS2018

Hypotheses from recent assessments of climate impacts to biodiversity and ecosystems in the United States

Climate change poses multiple threats to biodiversity, and has already caused demonstrable impacts. We summarize key results from a recent national assessment of observed climate change impacts to terrestrial, marine, and freshwater ecosystems in the United States, and place results in the context of commonly articulated hypotheses about ecosystem response to climate change for global implications. Specific impacts we consider include: range shifts; phenological shifts; phenotypic changes; primary production changes; biological invasions; and novel communities. Significant effort has been made recently to incorporate adaptation measures into land and water management at both national and international scales, but the scale of impacts and associated uncertainties pose challenges to existing management institutions. Using commonly articulated hypotheses about climate change, biodiversity, and ecosystem response can provide context for informed decisions at multiple scales and can help to provide a clearer understanding of the ecological and mechanistic linkages between climate change and biodiversity.

Book chapter↗

USGS2024

Forest fire, thinning, and flood in wildland-urban interface: UAV and lidar-based estimate of natural disaster impacts

Context Wildland-urban interface (WUI) areas are facing increased forest fire risks and extreme precipitation events due to climate change, which can lead to post-fire flood events. The city of Flagstaff in northern Arizona, USA experienced WUI forest thinning, fire, and record rainfall events, which collectively contributed to large floods and damages to the urban neighborhoods and city infrastructure. Objectives We demonstrate multi-temporal, high resolution image applications from an unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV) and terrestrial lidar in estimating landscape disturbance impacts within the WUI. Changes in forest vegetation and bare ground cover in WUIs are particularly challenging to estimate with coarse-resolution satellite images due to fine-scale landscape processes and changes that often result in mixed pixels. Methods Using Sentinel-2 satellite images, we document forest fire impacts and burn severity. Using 2016 and 2021 UAV multispectral images and Structure-from-Motion data, we estimate post-thinning changes in forest canopy cover, patch sizes, canopy height distribution, and bare ground cover. Using repeat lidar data within a smaller area of the watershed, we quantify geomorphic effects in the WUI associated with the fire and subsequent flooding. Results We document that thinning significantly reduced forest canopy cover, patch size, tree density, and mean canopy height resulting in substantially reduced active crown fire risks in the future. However, the thinning equipment ignited a forest fire, which burned the WUI at varying severity at the top of the watershed that drains into the city. Moderate-high severity burns occurred within 3 km of downtown Flagstaff threatening the WUI neighborhoods and the city. The upstream burned area then experienced 100-year and 200–500-year rainfall events, which resulted in large runoff-driven floods and sedimentation in the city. Conclusion We demonstrate that UAV high resolution images and photogrammetry combined with terrestrial lidar data provide detailed and accurate estimates of forest thinning and post-fire flood impacts, which could not be estimated from coarser-resolution satellite images. Communities around the world may need to prepare their WUIs for catastrophic fires and increase capacity to manage sediment-laden stormwater since both fires and extreme weather events are projected to increase.

Arizona↗

USGS2023

A global perspective on bacterial diversity in the terrestrial deep subsurface

While recent efforts to catalogue Earth’s microbial diversity have focused upon surface and marine habitats, 12–20 % of Earth’s biomass is suggested to exist in the terrestrial deep subsurface, compared to ~1.8 % in the deep subseafloor. Metagenomic studies of the terrestrial deep subsurface have yielded a trove of divergent and functionally important microbiomes from a range of localities. However, a wider perspective of microbial diversity and its relationship to environmental conditions within the terrestrial deep subsurface is still required. Our meta-analysis reveals that terrestrial deep subsurface microbiota are dominated by Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Firmicutes , probably as a function of the diverse metabolic strategies of these taxa. Evidence was also found for a common small consortium of prevalent Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria operational taxonomic units across the localities. This implies a core terrestrial deep subsurface community, irrespective of aquifer lithology, depth and other variables, that may play an important role in colonizing and sustaining microbial habitats in the deep terrestrial subsurface. An in silico contamination-aware approach to analysing this dataset underscores the importance of downstream methods for assuring that robust conclusions can be reached from deep subsurface-derived sequencing data. Understanding the global panorama of microbial diversity and ecological dynamics in the deep terrestrial subsurface provides a first step towards understanding the role of microbes in global subsurface element and nutrient cycling.

