Natural gas compressor stations emit loud, low-frequency noise that travels hundreds of meters into undisturbed habitat. We used experimental playback of natural gas compressor noise to determine whether and how noise influenced... more
Natural gas compressor stations emit loud, low-frequency noise that travels hundreds of meters into undisturbed habitat. We used experimental playback of natural gas compressor noise to determine whether and how noise influenced settlement decisions and reproductive output as well as when in the nesting cycle birds were most affected by compressor noise. We established 80 nest boxes to attract Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) and Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) to locations where they had not previously nested and experimentally introduced shale gas compressor noise to half the boxes while the other 40 boxes served as controls. Our experimental design allowed us to control for the confounding effects of both physical changes to the environment associated with compressor stations as well as site tenacity or the tendency for birds to return to the specific locations where they had previously bred. We incorporated behavioral observations with video cameras placed within boxes to d...
Research Interests: Zoology, Habitat, Forests, Animal migration, Habitat Use, and 5 moreFragmentation, Species Richness, Area, Guild, and Autumn
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Population declines of Neotropical migrant songbirds breeding in the eastern deciduous forest have been attributed, in part, to low reproductive success resulting from high rates of brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothm... more
Population declines of Neotropical migrant songbirds breeding in the eastern deciduous forest have been attributed, in part, to low reproductive success resulting from high rates of brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothm ater). Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) nest records from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology were used to test whether rates of parasitism and the number of cowbird eggs or young per parasitized nest varied regionally with distance from the historic range of the cowbird. Rates of para- sitism differed significantly (P < 0.001) among the Midwest (42.1%), Mid-Atlantic (26.5%), and Northeast (14.7%). Mean number of cowbird eggs or young per parasitized nest differed significantly (P < 0.001) among regions and displayed similar regional trends with means of 2.09, 1.64, and 1.21, respectively. Rates of parasitism were correlated positively (r = 0.64, P = 0.002) with relative abundance of cowbirds and negatively correlated (r = -0.70, P = 0.001) wit...
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Large, continuous forest provides critical habitat for some species of forest dependent wildlife. The rapid expansion of shale gas development within the northern Appalachians results in direct loss of such habitat at well sites,... more
Large, continuous forest provides critical habitat for some species of forest dependent wildlife. The rapid expansion of shale gas development within the northern Appalachians results in direct loss of such habitat at well sites, pipelines, and access roads; however the resulting habitat fragmentation surrounding such areas may be of greater importance. Previous research has suggested that infrastructure supporting gas development is the driver for habitat loss, but knowledge of what specific infrastructure affects habitat is limited by a lack of spatial tracking of infrastructure development in different land uses. We used high-resolution aerial imagery, land cover data, and well point data to quantify shale gas development across four time periods (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016), including: the number of wells permitted, drilled, and producing gas (a measure of pipeline development); land use change; and forest fragmentation on both private and public land. As of April 2016, the majority of shale gas development was located on private land (74% of constructed well pads); however, the number of wells drilled per pad was lower on private compared to public land (3.5 and 5.4, respectively). Loss of core forest was more than double on private than public land (4.3 and 2.0%, respectively), which likely results from better management practices implemented on public land. Pipelines were by far the largest contributor to the fragmentation of core forest due to shale gas development. Forecasting future land use change resulting from gas development suggests that the greatest loss of core forest will occur with pads constructed farthest from pre-existing pipelines (new pipelines must be built to connect pads) and in areas with greater amounts of core forest. To reduce future fragmentation, our results suggest new pads should be placed near pre-existing pipelines and methods to consolidate pipelines with other infrastructure should be used. Without these mitigation practices, we will continue to lose core forest as a result of new pipelines and infrastructure particularly on private land.
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... 43, Agric. and Home Econ. Exp. Stn., Iowa State Univ., Ames. 31pp. WESTIN, FC, AND D. D.MALO. 1978. Soils of South Dakota. Agric. Exp. ... and Home Econ. Exp. Stn., Iowa State Univ., Ames. 31pp. WESTIN, FC, AND D. D. MALO. 1978. Soils... more
... 43, Agric. and Home Econ. Exp. Stn., Iowa State Univ., Ames. 31pp. WESTIN, FC, AND D. D.MALO. 1978. Soils of South Dakota. Agric. Exp. ... and Home Econ. Exp. Stn., Iowa State Univ., Ames. 31pp. WESTIN, FC, AND D. D. MALO. 1978. Soils of South Dakota. Agric. Exp. Stn. ...
