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Review of: Behle, William H. 1985. Utah Birds: Geographic Distribution and Systematics. Occasional Publication No. 5, Utah Museum of Natural History, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah. 147 pp.
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This book is the outcome of four decades of work in Afghanistan by the author, John (Jack) Shroder. His travels and research throughout Afghanistan and his understanding of its place in regional and world history provide the foundation for this comprehensive 572-page reference. The book describes the interrelated nature of Afghanistan’s physical and political landscape over time and the role resources have, and have not, played in Afghanistan’s past and could play in its future. Review info: Natural resources in Afghanistan: Geographic and geologic perspectives on centuries of conflict by John F. Shroder, 2014. ISBN 978-01280013356, 572 pp.
The number of subspecies recognized in Hirundo pyrrhonota Vieillot (Cliff Swallow) from Alaska, Canada, and the northern contiguous United States ranges from one (Peters 1960) to three (e.g., Jewett et al. 1953, Oberholser, 1920, breeding from central Alaska to the central Great Basin, and two disjunct populations of nominate pyrrhonota , breeding on the west coast and east of the Rocky Mountains. Although various authors have reported measurements of wing chord, they have not provided quantitative data for other plumage characters, and they disagree in the characterizations and ranges of the subspecies they recognize. Because of this, I reviewed the geographic variation among the northern populations. My study is confined to specimens from Alaska, Canada, and the contigeous United States south to Merced County in California, both slopes of the Rocky Mountains from Montana and Colorado, and northern half of the eastern United States from Kansas east to Virginia (Figure 1). The A.O.U. (1957) gave the breeding range of hypopolia as extending from Alaska and Mackenzie to southeastern British Columbia, the eastern parts of Washington, Oregon, and central-eastern California, central Nevada, northern Utah, Montana, and northwestern Wyoming, and the range of nominate pyrhonota as from southwestern British Columbia, western Oregon and Washington to southern California, southern Nevada, southern and eastern Utag, and east of the Rocky Mountains. I excluded specimens of H. p. ganieri Phillips, 1986, a subspecies (Browning 1990) that breeds from at least west-central Tennessee to Texas, and H. p. tachina Oberholser, 1903 (sensu Phillips 1986), which breeds north to central California, Utah, Arizona, and new Mexico. I follow Phillips (1973) for the use of the generic name Hirundo for the Cliff Swallow, Hellmayr (1935) for the use of the specific name pyrrhonota .
The ARkStorm Scenario predicts that a prolonged winter storm event across California would cause extreme precipitation, flooding, winds, physical damages, and economic impacts. This study uses a literature review and geographic information system-based analysis of national and state databases to infer how and where ARkStorm could cause environmental damages, release contamination from diverse natural and anthropogenic sources, affect ecosystem and human health, and cause economic impacts from environmental-remediation, liability, and health-care costs. Examples of plausible ARkStorm environmental and health concerns include complex mixtures of contaminants such as petroleum, mercury, asbestos, persistent organic pollutants, molds, and pathogens; adverse physical and contamination impacts on riverine and coastal marine ecosystems; and increased incidences of mold-related health concerns, some vector-borne diseases, and valley fever. Coastal cities, the San Francisco Bay area, the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, parts of the Central Valley, and some mountainous areas would likely be most affected. This type of screening analysis, coupled with follow-up local assessments, can help stakeholders in California and disaster-prone areas elsewhere better plan for, mitigate, and respond to future environmental disasters.
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Driving forces facilitate or inhibit land-use/land-cover change. Human driving forces include political, economic, cultural, and social attributes that often change across time and space. Remotely sensed imagery provides regional land-change data for the Northern Piedmont, an ecoregion of the United States that continued to urbanize after 1970 through conversion of agricultural and forest land covers to developed uses. Eight major driving forces facilitated most of the land conversion; other drivers inhibited or slowed change. A synergistic web of drivers may be more important in understanding land change than individual drivers by themselves.
The recollections of many old-timers who tell of grass “stirrup high” have given rise to the idea that vegetation in the Southwest was uniformly better in the middle of the last century than it is at present. The change is usually attributed to overgrazing, which timed if it did not cause extensive gullying of the alluvial valleys, I lowering the water table and decreasing the availability of water for plant use. This idea of an originally verdant vegetation, deteriorated as a result of man’s activities, has led to overoptimism concerning the possible results of reduced grazing. Obviously, any decrease in grazing pressure is a step in the right direction, but it is no exaggeration to say that recovery fo vegetation density on depleted ranges, even after protection for years, has been spotty and, in many places, disappointing. We may have allowed ourselves to be deluded by hopes of ‘restoring’ over large areas a level of vegetation density that was originally attained only in selected localities. This conclusion is supported by the published diaries and field notes of members of early American exploring parties. They show that in certain places, particularly in south-central Arizona where grass is now meager, the alluvial valleys formerly supported large expanses of grassland. However, there were also many areas, even alluvial valleys, where grass was so poor that forage for a string of horses could hardly be obtained. Other areas, such as the Rio Puerco Valley, supported good grass in some places but only scattered shrubs, furnishing poor forage, in others, though until well past the middle of the nineteenth century extensive grazing had been prevented by frequent raids of hostile Indians.
