Article
Ecology
Kathryn E. Bischoff, Tracy A. G. Rittenhouse, Chadwick D. Rittenhouse
Summary: In response to habitat loss, managers often focus on restoring habitat to encourage species establishment. However, recent research suggests that traditional habitat management strategies may not be effective when dealing with introduced competitor species. This study evaluates the occupancy patterns of New England cottontail and eastern cottontail and determines the influence of patch and landscape characteristics on their occurrence.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Drew Eline, Jonathan B. Cohen, Christopher M. Whipps, Amanda E. Cheeseman
Summary: This study evaluated the newly revised best management practices for the imperiled New England cottontail, finding that retaining higher tree canopy closure promoted stronger selection by this species. The management strategy and canopy cover did not affect the selection of eastern cottontails. Both species had a high survival probability, which was not correlated with the time spent in management areas.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Mohammad A. Abu Baker, Sara E. Emerson, Jessica Gorman, Joel S. Brown
Summary: The study found that cottontail rabbits in different seasons and locations have varied dietary choices and adjust food intake according to their needs. In Appleton and Chicago, the rabbits showed a preference for high protein, high fiber pellets.
Article
Biology
Jesse W. Young, Adam D. Foster, Gabrielle A. Russo, Gregory A. Smith, Michael T. Butcher
Summary: The juvenile stage of life can be dangerous for many animals, as they have to face the same survival pressures as adults despite their smaller size. A study on wild cottontail rabbits found that juvenile rabbits accelerate faster and have higher escape speeds than adults, suggesting mechanisms to increase their reproductive potential and survival.
INTEGRATIVE ORGANISMAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Wales A. Carter, Thomas J. McGreevy Jr, Brian D. Gerber, Amy E. Mayer, Mary E. Sullivan, Brian C. Tefft, Thomas P. Husband
Summary: This study analyzed the diets of the New England cottontail and eastern cottontail using fecal pellet analysis and compared diet composition with available plant communities. The results showed no differences in diets between the two species, although diets did differ between regions within the study area. The study highlights the need for careful evaluation of interactions between native and nonnative species to develop conservation plans that appropriately account for interspecific competition.
JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kyle Testerman, Paul Hapeman
Summary: Predation pressure from carnivores can have significant consequences for prey species, such as the declining New England cottontails in Connecticut. The restoration of their habitat is underway, but key predators remain a threat. Camera surveys revealed the presence of carnivores in early successional habitat, with coyotes having the highest occupancy. High road densities and the intensity of cottontail detections influenced the models. The expansion of carnivores, particularly coyotes and bobcats, may impact the recovery of New England cottontails, but efforts to promote contiguous habitat and reduce isolated patches can improve their chances of recovery.
JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Drew Eline, Jonathan B. Cohen, Christopher M. Whipps, Amanda E. Cheeseman
Summary: This study evaluated the newly revised best management practices for the imperiled New England cottontail, finding that retaining higher tree canopy closure promoted stronger selection by this species. The management strategy and canopy cover did not affect the selection of eastern cottontails. Both species had a high survival probability, which was not correlated with the time spent in management areas.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Johnny A. A. Uelmen Jr, Bennett Lamcyzk, Patrick Irwin, Dan Bartlett, Chris Stone, Andrew Mackay, Arielle Arsenault-Benoit, Sadie J. Ryan, John-Paul Mutebi, Gabriel L. Hamer, Megan Fritz, Rebecca L. Smith
Summary: This study compares traditional trapping methods with the less commonly used human landing catch (HLC) method for sampling potential West Nile virus vectors. The results show that the HLC method provides important insight into the species of mosquitoes biting humans in the region, but alternative approaches must be explored to incorporate this method safely into control programs due to the risk to collectors.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Shreejana Bhattarai, Jason K. Blackburn, Sarah L. McKune, Sadie J. Ryan
Summary: Nepal aims to eliminate malaria by 2026. This study analyzed the spatio-temporal patterns of malaria in Nepal from 2005 to 2018 and identified spatial clusters with increasing malaria, indicating the need for targeted vector control interventions.
