Article
Ecology
Brandon J. Sansom, Bruce C. Call, Carl J. Legleiter, Robert B. Jacobson
Summary: The pallid sturgeon species has been negatively affected by channel modifications in the Lower Missouri River, which have altered its habitat and hindered its migration. However, a rehabilitation project aimed at improving the river's conditions for the sturgeon larvae has shown promising results.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Charlotte Wiman, Brynnydd Hamilton, Sylvia G. Dee, Samuel E. Munoz
Summary: Research indicates that discharge decreased in the lower Mississippi River during the Medieval era, and there is consistency between reconstructed and simulated discharge over the last millennium, supporting projections of decreased discharge in the 21st century under moderate greenhouse forcing scenarios.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Tanner L. L. Cox, Christopher S. S. Guy, Luke M. M. Holmquist, Molly A. H. Webb
Summary: Conservation propagation of pallid sturgeon upstream of Fort Peck Reservoir has successfully recruited a new generation of spawning-capable pallid sturgeon. Spawning locations of pallid sturgeon are related to discharge and substrate characteristics. Management of discharge and water temperature to mimic 2018 conditions may increase the probability of successful recruitment.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kirsten Sellheim, Malte Willmes, Levi S. Lewis, Jamie Sweeney, Joseph Merz, James A. Hobbs
Summary: Understanding the life-history diversity of fish populations is crucial for effective fisheries management and conservation. In this study, we examined the habitat use and migration patterns of White Sturgeon in the San Francisco Estuary. The results revealed a complex and diverse life history among individuals, with high variability in habitat use.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Water Resources
Christopher G. Wilson, Athanasios N. Papanicolaou, Benjamin K. B. Abban, Violeta B. Freudenberg, Seyed M. Ghaneeizad, Christos P. Giannopoulos, Hilafu T. Hilafu
Summary: This study investigates the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of Water Use Efficiency (WUE) and system WUE (sWUE) in the Obion River watershed, Tennessee. The findings highlight the importance of using sWUE as an indicator of water holding capacity and yield differences in agricultural landscapes. The presence of fragipan layers and soil types are shown to affect runoff and water storage capacity.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY-REGIONAL STUDIES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Daniela Nicoleta Holostenco, Mitica Ciorpac, Elena Taflan, Katarina Tosic, Marian Paraschiv, Marian Iani, Stefan Hont, Radu Suciu, Geta Risnoveanu
Summary: Genetic structure and diversity of the critically endangered stellate sturgeon wild population in the Danube River were studied over a 12-year period, revealing no evidence of population recovery. The study identified eleven maternal lineages and discussed several managerial concerns related to the species' conservation. The research provides important baseline data for the mtDNA diversity of this species of high socioeconomic and conservation interest.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Todd R. Gemeinhardt, Nathan J. C. Gosch, Jerrod R. Hall, Kasey W. Whiteman, Tim L. Welker, Joseph L. Bonneau
Summary: Large-scale movement of fishes poses a challenge for conservation and management in rivers, especially when endangered species are involved. Research on pallid sturgeon shows that they disperse over long distances during early life stages and potentially undergo a two-step downstream migration, highlighting the need for expanded monitoring for effective evaluation of conservation actions. Inter-jurisdictional management and collaboration are important to account for large-scale movement of river fishes.
AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Yibing Su, James A. Smith, Gabriele Villarini
Summary: The Lower Mississippi River has experienced a series of extreme floods in recent decades, with the Bonnet Carre spillway playing a crucial role. Through analyzing rainfall and atmospheric water balance factors, this study finds that anomalously large integrated water vapor flux corridors occur during heavy rainfall periods, and atmospheric rivers are important agents in extreme water vapor flux and rainfall events. The study also reveals significant increasing trends in both integrated water vapor flux and precipitable water across all time scales, indicating increased vulnerability for the Mississippi flood control system under current and future climate conditions.
JOURNAL OF HYDROMETEOROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Colt Holley, Pat Braaten, Barry Poulton, Edward Heist, Levi Umland, Tyler Haddix
Summary: The early life stages of the pallid sturgeon and shovelnose sturgeon were studied to compare their diets at different taxonomic levels. The results show that their diets are similar at coarse taxonomic scales but differ at fine taxonomic scales.
