A5024729031- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes
- Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Ecology and biodiversity studies
- Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology
- Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Animal and Plant Science Education
- Climate Change Communication and Perception
- Contemporary and Historical Greek Studies
- Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Rabbits: Nutrition, Reproduction, Health
- Marine and fisheries research
- Plant and animal studies
- Flood Risk Assessment and Management
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
Cramer Fish Sciences (United States)
2021-2024
Washington State University
2015-2024
University of Idaho
2012-2016
Abstract An animal's ability to avoid predation likely depends on its detect approaching predators, conceal itself, and seek refuge or protection from predators. Habitat, especially vegetation structure, can influence all of these factors concurrently. Binary categorical assessments habitat as ‘open’ ‘closed’, however, confound at least two functions structure that could the perceived risk predation: concealment, which hide an individual, visibility, enhances detection a potential predator....
The term “cover” has been used broadly in ecology, with a wide range of meanings, from thermal cover to security cover, escape cover. Some habitat features could provide both and or concealment cover; but other cases, such as vegetation impose tradeoff between opposing functions Cover that conceals an animal predator also reduce the animal's visibility thus, its ability detect early enough capture. We quantified functional properties (concealment visibility) evaluated relationship these...
Small mammals in habitats with strong seasonal variation the thermal environment often exhibit physiological and behavioral adaptations for coping extremes reducing thermoregulatory costs. Burrows are especially important providing refuge when above-ground temperatures require high regulatory costs (e.g., water or energy) exceed tolerances of an organism. Our objective was to explore role burrows as refuges a small endotherm, pygmy rabbit ( Brachylagus idahoensis ), during summer winter by...
Summary Small herbivores face risks of predation while foraging and are often forced to trade off food quality for safety. Life history, behaviour, habitat predator prey can influence these trade‐offs. We compared how two sympatric rabbits (pygmy rabbit, B rachylagus idahoensis ; mountain cottontail, S ylvilagus nuttallii ) that differ in size, use burrows, specialization the sagebrush‐steppe western N orth A merica respond amount orientation concealment cover proximity burrow refuges when...
Contemporary climate change is modifying the distribution, morphology, phenology, physiology, evolution, and interspecific interactions of species. Effects are mediated not only through magnitude experienced (exposure) an animal's sensitivity to such changes, but also ability population or species adjust climatic variability genetically, behaviorally, spatially (via its distribution) (i.e., adaptive capacity; AC). Here, we used attribute-based framework systematically evaluate compare AC...
When selecting habitats, herbivores must weigh multiple risks, such as predation, starvation, toxicity, and thermal stress, forcing them to make fitness trade-offs. Here, we applied the method of paired comparisons (PC) investigate how trade-offs between habitat features that influence selection food patches. The PC measures utility inverse utility, relative risk, makes indifferences explicit by animals choices two patches with different types risks. Using a series paired-choice experiments...
The objective of this study was to evaluate if canopy cover, topographic obstruction the sky, and differences among vegetation type affected performance global positioning system (GPS) telemetry in southern Ecuador. A GPS collar placed at 30 test sites Podocarpus National Park, Ecuador, we estimated cover each site. mean fix success rate 87.7% (SD = 22.3%), location error for 9.7 m 4.17 m). Canopy significantly reduced our area both terms acquisition rate. However, did not influence errors...
Abstract Forage quality surveys can provide a variety of insights into the nutritional well‐being herbivores. Even small differences in how much food eaten be digested and used for life requisites (dry matter digestibility %; DMD) affect performance ruminants, thus methods determining forage must accurate, repeatable, robust among laboratories over time. In 2013, we observed levels DMD as determined from sequential detergent fiber assays with filter bag method ANKOM analyzer 200/200® that...
Abstract Sympatric species that are ecologically similar must either segregate through habitat disassociation or engage in biotic interactions with one another. Mule ( Odocoileus hemionus ) and white‐tailed deer virginianus ungulate distributed across North America both areas of sympatry allopatry. Over many decades, have been expanding their range into historically used allopatrically by mule deer, potentially leading to increased between the species. However, degree which two...
Understanding habitat use by animals requires understanding the simultaneous tradeoffs between food and predation risk within a landscape. Quantifying synergy patches that provide quality those are safe from predators at scale relevant to foraging animal could better reveal parameters influence selection. To understand more thoroughly how select components, we investigated diet in species endemic sagebrush Artemisia spp. communities North America, pygmy rabbit Brachylagus idahoensis. This is...
Livestock grazing is one of the primary uses sagebrush rangelands in western North America; therefore, an understanding ecological implications on habitat quality for sagebrush-dependent wildlife needed to help land managers balance multiple objectives use. We studied effects cattle components uncommon specialist, pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis), which has been petitioned endangered or threatened status USA. evaluated before and after replicated control treatment plots a mesic,...
Range contractions in the Great Basin over last century suggest that American pikas (Ochotona princeps) might be highly sensitive to climate change. However, documentation of residing at relatively warm, low-elevation sites has recently shed new light on possible resilience pika populations warmer ambient conditions when they have access cooler microhabitats for thermoregulation. To provide insight into behavioral mechanisms adaptation habitats, we investigated activity patterns, foraging...
Biodiversity science encompasses multiple disciplines and biological scales from molecules to landscapes. Nevertheless, biodiversity data are often analyzed separately with discipline‐specific methodologies, constraining resulting inferences a single scale. To overcome this, we present topic modeling framework analyze community composition in cross‐disciplinary datasets, including those generated metagenomics, metabolomics, field ecology remote sensing. Using models, demonstrate how...
Abstract Congeneric species often share ecological niche space resulting in competitive interactions that either limit co-occurrence or lead to partitioning. Differences fundamental nutritional niches mediated through character displacement isolation during evolution are potential mechanisms could explain overlapping distribution patterns of congenerics. We directly compared requirements and tolerances influence the mule (Odocoileus hemionus) white-tailed deer (O. virginianus), which occur...
How intensely animals use habitat features depends on their functional properties (i.e., how the feature influences fitness) and spatial temporal scale considered. For herbivores, is expected to reflect competing risks of starvation, predation, thermal stress, but relative influence each property vary in space time. We examined a dietary specialist, pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis), used these its sagebrush habitat-food quality, security, refuge-at two hierarchical scales (microsite...
Abstract Estimating juvenile salmon habitat carrying capacities is a critical need for restoration planning. We assimilated more than 4500 unique estimates of published densities (e.g., fish/m 2 ) in estuarine and floodplain habitats. These density data were categorized by species life stage, type, seasonal period, geographic region to develop frequency statistics 25th 75th percentiles, or quartiles). then used expansion approach estimate based on extent. demonstrate the applying quantiles...
Floodplain habitat restoration has become a common component of river throughout the Pacific Northwest and is critical to recovery salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) steelhead (O. mykiss), yet little information exists on physical or biological response these efforts. Using an extensive post-treatment design combination remote sensing field surveys, we sampled 17 floodplain projects designed benefit anadromous fish in Columbia River Basin. We detected significant increases side channel metrics...
Abstract Objective A variety of analytical approaches have been developed in recent years to estimate salmon Oncorhynchus spp. freshwater habitat capacity assist with planning and evaluating restoration. We compared contrasted seven different methods for estimating juvenile Chinook Salmon O. tshawytscha rearing (total number fish that a given area can support), abundance, suitability 3.2‐km reach the Grande Ronde River, Oregon. Methods This included used statistical methodologies applied...