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Koch JC, Connolly CT, Baughman C, Repasch M, Best H, Hunt A. The dominance and growth of shallow groundwater resources in continuous permafrost environments. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317873121. [PMID: 38768326 PMCID: PMC11161777 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317873121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Water is a limited resource in Arctic watersheds with continuous permafrost because freezing conditions in winter and the impermeability of permafrost limit storage and connectivity between surface water and deep groundwater. However, groundwater can still be an important source of surface water in such settings, feeding springs and large aufeis fields that are abundant in cold regions and generating runoff when precipitation is rare. Whether groundwater is sourced from suprapermafrost taliks or deeper regional aquifers will impact water availability as the Arctic continues to warm and thaw. Previous research is ambiguous about the role of deep groundwater, leading to uncertainty regarding Arctic water availability and changing water resources. We analyzed chemistry and residence times of spring, stream, and river waters in the continuous permafrost zone of Alaska, spanning the mountains to the coastal plain. Water chemistry and age tracers show that surface waters are predominately sourced from recent precipitation and have short (<50 y) subsurface residence times. Remote sensing indicates trends in the areal extent of aufeis over the last 37 y, and correlations between aufeis extent and previous year summer temperature. Together, these data indicate that surface waters in continuous permafrost regions may be impacted by short flow paths and shallow suprapermafrost aquifers that are highly sensitive to climatic and hydrologic change over annual timescales. Despite the lack of connection to regional aquifers, continued warming and permafrost thaw may promote deepening of the shallow subsurface aquifers and creation of shallow taliks, providing some resilience to Arctic freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua C. Koch
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK99508
| | - Craig T. Connolly
- Marine Science Institute, University of Texas at Austin, Port Aransas, TX78373
| | - Carson Baughman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK99508
| | - Marisa Repasch
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO80303
| | - Heather Best
- United States Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Fairbanks, AK99701
| | - Andrew Hunt
- U.S. Geological Survey, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Lakewood, CO80225-0046
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Buss DL, Dierickx K, Falahati-Anbaran M, Elliot D, Rankin LK, Whitridge P, Frasier B, Richard JS, van den Hurk Y, Barrett JH. Archaeological evidence of resource utilisation of walrus, Odobenus rosmarus, over the past two millennia: A systematic review protocol. OPEN RESEARCH EUROPE 2024; 4:86. [PMID: 39070944 PMCID: PMC11283631 DOI: 10.12688/openreseurope.17197.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
The walrus, Odobenus rosmarus, is an iconic pinniped and predominant molluscivore that is well adapted to Arctic and subarctic environments. Its circumpolar distribution, large body size and ivory tusks facilitated its vital role as food, raw material (for tools and art), income, and cultural influence on many Arctic Indigenous communities for millennia. Intensification of hunting (often due to the arrival of Europeans, especially between the 16 th and 19 th centuries) to obtain ivory, hide, blubber and meat, resulted in diminished, sometimes extirpated, walrus populations. Zooarchaeological, artefactual and documentary evidence of walrus material has been collated at local and regional scales and is frequently focused on a specific culture or period of time. Systematic collation of this evidence across the Northern Hemisphere will provide insight into the chronology and circumpolar distribution of walrus hunting and provide a tool to document societal change in walrus resource use. Here, we lay out a systematic review protocol to collate records of archaeological walrus artefacts, tusks and bones that have been documented primarily within published literature to archive when and where (as feasible) walrus extractions occurred between 1 CE and 2000 CE. These data will be openly available for the scientific community. The resulting dataset will be the first to provide spatiotemporal information (including the recognition of knowledge gaps) regarding past walrus populations and extirpations on a circumpolar scale. Our protocol is published to ensure reproducibility and comparability in the future, and to encourage the adoption of systematic review methodology (including pre-published protocols) in archaeology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle L. Buss
- Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Vitenskapsmuseet, Trondheim, Trøndelag, 7491, Norway
| | - Katrien Dierickx
- Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Vitenskapsmuseet, Trondheim, Trøndelag, 7491, Norway
| | - Mohsen Falahati-Anbaran
- Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Vitenskapsmuseet, Trondheim, Trøndelag, 7491, Norway
| | - Deirdre Elliot
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Lisa K. Rankin
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Peter Whitridge
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | | | - Jean-Simon Richard
- Musee des Îles de la Madeleine, Les Îles de la Madeleine, Quebec, Canada
| | - Youri van den Hurk
- Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Vitenskapsmuseet, Trondheim, Trøndelag, 7491, Norway
| | - James H. Barrett
- Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Vitenskapsmuseet, Trondheim, Trøndelag, 7491, Norway