Microbiology↗

USGS2011

Towards sustainable groundwater use: Setting long-term goals, backcasting, and managing adaptively

The sustainability of crucial earth resources, such as groundwater, is a critical issue. We consider groundwater sustainability a value‐driven process of intra‐ and intergenerational equity that balances the environment, society, and economy. Synthesizing hydrogeological science and current sustainability concepts, we emphasize three sustainability approaches: setting multigenerational sustainability goals, backcasting, and managing adaptively. As most aquifer problems are long‐term problems, we propose that multigenerational goals (50 to 100 years) for water quantity and quality that acknowledge the connections between groundwater, surface water, and ecosystems be set for many aquifers. The goals should be set by a watershed‐ or aquifer‐based community in an inclusive and participatory manner. Policies for shorter time horizons should be developed by backcasting, and measures implemented through adaptive management to achieve the long‐term goals. Two case histories illustrate the importance and complexity of a multigenerational perspective and adaptive management. These approaches could transform aquifer depletion and contamination to more sustainable groundwater use, providing groundwater for current and future generations while protecting ecological integrity and resilience.

Ground Water↗

USGS2026

Evaluation and synthesis of the Yolo Bypass fish monitoring program

The Yolo Bypass is the largest functional remnant floodplain of the Sacramento River, providing benefits to aquatic taxa of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (hereafter, Bay-Delta). Because of the Yolo Bypass’s vital role in flood control and its ecological effects, the California Department of Water Resources started the Yolo Bypass Fish Monitoring Program (YBFMP) to monitor the aquatic ecology of the floodplain. Here, we present a scientific evaluation of the monitoring program to assess the efficacy and efficiency of the program in meeting its objective of collecting biological data to understand the ecological role the Yolo Bypass plays in the larger Bay-Delta. We used a multivariate assessment of floodplain flow to classify flood events (no flood, intense, early, late) and water years (low, average, high). To assess efficacy, we used a null hypothesis approach to determine if the YBFMP could distinguish variability in measured constituents (water quality and nutrient concentrations; phytoplankton, zooplankton, drift invertebrates, and fish communities; and densities of Chinook salmon [ Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ], Sacramento splittail [ Pogonichthys macrolepidotus ], and prickly sculpin [ Cottus asper ]) across different flood regime classifications. To assess efficiency, we used a data subsampling approach to quantify the amount of data needed to reach similar conclusions to analyses that used the entire dataset. Regarding efficacy, we concluded that the YBFMP is generally effective at identifying variability across various spatial and temporal scales (including flood regimes). Regarding efficiency, we concluded that reduced sampling effort would likely result in similar conclusions, enabling program managers to identify sites or periods that do not provide data essential to meeting program objectives. Our evaluation of the YBFMP indicated where data variability might limit mechanistic inference (particularly for phytoplankton and zooplankton), thus indicating that a series of targeted studies may be a prerequisite for further analysis. This evaluation has also identified areas where existing sampling may not be providing additional informational value, allowing for reallocation of effort to address management concerns.

California↗

USGS2012

Sensitivity of spring phenology to warming across temporal and spatial climate gradients in two independent databases

Disparate ecological datasets are often organized into databases post hoc and then analyzed and interpreted in ways that may diverge from the purposes of the original data collections. Few studies, however, have attempted to quantify how biases inherent in these data (for example, species richness, replication, climate) affect their suitability for addressing broad scientific questions, especially in under-represented systems (for example, deserts, tropical forests) and wild communities. Here, we quantitatively compare the sensitivity of species first flowering and leafing dates to spring warmth in two phenological databases from the Northern Hemisphere. One—PEP725—has high replication within and across sites, but has low species diversity and spans a limited climate gradient. The other—NECTAR—includes many more species and a wider range of climates, but has fewer sites and low replication of species across sites. PEP725, despite low species diversity and relatively low seasonality, accurately captures the magnitude and seasonality of warming responses at climatically similar NECTAR sites, with most species showing earlier phenological events in response to warming. In NECTAR, the prevalence of temperature responders significantly declines with increasing mean annual temperature, a pattern that cannot be detected across the limited climate gradient spanned by the PEP725 flowering and leafing data. Our results showcase broad areas of agreement between the two databases, despite significant differences in species richness and geographic coverage, while also noting areas where including data across broader climate gradients may provide added value. Such comparisons help to identify gaps in our observations and knowledge base that can be addressed by ongoing monitoring and research efforts. Resolving these issues will be critical for improving predictions in understudied and under-sampled systems outside of the temperature seasonal mid-latitudes.