Terrestrial ecosystems and vegetation of Africa were classified and mapped as part of a larger effort and global protocol (GEOSS – the Global Earth Observation System of Systems), which includes an activity to map terrestrial ecosystems of the earth in a standardized, robust, and practical manner, and at the finest possible spatial resolution. To model the potential distribution of ecosystems, new continental datasets for several key physical environment datalayers (including coastline, landforms, surficial lithology, and bioclimates) were developed at spatial and classification resolutions finer than existing similar datalayers. A hierarchical vegetation classification was developed by African ecosystem scientists and vegetation geographers, who also provided sample locations of the newly classified vegetation units. The vegetation types and ecosystems were then mapped across the continent using a classification and regression tree (CART) inductive model, which predicted the potential distribution of vegetation types from a suite of biophysical environmental attributes including bioclimate region, biogeographic region, surficial lithology, landform, elevation and land cover. Multi-scale ecosystems were classified and mapped in an increasingly detailed hierarchical framework using vegetation-based concepts of class, subclass, formation, division, and macrogroup levels. The finest vegetation units (macrogroups) classified and mapped in this effort are defined using diagnostic plant species and diagnostic growth forms that reflect biogeographic differences in composition and sub-continental to regional differences in mesoclimate, geology, substrates, hydrology, and disturbance regimes (FGDC, 2008). The macrogroups are regarded as meso-scale (100s to 10,000s of hectares) ecosystems. A total of 126 macrogroup types were mapped, each with multiple, repeating occurrences on the landscape. The modeling effort was implemented at a base spatial resolution of 90 m. In addition to creating several rich, new continent-wide biophysical datalayers describing African vegetation and ecosystems, our intention was to explore feasible approaches to rapidly moving this type of standardized, continent-wide, ecosystem classification and mapping effort forward.
Watershed-based trading and offset systems are being developed to improve policy-maker?s and regulator?s ability to assess nonpoint source impacts in watersheds and to evaluate the efficacy of using market-incentive programs for preserving environmental quality. An overview of the history of successful and failed trading programs throughout the United States suggests that certain political, economic, and scientific conditions within a temporal and spatial setting help meet water quality standards. The current lack of spontaneous trading among dischargers does not mean that a marketable permit trading system is an inherently inefficient regulatory approach. Rather, its infrequent use is the result of institutional and informational barriers. Improving and refining the earth science information and technologies may help determine whether trading is a suitable policy for improving water quality. However, it is debatable whether or not environmental information is the limiting factor. This paper reviews additional factors affecting the potential for instituting a trading policy. The motivation for investigating and reviewing the history of offsets and trading was inspired by a project in the preliminary stages being developed by U.S. Geological Survey Western Geographic Science Center and the Environmental Protection Agency Region IX. An offset feasibility study will be an integrated, map-based approach that incorporates environmental, economic, and statistical information to investigate the potential for using offsets to meet mercury Total Maximum Daily Loads in the Sacramento River watershed. A regional water-quality offset program is being studied that may help known point sources reduce mercury loading more cost effectively by the remediation of abandoned mines or other diffuse sources as opposed to more costly treatment at their own sites. An efficient offset program requires both a scientific basis and methods to translate that science into a regulatory decision framework.
Sarcoptic mange, a skin infestation caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei , is an emerging disease for some species of wildlife, potentially jeopardizing their welfare and conservation. Sarcoptes scabiei has a near-global distribution facilitated by its forms of transmission and use of a large diversity of host species (many of those with broad geographic distribution). In this review, we synthesize the current knowledge concerning the geographic and host taxonomic distribution of mange in wildlife, the epidemiological connections between species, and the potential threat of sarcoptic mange for wildlife conservation. Recent sarcoptic mange outbreaks in wildlife appear to demonstrate ongoing geographic spread, increase in the number of hosts and increased virulence. Sarcoptic mange has been reported in at least 12 orders, 39 families and 148 species of domestic and wild mammals, making it one of the most generalist ectoparasites of mammals. Taxonomically, the orders with most species found infested so far include Perissodactyla (67% species from the entire order), Artiodactyla (47%), and Diprotodontia (67% from this order). This suggests that new species from these mammal orders are likely to suffer cross-species transmission and be reported positive to sarcoptic mange as surveillance improves. We propose a new agenda for the study of sarcoptic mange in wildlife, including the study of the global phylogeography of S. scabiei , linkages between ecological host traits and sarcoptic mange susceptibility, immunology of individuals and species, development of control strategies in wildlife outbreaks and the effects of global environmental change in the sarcoptic mange system. The ongoing transmission globally and sustained spread among areas and wildlife species make sarcoptic mange an emerging panzootic in wildlife. A better understanding of sarcoptic mange could illuminate the aspects of ecological and evolutionary drivers in cross-species transmission for many emerging diseases.