ENDANGERED SPECIES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Limnology
R. Eugene Turner, Charles S. Milan, Erick M. Swenson, James M. Lee
Summary: Large and turbid rivers like the Mississippi River have varying physical and chemical factors that affect the Chlorophyll a concentrations, with nutrient ratios playing a significant role in limiting phytoplankton biomass accumulations. High Chl a values are constrained to specific nutrient ratios, and changes in light conditions and turbulence could lead to phytoplankton blooms, potentially harmful algal blooms.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Martin Mayer, Christina Fischer, Niels Blaum, Peter Sunde, Wiebke Ullmann
Summary: This study investigates how roads and seasonal changes in habitat structure affect the space use and habitat selection of European hares. The findings highlight the importance of distinguishing between road types and suggest that animals in more heterogeneous landscapes are better able to avoid main roads. The study also emphasizes that homogeneous landscapes increase the probability of road crossings, which can have an impact on population dynamics.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiang Gao, Yiyin Liang, Yutian Zhu, Ke Zhang, Li Ding, Peng Zhang, Jianqiao Zhu
Summary: This study investigated the habitat selection mechanism of cranes in wetlands of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Two natural wetland reserves, Shengjin Lake and Poyang Lake, were selected as the study area. Satellite image data from 1999 to 2019 was used to calculate the vegetation cover index and landscape pattern index, and the entropy method was employed to determine the weight of the landscape index. The results revealed that the crane habitat in Shengjin Lake shifted towards non-crane habitat, while the habitat in Poyang Lake remained relatively stable. Vegetation coverage near Shengjin Lake was mostly woodland, which is not suitable for cranes, while grassland near Poyang Lake provided suitable resting and foraging places for cranes. In terms of landscape pattern, Shengjin Lake had a higher degree of fragmentation, complexity, and lower diversity compared to Poyang Lake. The study concluded that Poyang Lake had a higher landscape suitability for crane habitat and was more likely to be chosen as their overwintering habitat.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Bryan S. Stevens, Shane B. Roberts, Courtney J. Conway, Devin K. Englestead
Summary: Global change has led to an increase in megafire events, which significantly impact wildlife habitat. This study examined the functional responses and space use of breeding greater sage-grouse before and after a large-scale wildfire in Idaho, USA. The results showed that megafire altered the distribution of available resources and influenced the use of nesting habitat, while individual variation in resources affected brood rearing. Importantly, resource selection models built prior to the fire had poor transferability in predicting post-fire space use. These findings have important implications for understanding how animals respond to changing environments and can aid in habitat conservation efforts.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
R. Amorim, G. Villarini, W. Veacth, K. White
Summary: The navigability of the Mississippi River System (MRS) has reduced and become more fragmented since 1963, especially in the lower part of the basin. High water levels, rather than low water levels, are the main cause of navigability issues. This study provides basic information for developing strategies to mitigate potential negative effects in the U.S. navigation sector and potential future disruptions in the global supply chain.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
R. Eugene Turner
Summary: This study focuses on various air and water pollution issues confronted by the US over the past 60 years, with a particular emphasis on changes in bacteria, dissolved oxygen, lead, and sulfate concentrations at the terminus of the Mississippi River before and after the implementation of the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act. The research findings indicate significant improvements in water quality under these pollution abatement efforts.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Patrick T. Kroboth, Duane C. Chapman, Robert A. Hrabik, David A. Neely
JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2019)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
B. C. Poulton, P. T. Kroboth, A. E. George, D. C. Chapman, J. Bailey, S. E. McMurray, J. S. Faiman
AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST
(2019)
Editorial Material
Fisheries
P. T. Kroboth, C. L. Cox, D. C. Chapman, G. W. Whitledge
NORTH AMERICAN JOURNAL OF FISHERIES MANAGEMENT
(2019)
Article
Fisheries
Patrick T. Kroboth, Dylan A. Hann, Michael E. Colvin, Paul D. Hartfield, Harold L. Schramm
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Gregory W. Whitledge, Patrick T. Kroboth, Duane C. Chapman, Quinton E. Phelps, Wes Sleeper, Jennifer Bailey, Jill A. Jenkins
Summary: The black carp has become established in parts of the Mississippi River basin, with evidence of natural reproduction and multiple introductions or escapes from aquaculture sources. Further study is needed to better understand the extent and timing of black carp reproduction in the Mississippi River basin.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2022)