Northern Hemisphere↗

USGS2008

Delineation of landform and lithologic units for Ecological Landtype-Association analysis in Glacier Bay National Park, Southeast Alaska

Landform and generalized bedrock lithologic units have been delineated for ecological landtype association analysis in Glacier Bay National Park in southeast Alaska (as the Park boundaries were defined before the 1971 Alaska National Interest Lands expansion). Related U.S. Forest Service efforts have covered (1) the whole region at coarse ecological- unit scale, including domains, divisions, provinces, sections, and subsections; and (2) small parts the region at subsection scale. These small parts are generally forest-covered shoreline to timberline areas with relatively subdued topography, extensive bedrock exposures, and no active glaciers. The detailed studies established that the combination of landform and bedrock-lithologic information was a good indicator of ecosystem productivity and types of plant communities. This study of Glacier Bay National Park covers areas similar to those of the detailed studies but also includes a large proportion of high (15,300 feet), glacier-clad alpine terrain and large, active-valley glacier systems. This terrain reflects (1) the orographic and microclimatic effects associated with the high-altitude barrier that is the Fairweather Range part of the St. Elias Mountains and its rapidly retreating glaciers, and (2) the geologic, tectonic, and erosional history of this range. In this study, landforms were classified-by using topographic maps and personal experience-into eight categories similar to those used by the U.S. Forest Service. The 90 bedrock-lithologic units on the current Glacier Bay geologic map were classified into 13 generalized lithologic units corresponding exactly to those used by the U.S. Forest Service. Incomplete storm-track, storm-intensity, and limited climatic information have also been compiled.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2003

Small mammals within riparian habitats of a regulated and unregulated aridland river

In northwestern Colorado, flow regulation on the Green River has created a transitional plant community that features encroachment by upland vegetation into cottonwood ( Populus fremontii )-dominated, riparian forest on topographically high floodplain sites and reduced cottonwood regeneration on low floodplain sites. To assess how these changes might have affected small mammal distributions, in 1994 and 1995 we live-trapped during periods surrounding spring flooding at 3 sites: above and below the confluence of the regulated Green River and at the ecologically similar, but unregulated, Yampa River (reference site). More species were captured at the most regulated site along the Green River above its confluence with the Yampa River. Within sites, more species were captured in riparian habitats than adjacent upland habitats. Despite river regulation-induced habitat changes, we did not detect changes in species distributions within low and high floodplain habitat for Peromyscus maniculatus or Microtus montanus , but changes may have occurred for Dipodomys ordii . The total effect of regulation-induced habitat change on small mammal populations may not be fully revealed until current, mature cottonwood forests disappear and associated woody debris decomposes.

Western North American Naturalist↗

USGS2024

Avian communities respond to plant and landscape composition in actively revegetated floodplains of the Colorado River delta in Mexico

We examined the influence of local habitat factors such as plant community composition and species cover, and landscape habitat factors (e.g., land cover types) on the composition of the avian community in an arid-region large river delta (Colorado River). This 106 river km-long study area has experienced restoration through environmental water deliveries and active management of vegetation for ca. 10 years after decades of degradation. Variation partitioning and spatial models (Moran Eigenvector Maps) showed that plant communities and land cover combined explained 29.3% of the variability of 115 bird species, with a high overlap of 13.1% as vegetation and landscape factors were partially confounded and spatially correlated. Redundancy analyses showed that a higher cover of native riparian trees and shrubs and a larger amount of land covered by forests, typical characteristics of revegetated sites, favored bird species with affinity for riparian forests. Marshland and open water landscape features and high cover of macrophytes (which were common in the wettest river reach among the five included in the study), irrespective of active revegetation, were associated with a higher prevalence of wetland birds. Dominance by the non-native shrub Tamarix spp. and, especially, barren areas were detrimental to most bird species. The proportion of agricultural lands around the study sites was related to high abundance of generalists and some non-native species. Overall, our study showed that both local (vegetation) and landscape (land use) factors are important considerations for restoration of riparian bird communities.