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Dutta TK, Phani V. The pervasive impact of global climate change on plant-nematode interaction continuum. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1143889. [PMID: 37089646 PMCID: PMC10118019 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1143889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Pest profiles in today's global food production system are continually affected by climate change and extreme weather. Under varying climatic conditions, plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) cause substantial economic damage to a wide variety of agricultural and horticultural commodities. In parallel, their herbivory also accredit to diverse ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling, allocation and turnover of plant biomass, shaping of vegetation community, and alteration of rhizospheric microorganism consortium by modifying the root exudation pattern. Thus PPNs, together with the vast majority of free-living nematodes, act as ecological drivers. Because of direct exposure to the open environment, PPN biology and physiology are largely governed by environmental factors including temperature, precipitation, humidity, atmospheric and soil carbon dioxide level, and weather extremes. The negative effects of climate change such as global warming, elevated CO2, altered precipitation and the weather extremes including heat waves, droughts, floods, wildfires and storms greatly influence the biogeographic range, distribution, abundance, survival, fitness, reproduction, and parasitic potential of the PPNs. Changes in these biological and ecological parameters associated to the PPNs exert huge impact on agriculture. Yet, depending on how adaptable the species are according to their geo-spatial distribution, the consequences of climate change include both positive and negative effects on the PPN communities. While assorting the effects of climate change as a whole, it can be estimated that the changing environmental factors, on one hand, will aggravate the PPN damage by aiding to abundance, distribution, reproduction, generation, plant growth and reduced plant defense, but the phenomena like sex reversal, entering cryptobiosis, and reduced survival should act in counter direction. This seemingly creates a contraposition effect, where assessing any confluent trend is difficult. However, as the climate change effects will differ according to space and time it is apprehensible that the PPNs will react and adapt according to their location and species specificity. Nevertheless, the bio-ecological shifts in the PPNs will necessitate tweaking their management practices from the agri-horticultural perspective. In this regard, we must aim for a 'climate-smart' package that will take care of the food production, pest prevention and environment protection. Integrated nematode management involving precise monitoring and modeling-based studies of population dynamics in relation to climatic fluctuations with escalated reliance on biocontrol, host resistance, and other safer approaches like crop rotation, crop scheduling, cover cropping, biofumigation, use of farmyard manure (FYM) would surely prove to be viable options. Although the novel nematicidal molecules are target-specific and relatively less harmful to the environment, their application should not be promoted following the global aim to reduce pesticide usage in future agriculture. Thus, having a reliable risk assessment with scenario planning, the adaptive management strategies must be designed to cope with the impending situation and satisfy the farmers' need.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tushar K. Dutta
- Division of Nematology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
- *Correspondence: Tushar K. Dutta, ;
| | - Victor Phani
- Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal, India
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A SEROLOGIC SURVEY OF FRANCISELLA TULARENSIS EXPOSURE IN WILDLIFE ON THE ARCTIC COASTAL PLAIN OF ALASKA, USA. J Wildl Dis 2022; 58:746-755. [PMID: 36302352 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-21-00162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Tularemia is an infectious zoonotic disease caused by one of several subspecies of Francisella tularensis bacteria. Infections by F. tularensis are common throughout the northern hemisphere and have been detected in more than 250 wildlife species. In Alaska, US, where the pathogen was first identified in 1938, studies have identified F. tularensis antibodies in a diverse suite of taxa, including insects, birds, and mammals. However, few such investigations have been conducted recently and knowledge about the current distribution and disease ecology of F. tularensis is limited, particularly in Arctic Alaska, an area undergoing rapid environmental changes from climate warming. To help address these information gaps and provide insights about patterns of exposure among wildlife, we assessed the seroprevalence of F. tularensis antibodies in mammals and tundra-nesting geese from the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, 2014-17. With a commercially available slide agglutination test, we detected antibodies in 14.7% of all individuals sampled (n=722), with titers ranging from 1:20 to 1:320. We detected significant differences in seroprevalence between family groups, with Canidae (foxes, Vulpes spp.) and Sciuridae (Arctic ground squirrel, Spermophilus parryii) having the highest seroprevalence at 21.5% and 33.3%, respectively. Mean seroprevalence for Ursidae (polar bears, Ursus maritimus) was 13.3%, whereas Cervidae (caribou, Rangifer tarandus) had comparatively low seroprevalence at 6.5%. Antibodies were detected in all Anatidae species sampled, with Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) having the highest seroprevalence at 13.6%. The detection of F. tularensis antibodies across multiple taxa from the Arctic Coastal Plain and its nearshore marine region provides evidence of exposure to this pathogen throughout the region and highlights the need for renewed surveillance in Alaska.