ABSTRACT Worldwide, shale-gas development is becoming a feasible extraction practice and the northern Allegheny Plateau, USA is a region experiencing such development. We used a GIS to investigate topographic and soil characteristics... more
ABSTRACT Worldwide, shale-gas development is becoming a feasible extraction practice and the northern Allegheny Plateau, USA is a region experiencing such development. We used a GIS to investigate topographic and soil characteristics across existing and permitted shale-gas pads in Pennsylvania, which could affect infrastructure development and reclamation success. Results from this analysis, while regionally specific, can contribute knowledge for successful management of all shale-gas extraction. Approximately 60% of existing and permitted pads occur on slopes at risk to some excess surface water movement and local erosion. Pad development occurs &gt;90% of the time on back-slope landscape positions and 37% of the time on soils with a fragipan subsoil horizon, which can contribute to soil drainage problems. Most pads (73%) are developed on soils without drainage problems, but 21% are on potentially wet soils. Shale-gas development related to one pad typically disturbed a 0.1- to 20.5-ha area (mean of 2.7 ha). Aerial photography analysis from 2010 indicates a small proportion of pads have undergone restoration, and restored pads were recontoured and planted with grass. Agricultural lands restored after infrastructure development were found to return to some crop production. Assuming perfect site reclamation, grass, herbaceous, hardwood, and conifer establishment appears suitable across the range of existing and permitted pads; however revegetation success may be limited by poor soil reclamation.
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Research Interests: Zoology, Habitat, Forests, Animal migration, Habitat Use, and 5 moreFragmentation, Species Richness, Area, Guild, and Autumn
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Page 1. The Auk 112(1):146-155, 1995 EFFECTS OF FOREST PATCH SIZE ON NESTING SUCCESS OF WOOD THRUSHES JEFFREY P. HOOVER,&amp;amp;quot;3 MARGARET C. BRITTINGHAM,&amp;amp;#x27; AND LAURIE J. GOODRICH2 &amp;amp;#x27;School ...
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Page 1. Wilson Bull., 105(2), 1993, pp. 228-238 REGIONAL VARIATION IN COWBIRD PARASITISM OF WOOD THRUSHES JEFFREY P. HOOVERl AND MARGARET C. BRITTINGHAM&amp;#x27; ABSmRATr.-Population declines of Neotropical ...
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ABSTRACT Exclusion is the recommended method for removing roosting bats from buildings, but is often difficult to accomplish. A simpler way to limit bat-human conflicts may be to modify new and existing buildings to discourage colonies... more
ABSTRACT Exclusion is the recommended method for removing roosting bats from buildings, but is often difficult to accomplish. A simpler way to limit bat-human conflicts may be to modify new and existing buildings to discourage colonies from initially taking up residence. An understanding of the physical and microclimatic characteristics of maternity roosts is a prerequisite when modifying buildings to discourage colonies. We investigated factors influencing maternity roost selection in big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) by comparing characteristics of bat-occupied buildings with bat-unoccupied buildings at 10 sites. Bat-occupied buildings were significantly older, more likely to have galvanized steel (tin) roofs, more accessible to bats, and taller than randomly selected unoccupied buildings. In paired surveys, occupied attics were significantly more accessible to bats than physically similar unoccupied attics and exhibited significantly higher temperatures and wider temperature gradients. Disturbance levels, light levels, and humidity did not differ between occupied and paired unoccupied attics. To discourage bats from initially establishing a maternity roost within a building, limit all access points. In buildings where this is difficult, attics can be made less suitable as roost sites by reducing attic temperatures during the summer months. Bat boxes intended to house displaced maternity colonies should be designed to provide high daily temperatures and wide temperature gradients.
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... 1989. Forest characteristics related to pileated woodpecker territory size in Missouri. Condor 91:642-652. ... We thank SG Hereford, S. Gruder-Adams, and AJ Temple for field assistance. KI Lange allowed access to his office for... more
... 1989. Forest characteristics related to pileated woodpecker territory size in Missouri. Condor 91:642-652. ... We thank SG Hereford, S. Gruder-Adams, and AJ Temple for field assistance. KI Lange allowed access to his office for observing the Devil&amp;#x27;s Lake feeder. ...
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ABSTRACT Agricultural damage is a concern of farmers and agricultural and wildlife agencies at the state and federal levels. We compared questionnaire and independent on-the-ground sampling results to obtain estimates of wildlife-related... more
ABSTRACT Agricultural damage is a concern of farmers and agricultural and wildlife agencies at the state and federal levels. We compared questionnaire and independent on-the-ground sampling results to obtain estimates of wildlife-related damage to the 1995 corn crop in Pennsylvania, USA. We sampled 222 randomly selected cornfields (2.5 +/- 0.65 ha; (x) over bar +/- SE) and the respective operators. Pennsylvania farmers reported an average of 33 +/- 1.3 years of farming experience, 60% had &gt;75% of their income from farming, and 49% were dairy farmers. They owned 125.4 +/- 11.33 ha of which 55.8 +/- 4.05 ha were planted in corn. Average corn yield was 7.31 m(3)/ha (84 bu/ac), which was negatively influenced by drought. Average wildlife-related loss was 0.48 m(3)/ha (5.5 bu/ac) white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) loss was 0.35 m(3)/ha (4.0 bu/ac). For 132 farms, we had the fin-mer&#39;s (farm-wide) and the on-the-ground (field-specific) estimates of wildlife damage. The correlation between loss estimates (r = 0.263, P = 0.0013) was low. But no difference (t = 1.30, P = 0.196) Occurred between the mean estimates of corn loss (3 SE) reported by farmers for the farm (9.68 +/- 0.89%) and the on-the-ground estimate for a field (7.67 +/- 1.27%).