Ecological Engineering↗

USGS2010

Climate change effects on an endemic-rich edaphic flora: resurveying Robert H. Whittaker's Siskiyou sites (Oregon, USA)

Species with relatively narrow niches, such as plants restricted (endemic) to particular soils, may be especially vulnerable to extinction under a changing climate due to the enhanced difficulty they face in migrating to suitable new sites. To test for community-level effects of climate change, and to compare such effects in a highly endemic-rich flora on unproductive serpentine soils vs. the flora of normal (diorite) soils, in 2007 we resampled as closely as possible 108 sites originally studied by ecologist Robert H. Whittaker from 1949 to 1951 in the Siskiyou Mountains of southern Oregon, USA. We found sharp declines in herb cover and richness on both serpentine and diorite soils. Declines were strongest in species of northern biogeographic affinity, species endemic to the region (in serpentine communities only), and species endemic to serpentine soils. Consistent with climatic warming, herb communities have shifted from 1949-1951 to 2007 to more closely resemble communities found on xeric (warm, dry) south-facing slopes. The changes found in the Siskiyou herb flora suggest that biotas rich in narrowly distributed endemics may be particularly susceptible to the effects of a warming climate.

Oregon↗

USGS2006

Relationships between reef fish communities and remotely sensed rugosity measurements in Biscayne National Park, Florida, USA

The realization that coral reef ecosystem management must occur across multiple spatial scales and habitat types has led scientists and resource managers to seek variables that are easily measured over large areas and correlate well with reef resources. Here we investigate the utility of new technology in airborne laser surveying (NASA Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL)) in assessing topographical complexity (rugosity) to predict reef fish community structure on shallow (<10 m deep) patch reefs. Marine portions of Biscayne National Park, Florida, USA, were surveyed remotely using the EAARL, and reef fish populations were visually surveyed on 10 patch reefs at independent, randomly selected stations ( n = 10–13 per reef). Rugosity at each station was assessed in situ by divers using the traditional chain-transect method (10-m scale), and remotely using the EAARL submarine topography data at multiple spatial scales (2, 5, and 10 m). The rugosity and biological datasets were analyzed together to elucidate the predictive power of EAARL rugosity in describing the variance in reef fish community variables and to assess the correlation between chain-transect and EAARL rugosity. EAARL rugosity was not well correlated with chain-transect rugosity, or with species richness of fishes (although statistically significant, the amount of variance explained by the model was very low). Variance in reef fish community attributes was better explained in reef-by-reef variability than by physical variables. However, once the reef-by-reef variability was taken into account in a two-way analysis of variance, the importance of rugosity could be seen on individual reefs. Fish species richness and abundance were statistically higher at high rugosity stations compared to medium and low rugosity stations, as predicted by prior ecological research. The EAARL shows promise as an important mapping tool for reef resource managers as they strive to inventory and protect coral reef resources.

Florida↗

USGS2013

Computationally efficient statistical differential equation modeling using homogenization

Statistical models using partial differential equations (PDEs) to describe dynamically evolving natural systems are appearing in the scientific literature with some regularity in recent years. Often such studies seek to characterize the dynamics of temporal or spatio-temporal phenomena such as invasive species, consumer-resource interactions, community evolution, and resource selection. Specifically, in the spatial setting, data are often available at varying spatial and temporal scales. Additionally, the necessary numerical integration of a PDE may be computationally infeasible over the spatial support of interest. We present an approach to impose computationally advantageous changes of support in statistical implementations of PDE models and demonstrate its utility through simulation using a form of PDE known as “ecological diffusion.” We also apply a statistical ecological diffusion model to a data set involving the spread of mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) in Idaho, USA.

Journal of Agricultural, Biological, and Environme↗

USGS2026

Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction to assess phytoplankton and indicate eutrophication in freshwater rivers: A multiyear nationwide study across the United States

