Northeastern Naturalist最新文献

{"title":"Re-Examination of an 85-Year-Old Peat Core from Bacon's Swamp Reveals New Understanding of the Natural History of Indiana's Southernmost “Sphagnum Bog”","authors":"A. L. Swinehart, Carlyn M. Hubbard","doi":"10.1656/045.030.0205","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1656/045.030.0205","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract - Historic Bacon's Swamp in Indianapolis is commonly regarded as the southernmost Sphagnum-dominated peatland in Indiana. Although pollen analyses have been published, no previous macrofossil investigations have been conducted. Recent attempts to retrieve a sediment core to recover macrofossils and study the palaeoecology of historic Bacon's Swamp failed due to the presence of extensive and deep gravel fill overlaying the remaining wetland sediments. Discovery of core samples collected for pollen analysis in 1936, before extensive dredging and filling of the peatland, provided an unusual opportunity to recover macrofossils. Macrofossils were remarkably well-preserved, despite having been dried for nearly 85 years. Those identified in this study indicate that the ecological succession of Bacon's Swamp was markedly different than previously reported. Changes in local or regional hydrology are evident and may have controlled the onset of developmental stages. Contrary to a previous published account, Sphagnum appears to have been a relatively recent pioneer in Bacon's Swamp rather than a long-term component of the flora.","PeriodicalId":49742,"journal":{"name":"Northeastern Naturalist","volume":"30 1","pages":"161 - 185"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47275224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Structures of the Demersal Fish Communities of New Bedford and Gloucester Harbors, Two Massachusetts Urban Estuaries","authors":"P. Geoghegan, M. Murphy, A. R. Wilbur","doi":"10.1656/045.030.0206","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1656/045.030.0206","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract - We sampled the inshore fish communities of New Bedford and Gloucester harbors synoptically using identical gear for 12 months during 1998–1999. Although the 2 harbors are only 110 km apart, they are separated by Cape Cod, which is the transition between the southern New England (New Bedford) and the Gulf of Maine (Gloucester) biogeographic regions. The 2 fish communities were 69% dissimilar from each other using the Bray–Curtis dissimilarity index (B–C). Stenotomus chrysops (Scup) composed 80% of the catch in New Bedford Harbor, did not occur in Gloucester Harbor, and contributed 7.40% to the total dissimilarity between the harbors. B–C identified 2 seasonal groups in the New Bedford Harbor fish community: May–October and November–April. Leucoraja spp. (skates) comprised the most numerous taxon captured in Gloucester Harbor, accounting for 24.90% of the total catch followed by Pseudopleuronectes americanus (Winter Flounder; 24.16%), and Gadus morhua (Atlantic Cod; 22.52%). These taxa contributed 7.23%, 3.88%, and 6.16% respectively to the total dissimilarity between harbors. B–C identified 4 seasonal groups in Gloucester Harbor: January, February and March, April and May, and June–December. These data provide an important description of the fish communities in the 2 harbors in different biogeographic regions at the end of the 20th century. We expect differences between the communities to decrease with increasing water temperature due to climate change.","PeriodicalId":49742,"journal":{"name":"Northeastern Naturalist","volume":"30 1","pages":"186 - 211"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49549775","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of Threatened, Endangered, and Rare Fish Species and Communities of the St. Lawrence River and Its Tributaries in the United States","authors":"J. E. Mckenna, A. David","doi":"10.1656/045.030.m2201","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1656/045.030.m2201","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract - Biodiversity is responsible for important ecological processes like productivity and ecosystem stability, and rare species are a major component of biodiversity. Rarity increases a species' vulnerability to disturbances and also makes them difficult to study. Globally, species of freshwater systems are some of the most threatened, and evaluation of rare freshwater species and their habitats is needed to help preserve natural flexibility and ecological function. We conducted an analysis of full fish communities of the upper St. Lawrence River and its major US tributaries, with the goals of determining species locations and abundances, associated environmental conditions, the distribution of distinct fish assemblages across the landscape (with emphasis on communities supporting rare species), and potential threats. From 2009 to 2015, the US Geological Survey (USGS) and Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT) worked together using standardized methods to collect community samples within 4 different aquatic realms (shallow and deep lentic, and small and large lotic systems) and determine species-specific fish abundances, frequencies of occurrence, and associated habitat signatures and spatial distributions. Distinct fish assemblages and associated habitat conditions were objectively identified by multivariate and hypothesis-testing methods. We used a geographic information system (GIS) to spatially associate habitat, biotic, and landscape attributes within each stream reach throughout the study area, facilitating quantification of distribution patterns. Comparisons with historical data provided estimates of loss or gain of threatened and endangered species (T&E) colonies. We developed a disturbance index to highlight potential threats to aquatic species. More than 140,000 fishes of 87 species were collected from a total of 1140 sample sites, covering 278 stream reaches, including the endangered Notropis anogenus (Pugnose Shiner), and threatened Hiodon