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We determined the prevalence of six genera of bacteria from a sample of 387 cloacal swabs from 364 passerines and woodpeckers. The prevalence of bacteria were as follows: Escherichia coli (1%), Pseudomonas spp. (22%), Salmonella spp.... more
We determined the prevalence of six genera of bacteria from a sample of 387 cloacal swabs from 364 passerines and woodpeckers. The prevalence of bacteria were as follows: Escherichia coli (1%), Pseudomonas spp. (22%), Salmonella spp. (0%), Staphylococcus spp. (15%), Streptococcus spp. (18%), and Yersinia spp. (1%). The prevalence of Streptococcus spp. was higher in omnivorous species than in granivorous species (20% versus 8%). Individuals captured at feeders had a lower prevalence of both Streptococcus spp. (15% versus 33%) and Escherichia coli (0.5% versus 4%) than birds that did not have access to feeders. These differences are probably not due to the feeder per se, but instead to other site related differences. The prevalence of bacteria did not differ between male and female black-capped chickadees, Parus atricapillus. For 279 color marked black-capped chickadees, we calculated the cumulative mortality rate during 12 wk following swabbing. Although the cumulative mortality rates of infected birds were consistently higher than the rates of non-infected birds, none of these differences were significant. Infections may cause slight reductions in survival rates, but we were not able to confirm this with our data.
Research Interests: Zoology, Diet, Wildlife Diseases, Escherichia coli, Wisconsin, and 17 moreBirds, Animals, Wildlife, Salmonella, Sex Factors, Survival Rate, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Bacterial infections, Wild Bird, Veterinary Sciences, Species Specificity, Yersinia Pestis, Environment, Mortality rate, Salmonella spp., and Cumulant
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... offices and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, we selected 15 sites where home-owners wished to exclude bat maternity colonies. ... conducted emergence counts at dusk on 2 nights with similar weather conditions (similar ambient... more
... offices and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, we selected 15 sites where home-owners wished to exclude bat maternity colonies. ... conducted emergence counts at dusk on 2 nights with similar weather conditions (similar ambient temperature, sky condition, wind) during late ...
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Worldwide shale-gas development has the potential to cause substantial landscape disturbance. The northeastern U.S., specifically the Allegheny Plateau in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky, is experiencing rapid exploration.... more
Worldwide shale-gas development has the potential to cause substantial landscape disturbance. The northeastern U.S., specifically the Allegheny Plateau in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky, is experiencing rapid exploration. Using Pennsylvania as a proxy for regional development across the Plateau, we examine land cover change due to shale-gas exploration, with emphasis on forest fragmentation. Pennsylvania&#39;s shale-gas development is greatest on private land, and is dominated by pads with 1-2 wells; less than 10 % of pads have five wells or more. Approximately 45-62 % of pads occur on agricultural land and 38-54 % in forest land (many in core forest on private land). Development of permits granted as of June 3, 2011, would convert at least 644-1072 ha of agricultural land and 536-894 ha of forest land. Agricultural land conversion suggests that drilling is somewhat competing with food production. Accounting for existing pads and development of all permits would result in at least 649 km of new road, which, along with pipelines, would fragment forest cover. The Susquehanna River basin (feeding the Chesapeake Bay), is most developed, with 885 pads (26 % in core forest); permit data suggests the basin will experience continued heavy development. The intensity of core forest disturbance, where many headwater streams occur, suggests that such streams should become a focus of aquatic monitoring. Given the intense development on private lands, we believe a regional strategy is needed to help guide infrastructure development, so that habitat loss, farmland conversion, and the risk to waterways are better managed.
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ABSTRACT Calcium is an important nutrient that can be limiting in many forest ecosystems, where acid deposition and other natural and anthropogenic activities have resulted in significant soil calcium depletion. Calcium’s critical role in... more
ABSTRACT Calcium is an important nutrient that can be limiting in many forest ecosystems, where acid deposition and other natural and anthropogenic activities have resulted in significant soil calcium depletion. Calcium’s critical role in physiological and structural processes and its limited mobility and storage in many organisms, make it a potential driver of ecosystem structure and function, but little is known about how changes in soil calcium affect community composition, especially in terrestrial vertebrates. The aim of this study was to establish relationships between the abundances of forest songbird species and soil calcium and to elucidate linking mechanisms by establishing simultaneous relationships with trophic and habitat variables. We measured soil calcium and pH, calcium-rich invertebrate abundances, vegetation, and songbird abundances at 14 interior forest sites across central Pennsylvania representing a range of soil calcium levels. Bird community composition varied with soil calcium and pH, with 10 bird species having the highest abundances in forests with high calcium soils, and five species having the highest abundances with low calcium soils. Bird species associated with low-calcium soils were associated with high densities of mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), an acid-loving shrub, whereas bird species associated with high-calcium soils were associated with high densities of saplings and high basal area of acid-sensitive tree species. Homogenization of soil conditions through land-use patterns and soil calcium depletion pose the risk of reducing the beta diversity of bird species across forest areas because community composition varied with soil calcium.