Phytoplankton are essential primary producers in fresh surface water that are critical to the health of ecosystems. However, phytoplankton overgrowth due to eutrophication threatens ecological, economic, and public health. Therefore, assessing phytoplankton is fundamental for understanding the productivity, health, and trophic status of freshwater ecosystems. Light microscopy and chlorophyll a assessment are common approaches for studying phytoplankton. They are easy to use, cost-effective, and reliable but have significant limitations. Microscopy has a low throughput and is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Chlorophyll a assessment does not reveal phytoplankton community composition and structure. For comparison, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is widely applied in quantifying microorganisms, offering multiple advantages, including high throughput, sensitivity, accuracy, and robustness. However, a research gap remains regarding the feasibility of using qPCR to assess phytoplankton and indicate trophic status of freshwater bodies. We conducted a nationwide, multiyear study in the United States to compare the performance of qPCR, microscopy, and chlorophyll a assessment in assessing phytoplankton and trophic statuses of multiple freshwater rivers. From early summer to late fall in 2017, 2018, and 2019, we assessed phytoplankton, chlorophyll a , pheophytin a , and the overall Trophic Level Index ( TLI Overall ) at the sampling sites in 12 large freshwater rivers in three regions (western, midcontinent, and eastern) across the United States. The seasonal summed abundance of four major phytoplankton taxa [Bacillariophyta (diatoms), Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), Chlorophyta (green algae), and Dinoflagellates (Dinophyta)] ranged from 6.88 log 10 (GCN·L –1 ) (the Connecticut River, 2017) to 9.29 log 10 (GCN·L –1 ) (the Kansas River, 2019) (GCN: gene or genome copy number). qPCR- and microscopy-based phytoplankton abundance of eight phytoplankton taxa had a significant positive allometric or log-linear correlation (adjusted R 2 = 0.836, p -value < 0.001, n = 815). In addition, qPCR-based phytoplankton abundance had positive allometric or log-linear correlations with chlorophyll a (adjusted R 2 = 0.5437, p -value < 0.001, n = 164), pheophytin a (adjusted R 2 = 0.3378, p -value < 0.001, n = 164), and TLI Overall (adjusted R 2 = 0.4789, p -value < 0.001, n = 164). Therefore, qPCR is a promising alternative to microscopy and chlorophyll a for studying phytoplankton and trophic status in freshwater rivers. Moreover, phytoplankton abundance had limited temporal variation within each sampling season and over the three sampling seasons in 2017, 2018, and 2019 but showed clear spatial variation. The midcontinent sites had significantly higher phytoplankton abundance, chlorophyll a concentrations, pheophytin a concentrations, and TLI Overall values than those in the eastern and western rivers, reflecting the higher trophic statuses of the midcontinent rivers. This work also provides the thresholds of qPCR-based phytoplankton abundance for delineating trophic statuses in freshwater rivers. Overall, this work demonstrates that qPCR is a promising tool for studying phytoplankton and characterizing the trophic status of freshwater rivers.

Book chapter↗

USGS2021

Coastal Tree-Ring Records for Paleoclimate and Paleoenvironmental Applications in North America

For more than a century, tree-ring research has identified relationships between climatic and ecological conditions and tree growth to describe past environments and constrain future ecosystem vulnerabilities. Tree-ring records are frequently used as environmental proxies that extend knowledge of past climate and ecology on millennial scales. Many of the most pressing global change questions facing North America concern the rate of climate change and vulnerability of ecosystems and society along the coast. The opportunities and applications in dendrochronology continue to grow with advancing methodologies, faster computational ability, and the cost-reduction of many chemical and anatomical analyses. Here, we propose that many pressing global change questions that affect coastal communities can be addressed using dendrochronological techniques. We review coastal tree-ring studies that demonstrate the utility and potential for future tree-ring studies in the northeastern, southeastern, northwestern, and southwestern North American coasts. Additionally, we show that tree-ring chronologies along the coast give insight into local and regional climate phenomena that are distinct from nearby, inland tree-ring chronologies of the same species. Lastly, we identify opportunities for coastal dendrochronology and encourage the collection of more tree-ring records that are directly impacted by coastal phenomena.

Quaternary Science Reviews↗

USGS2008

Checklists: An under-used tool for the inventory and monitoring of plants and animals

Checklists are widely used to catalog field observations of plants and animals. We used 25 years of bird checklist data from the Études des Populations d’Oiseaux du Quebec program to examine the ability of checklists to produce reliable conservation, management, and ecological information. We found that checklists can provide reliable information on changes in bird populations, phenology, and geographic and climate abundance patterns at local, regional, and continental scales. Professional and amateur conservation groups that need to develop extensive monitoring programs should take advantage of the fact that checklists, unlike other time-consuming and expensive techniques, can be used to detect large-scale changes in an entire community of species.

Quebec↗