tergisus (Mooneye), Etheostoma pellucidum (Eastern Sand Darter), and Acipenser fulvescens (Lake Sturgeon). We identified 50 distinct fish assemblages differing in species composition, abundance, and/or diversity, but only 13 of those assemblages included a T&E species. The rareness, extent, and patchiness of fish assemblages created a mosaic of fish communities across the landscape, from headwaters to the mainstem of the St. Lawrence River. Comparisons with historic surveys (1978–2008) showed a stable number of T&E species colonies or an increase for some species. The geographic distribution of multimetric disturbance index values showed where combinations of disturbances to fish habitats might affect rare fish species and aquatic communities in the region. The species–habitat associations and fish assemblage distributions can be used for evaluation of species, communities, or habitats that may need protection or restoration.","PeriodicalId":49742,"journal":{"name":"Northeastern Naturalist","volume":"30 1","pages":"1 - 71"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45911167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social Media Reports Inform the Spatio-temporal Distribution of Leach's Storm-Petrel Strandings Across the Island of Newfoundland","authors":"Tori V. Burt, Sydney M. Collins, W. Montevecchi","doi":"10.1656/045.030.0204","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1656/045.030.0204","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract - Hydrobates leucorhous (Leach's Storm-Petrel) are small, pelagic seabirds that breed at several large colonies around the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, which support ∼5,000,000 breeding adults. The Northwest Atlantic population has declined by ∼54% from 1974 to 2018. A major conservation concern is the stranding of birds in brightly lit coastal towns. We used social media reports to map 5411 Leach's Storm-Petrel strandings across the island of Newfoundland from 1 May to 30 November 2021. Sites on the eastern Avalon Peninsula were stranding hotpots, and the peak stranding period spanned mid-September to mid-October. We considered how attraction to anthropogenic light influenced the geographic and temporal patterns of the strandings. We also examined the use of social media information to gauge ecological events that occur over large geographic scales. We suggest further research and conservation strategies.","PeriodicalId":49742,"journal":{"name":"Northeastern Naturalist","volume":"30 1","pages":"151 - 160"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42339891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Patterns of Aquatic Insect Biodiversity in the Highly Urbanized Bronx River, NY","authors":"Matthew J. Lundquist, Elizabeth A. Scott","doi":"10.1656/045.030.0201","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1656/045.030.0201","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract - Aquatic insects are important components of stream food webs and are greatly impacted by anthropogenic disturbances, including urbanization. Successful restoration of urban rivers is contingent on the growth of aquatic insect populations from colonizers from local, less-disturbed streams. However, rivers in highly urbanized watersheds may not have nearby source populations, and therefore must rely only on individuals already surviving in the river. At the regional level, urbanization is a homogenizing process, but the impacts could be heterogeneous at the local level. Therefore, some sites within highly urban rivers might support higher local biodiversity and provide source populations for restoration projects focused on other sites in the river. In this study, we collected aquatic insects from sites within the Bronx River, a highly urbanized river in the New York City metropolitan area, NY, in the summers of 2021 and 2022. We found that while taxonomic richness was similar among sites, insect abundance and dominant taxa, particularly members of Hydropsychidae (Trichoptera), varied significantly among sites. These findings suggest sites within the Bronx River are not homogenous and that some sites within the river harbor larger populations of aquatic insects and may be integral to the success of future conservation projects. This pattern of within-river heterogeneity may exist in other urban rivers and deserves consideration in determining conservation goals and the planning of stream-restoration projects.","PeriodicalId":49742,"journal":{"name":"Northeastern Naturalist","volume":"30 1","pages":"122 - 134"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45819430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Observation of an Interaction between an Allegheny Woodrat (Neotoma magister) and a Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) in Pennsylvania","authors":"Colton M. Moyer, Joseph E. Duchamp, Tristan M. Smith, Jeffery L. Larkin","doi":"10.1656/045.030.0203","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1656/045.030.0203","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract - Neotoma magister (Allegheny Woodrat) is a threatened species in Pennsylvania and listed as Endangered in 4 of 5 bordering states. Declining food resources, genetic isolation, habitat fragmentation, disease, and increasing predator populations are considered the primary threats to Allegheny Woodrat populations. Herein, we share an observation captured on a wildlife camera of an adult woodrat displaying agonistic behavior toward a small Crotalus horridus (Timber Rattlesnake).","PeriodicalId":49742,"journal":{"name":"Northeastern Naturalist","volume":"30 1","pages":"N17 - N22"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47440271","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Daytime Surface Sightings and the Distribution of Finback (Balaenoptera physalus), Minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), and Humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) Whales in the Quoddy Region of the Bay of Fundy, Canada","authors":"Tessa Lachance, Jane