SPATIAL AND SPATIO-TEMPORAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Binqi Chen, Amy R. Sweeny, Velen Y. Wu, Rebecca C. Christofferson, Gregory Ebel, Anna C. Fagre, Emily Gallichotte, Rebekah C. Kading, Sadie J. Ryan, Colin J. Carlson
Summary: Arboviruses are often undercharacterized, receiving attention during outbreaks but otherwise lacking research. Global change is increasing the emergence of arboviral diseases, raising questions about virus-vector interactions. A systematic review found that most mosquito-virus combinations have not been tested experimentally, and entire regions are undersampled. These knowledge gaps hinder outbreak response and the development of predictive models.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Peter O. Dunn, Insiyaa Ahmed, Elise Armstrong, Natasha Barlow, Malcolm A. Barnard, Marc Belisle, Thomas J. Benson, Lisha L. Berzins, Chloe K. Boynton, T. Anders Brown, Melissa Cady, Kyle Cameron, Xuan Chen, Robert G. Clark, Ethan D. Clotfelter, Kara Cromwell, Russell D. Dawson, Elsie Denton, Andrew Forbes, Kendrick Fowler, Kevin C. Fraser, Kamal J. K. Gandhi, Dany Garant, Megan Hiebert, Claire Houchen, Jennifer Houtz, Tara L. Imlay, Brian D. Inouye, David W. Inouye, Michelle Jackson, Andrew P. Jacobson, Kristin Jayd, Christy Juteau, Andrea Kautz, Caroline Killian, Elliot Kinnear, Kimberly J. Komatsu, Kirk Larsen, Andrew Laughlin, Valerie Levesque-Beaudin, Ryan Leys, Elizabeth Long, Stephen C. Lougheed, Stuart Mackenzie, Jen Marangelo, Colleen Miller, Brenda Molano-Flores, Christy A. Morrissey, Emony Nicholls, Jessica M. Orlofske, Ian S. Pearse, Fanie Pelletier, Amber L. Pitt, Joseph P. Poston, Danielle M. Racke, Jeannine A. Randall, Matthew L. Richardson, Olivia Rooney, A. Rose Ruegg, Scott Rush, Sadie J. Ryan, Mitchell Sadowski, Ivana Schoepf, Lindsay Schulz, Brenna Shea, Thomas N. Sheehan, Lynn Siefferman, Derek Sikes, Mark Stanback, John D. Styrsky, Conor C. Taff, Jennifer J. Uehling, Kathleen Uvino, Thomas Wassmer, Kathryn Weglarz, Megan Weinberger, John Wenzel, Linda A. Whittingham
Summary: Climate change models often assume similar responses to temperatures across species, but this study found regional differences in the phenology and response to temperature among insect taxa in grassy habitats across North America. The study highlights the need to consider regional and taxonomic differences in predicting changes in insect populations in response to temperature.
Article
Zoology
Drew Eline, Jonathan B. Cohen, Thomas J. McGreevy Jr, Christopher M. Whipps, Amanda E. Cheeseman
Summary: The interactions between animals and their environments can be observed through behavior, which serves as an indicator of perceived risk and habitat quality. Studying behavior can provide a quick assessment of conservation efforts. In this study, we evaluated the behavior of reintroduced and translocated New England cottontails and found that time spent exploring a new environment may make them more vulnerable to predation and contribute to low survival rates in reintroduction programs.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Catherine A. Lippi, Samuel S. C. Rund, Sadie J. Ryan
Summary: Increasing research focus on vector-borne diseases has led to a growing body of information in various formats and data types. However, the scope and accessibility of this data can be unclear, leading to gaps in access and interoperability. This study provides an overview of current vector data efforts, assessing their level of accessibility and commenting on interoperability issues.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sadie J. Ryan, Catherine A. Lippi, Oswaldo C. Villena, Aspen Singh, Courtney C. Murdock, Leah R. Johnson
Summary: Global maps of thermal transmission suitability and people at risk for malaria transmission by Anopheles stephensi were created, revealing the rapid increase of transmission risk in Africa. This study provides important references for future prevention, control, and monitoring.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Shreejana Bhattarai, Jason K. Blackburn, Sadie J. Ryan
Summary: Despite intervention efforts, stable and new high and moderate malaria risk wards persist in Nepal, particularly in the northwest and southwest regions. These areas should be prioritized for malaria surveillance and vector control, and further research is needed to understand the reasons for persistent risk areas.
VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Catherine A. A. Lippi, Holly D. D. Gaff, Robyn M. M. Nadolny, Sadie J. J. Ryan
Summary: This study updates the distribution models of D. variabilis and R. montanensis-infected D. variabilis in the United States, using newer surveillance and testing data. The results show consistency in the predicted habitat suitability for D. variabilis, indicating its generalist habitat requirements. However, there is a slight shift in the updated niche distribution, including more southern areas, highlighting the need for continued monitoring and surveillance.
VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Catherine A. Lippi, Samuel Canfield, Christina Espada, Holly D. Gaff, Sadie J. Ryan
Summary: Geographic approaches are increasingly used to assess the risk of tick-borne diseases and inform public health decision-making. This study explored the potential geographic range of a marsh rice rat species and found considerable overlap with the distribution of a tick species in the southeastern United States, highlighting the need for extended surveillance efforts and attention to the role of hosts in transmission cycles.
Article
Forestry
Darin J. McNeil, G. Fisher, Cameron J. Fiss, Andrew J. Elmore, Matthew C. Fitzpatrick, Jeff W. Atkins, Jonathan Cohen, Jeffery L. Larkin
Summary: Remotely-sensed data can enhance conservation efforts for forest wildlife by providing information on fine-scale structural variation. LiDAR datasets covering large spatial extents and ownership types can improve our understanding of species-habitat relationships and aid in habitat recovery programs. The fusion of LiDAR data with field surveys has proven effective in predicting forest bird habitat associations and can be a valuable tool for conservation planning.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Robert J. Fletcher Jr, Maria E. Iezzi, Robert Guralnick, Andrew J. Marx, Sadie J. Ryan, Denis Valle
Summary: Dispersal typically consists of three components-departure, transience and settlement, each of which is influenced by the landscape. However, models of landscape connectivity often do not generate dispersal kernels nor explicitly capture the three components of dispersal.
Article
Remote Sensing
Jane Southworth, Sadie J. Ryan, Hannah V. Herrero, Reza Khatami, Erin L. Bunting, Mehedy Hassan, Carly S. Muir, Peter Waylen
Summary: The dynamics of terrestrial vegetation are shifting globally due to environmental changes, with potential repercussions for the proper functioning of the Earth system. This study uses a vegetation persistence metric to explore global vegetation responses to climatic, latitudinal, and land-use changes over three decades. Results show that vegetation persistence is higher in the Northern Hemisphere compared to the Southern Hemisphere.
FRONTIERS IN REMOTE SENSING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sadie J. Ryan, Catherine A. Lippi, Talia Caplan, Avriel Diaz, Willy Dunbar, Shruti Grover, Simon Johnson, Rebecca Knowles, Rachel Lowe, Bilal A. Mateen, Madeleine C. Thomson, Anna M. Stewart-Ibarra
Summary: Climate-sensitive infectious disease modelling relies on a complex network of software tools. However, only a limited number of these tools incorporate both climate inputs and epidemiological information, and are transparently described, validated, named, and accessible. There is a disproportionate representation of developers from North American and European institutions, and most tools focus on vector-borne diseases, particularly malaria. There is a lack of tools for estimating outbreaks of directly transmitted diseases. Evaluations show that slightly more than half of the tools are operationalized and freely available online.
LANCET PLANETARY HEALTH
(2023)