We reviewed the temporal, geographic, and biogeographic distribution, as well as relevant research and publication attributes, of 512 documents addressing the effects of fire on avian communities, to provide an assessment of the scope of this literature and recommendations for future research. We summarized relevant attributes of all documents to identify patterns that were then tested against appropriate null models. Most documents reported on original research, with the literature evenly divided between studies investigating controlled fire and those reporting on uncontrolled wildfires. Conceptual reviews made up the second largest category; methodological reviews, bibliographies, and meta-analyses were rare. Although the literature examined spans nearly a century, most documents were published within the last 15 years, with new literature being added at an increasing rate. However, increases seem to be skewed towards original research at the expense of synthesis. An overwhelming majority of documents were published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and in English. Other important publication outlets included MS and PhD theses and conference proceedings. The spatial distribution of documents by continent and biogeographic domain and division differed significantly from expectations based on land area. Future research on avian community response to fire should focus on (1) continued synthesis, emphasizing methodological reviews, bibliographies, and North America; (2) increasing research efforts in areas currently underrepresented in the literature, including Africa, Asia, and South and Central America; and (3) meta-analyses. ?? 2009 IAWF.
Avian incubation attentiveness has important fitness consequences through its influence on the number and quality of hatched young and energetic costs imposed on parents. Nest attentiveness is highly variable across species and geographical regions. We reviewed the literature and found a worldwide pattern that nest attentiveness of passerines is generally lower in south temperate and tropical regions than in north temperate regions. We also conducted a food manipulation experiment to assess the extent to which nest attentiveness may reflect proximate responses versus an evolved behaviour. We used the karoo prinia, Prinia maculosa, in South Africa, which has very low nest attentiveness (???49%) compared with that of many passerine birds. We provided supplemental food during early incubation to experimental females and compared nest attentiveness and on- and off-bout lengths of experimental and paired control females.??Nest attentiveness of females at food-provisioned nests was significantly higher than that of control females (57% versus 49%). Food-supplemented females also spent significantly less time off the nest than did control females, whereas mean on-bout lengths did not differ. However, mean nest attentiveness of food-provisioned females was still substantially below that of other similar bird species worldwide. Food can be an important proximate influence on parental care behaviour, but proximate influences of food do not explain broad latitudinal patterns of attentiveness. ?? 2007 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
Capture-recapture methods for estimating rates of immigration, emigration, and movement among geographic strata are reviewed. We discuss likelihood-based estimation methods under models incorporating Markovian and non-Markovian movement. We briefly describe a computer program developed by Brownie et al. (1992) to carry out the necessary estimation and testing.
In the process of developing a continuous hydrographic data layer for water resources applications in the Pacific Northwest, map-edge discontinuities in the U.S. Geological Survey 1:100 ,000-scale digital data that required application of computer-assisted edgematching procedures were identified. The spatial data sets required by the project must have line features that match closely enough across map boundaries to ensure full line topology when adjacent files are joined by the computer. Automated edgematching techniques are evaluated as to their effects on positional accuracy. Interactive methods such as selective node-matching and on-screen editing are also reviewed. Interactive procedures complement automated methods by allowing supervision of edgematching in a cartographic and hydrologic context. Common edge conditions encountered in the preparation of the Northwest Rivers data base are described, as are recommended processing solutions. Suggested edgematching procedures for 1:100,000-scale hydrography data are included in an appendix to encourage consistent processing of this theme on a national scale. (USGS)
The proportion of people living in urban areas is growing globally. Understanding how to manage urban biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and ecosystem services is becoming more important. Biodiversity can increase ecosystem functioning in non-urban systems. However, few studies have reviewed the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in urban areas, which differ in species compositions, abiotic environments, food webs, and turnover rates. We reviewed evidence of biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships in urban environments and assessed factors that influence the relationship direction. Based on 70 studies, relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning were more positive than negative in urban areas, especially for pollination and nutrient cycling and retention. Surprisingly, positive and negative relationships between biodiversity and biomass production and storage were equally not statistically different, perhaps due to extensive plant management in urban areas. The number of studies and geographic coverage of our review was still insufficient to provide a general predictive framework for when biodiversity positively impacts ecosystem functioning. We identify gaps and opportunities to improve urban biodiversity–ecosystem functioning research and discuss how our findings can improve urban green space management.
This book is intended to replace the instructions relating to the topographic work of the United States Geological Survey, issued as a part of the general Survey, instructions of 1903, which are now in many respects obsolete, although revised portions of them have, from time to time, been issued as circular letters or printed leaflets. The several portions of this book were prepared by the members of the topographic branch best qualified for the task and were assembled and revised by the division chiefs and finally reviewed by the chief geographer. It is desired to make the instructions complete so far as the technical work of map making is concerned and to reduce to a minimum the necessity for personal instructions.
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