Campbell, Stephen D. Turnbull","doi":"10.1656/045.030.0202","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1656/045.030.0202","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract - We collected data on the distribution of Balaenoptera physalus (Finback Whale), Balaenoptera acutorostrata (Minke Whale), and Megaptera novaeangliae (Humpback Whale), in the Quoddy region of the Bay of Fundy, Canada, from a whale-watching vessel during commercial tours from 2006 to 2012. Sightings were non-random between species and showed clumped distributions over the study area: Finback Whales (χ2 = 2454.03, df = 7, P < 0.005), Minke Whales (χ2 = 3488.24, df = 7, P < 0.005), and Humpback Whales (χ2 = 301.784, df = 7, P < 0.005). Minke Whales were most frequently sighted in Head Harbour Passage, high concentrations of Finback Whales were most frequently sighted off Blacks Harbour, and Humpback Whale sightings were highest around The Wolves. It appears that the whales aggregate in response to physical and biological features of the environment, such as depth, bottom topography, and fine-scale oceanographic features that enable foraging. Oceanographic features such as tidal state and temperature also influence the distribution of whales by aggregating their common prey species in high concentrations.","PeriodicalId":49742,"journal":{"name":"Northeastern Naturalist","volume":"30 1","pages":"135 - 150"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45091040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Temporal Variation in Boxelder Seed Predation by Small Mammals","authors":"Amber M. All, G. Adler, Jacob W. Dittel","doi":"10.1656/045.030.0111","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1656/045.030.0111","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract - Acer negundo (Boxelder) is a common tree in eastern North America. Fruits are paired samaras that mature in late summer but persist on trees for months. We examined temporal variation in predation rates by small mammals by attaching samaras to sewing bobbins in a forest in northeastern Wisconsin. We placed samaras in groups of 5 along transects and checked them regularly across 2 fall and 2 spring seasons to determine seed fates. Of the 6702 seeds, 15.26% were consumed, 81.41% were left intact, and 3.33% were aborted. Predation rates were higher in fall than in spring. Granivorous mammals did not secondarily disperse seeds but instead acted solely as seed predators. Releasing seeds over a longer period of time than other species of maples allows trees to increase seed survival by experiencing varying soil conditions and predation rates. Retained sterile fruits may act as decoys that decrease predation rates.","PeriodicalId":49742,"journal":{"name":"Northeastern Naturalist","volume":"30 1","pages":"114 - 121"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42252745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First Records of the Invasive New Zealand Mudsnail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) in the Potomac River Basin","authors":"Sean M. Hartzell, J. Frederick","doi":"10.1656/045.030.0110","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1656/045.030.0110","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract – The distribution of invasive Potamopyrgus antipodarum (New Zealand Mudsnail [NZM]) is relatively limited in eastern North America, with populations known in the Great Lakes basin and scattered locations in several Atlantic Slope drainages. Herein, we report the first documented occurrence of NZM in the Potomac River basin, based on collections at 2 adjacent sites in Falling Spring Branch, Franklin County, PA. We speculate the species was introduced into Falling Spring Branch via fishing gear from Susquehanna River basin tributaries in adjacent Cumberland County where there are documented NZM populations.","PeriodicalId":49742,"journal":{"name":"Northeastern Naturalist","volume":"30 1","pages":"N13 - N16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44354138","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Demographics of Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) Packs Recolonizing Variable Habitats in Central Wisconsin","authors":"T. Simpson, R. Thiel, Derrick T. Sailer, D. Reineke, M. Thomsen","doi":"10.1656/045.030.0108","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1656/045.030.0108","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract – Some Canis lupus (Gray Wolf, hereafter Wolf) live in disjunct populations including Wisconsin's Central Forest Region (CFR), recolonizing there in the early 1990s. We examined how habitat factors and period of initial recolonization facilitated successful re-establishment of Wolves to this region. We divided this event into 3 periods: early (1994–1999), middle (2000–2005), and late (2006–2012). We defined habitat classes of individual pack territories as optimal, mixed, and marginal, based on: (1) percent public land, (2) percent agricultural land, and (3) road density. We analyzed the influence of time and habitat classes on pack territory size, winter pack size, pup presence, Wolf–human conflicts, human-caused Wolf mortalities, territory persistence, and reproductive performance. Pack demographics were similar across time, except pup presence was slightly lower during the middle period. Wolf–human conflicts increased over time and were correlated with population growth. Packs in marginal habitat were smaller in winter, exhibited lower reproductive performance, had more conflicts with humans, and experienced human-caused mortalities at rates 4 and 7 times higher than mixed and optimal habitats, respectively. We demonstrate that Gray Wolves tolerate some level of human-altered landscapes and identify demographic parameters that impact the Wolves' ability to survive in human-dominated landscapes.","PeriodicalId":49742,"journal":{"name":"Northeastern Naturalist","volume":"30 1","pages":"75 - 98"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46652689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}