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Flint PL, Meixell B. Response of forage plants to alteration of temperature and spring thaw date: implications for geese in a warming Arctic. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Paul L. Flint
- U.S. Geological Survey 4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska 99508 USA
| | - Brandt Meixell
- U.S. Geological Survey 4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska 99508 USA
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Rode KD, Regehr EV, Bromaghin JF, Wilson RR, St Martin M, Crawford JA, Quakenbush LT. Seal body condition and atmospheric circulation patterns influence polar bear body condition, recruitment, and feeding ecology in the Chukchi Sea. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:2684-2701. [PMID: 33644944 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are experiencing loss of sea ice habitats used to access their marine mammal prey. Simultaneously, ocean warming is changing ecosystems that support marine mammal populations. The interactive effects of sea ice and prey are not well understood yet may explain spatial-temporal variation in the response of polar bears to sea ice loss. Here, we examined the potential combined effects of sea ice, seal body condition, and atmospheric circulation patterns on the body condition, recruitment, diet, and feeding probability of 469 polar bears captured in the Chukchi Sea, 2008-2017. The body condition of ringed seals (Pusa hispida), the primary prey of females and subadults, was related to dietary proportions of ringed seal, feeding probability, and the body condition of females and cubs. In contrast, adult males consumed more bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) and exhibited better condition when bearded seal body condition was higher. The litter size, number of yearlings per adult female, and the condition of dependent young were higher following winters characterized by low Arctic Oscillation conditions, consistent with a growing number of studies. Body condition, recruitment, and feeding probability were either not associated or negatively associated with sea ice conditions, suggesting that, unlike some subpopulations, Chukchi Sea bears are not currently limited by sea ice availability. However, spring sea ice cover declined 2% per year during our study reaching levels not previously observed in the satellite record and resulting in the loss of polar bear hunting and seal pupping habitat. Our study suggests that the status of ice seal populations is likely an important factor that can either compound or mitigate the response of polar bears to sea ice loss over the short term. In the long term, neither polar bears nor their prey are likely robust to limitless loss of their sea ice habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karyn D Rode
- Alaska Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Eric V Regehr
- Polar Science Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Ryan R Wilson
- Marine Mammals Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Michelle St Martin
- Marine Mammals Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, AK, USA
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7
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Stillman RA, Rivers EM, Gilkerson W, Wood KA, Nolet BA, Clausen P, Wilson HM, Ward DH. Predicting impacts of food competition, climate, and disturbance on a long‐distance migratory herbivore. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- R. A. Stillman
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences Faculty of Science and Technology Bournemouth University Poole DorsetBH12 5BBUK
| | - E. M. Rivers
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences Faculty of Science and Technology Bournemouth University Poole DorsetBH12 5BBUK
| | - W. Gilkerson
- Merkel and Associates 5434 Ruffin Road San Diego California92123USA
| | - K. A. Wood
- Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Slimbridge GloucestershireGL2 7BTUK
| | - B. A. Nolet
- Department of Animal Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Droevendaalsesteeg 10 Wageningen6708 PBThe Netherlands
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics Science Park 904 Amsterdam1098 XHThe Netherlands
| | - P. Clausen
- Department of Bioscience—Wildlife Ecology Aarhus University Grenåvej 14 Rønde8410Denmark
| | - H. M. Wilson
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Management‐Region 7, 1011 E. Tudor Road Anchorage Alaska99503USA
| | - D. H. Ward
- Alaska Science Center U.S. Geological Survey 4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska99508USA
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8
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Owen MA, Pagano AM, Wisdom SS, Kirschhoffer B, Bowles AE, O'Neill C. Estimating the Audibility of Industrial Noise to Denning Polar Bears. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Megan A. Owen
- Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global San Diego CA 92027 USA
| | - Anthony M. Pagano
- Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global San Diego CA 92027 USA
| | | | | | - Ann E. Bowles
- Hubbs‐SeaWorld Research Institute San Diego CA 92109 USA
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9
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Characterizing Boreal Peatland Plant Composition and Species Diversity with Hyperspectral Remote Sensing. REMOTE SENSING 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/rs11141685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Peatlands, which account for approximately 15% of land surface across the arctic and boreal regions of the globe, are experiencing a range of ecological impacts as a result of climate change. Factors that include altered hydrology resulting from drought and permafrost thaw, rising temperatures, and elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide have been shown to cause plant community compositional changes. Shifts in plant composition affect the productivity, species diversity, and carbon cycling of peatlands. We used hyperspectral remote sensing to characterize the response of boreal peatland plant composition and species diversity to warming, hydrologic change, and elevated CO2. Hyperspectral remote sensing techniques offer the ability to complete landscape-scale analyses of ecological responses to climate disturbance when paired with plot-level measurements that link ecosystem biophysical properties with spectral reflectance signatures. Working within two large ecosystem manipulation experiments, we examined climate controls on composition and diversity in two types of common boreal peatlands: a nutrient rich fen located at the Alaska Peatland Experiment (APEX) in central Alaska, and an ombrotrophic bog located in northern Minnesota at the Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments (SPRUCE) experiment. We found a strong effect of plant functional cover on spectral reflectance characteristics. We also found a positive relationship between species diversity and spectral variation at the APEX field site, which is consistent with other recently published findings. Based on the results of our field study, we performed a supervised land cover classification analysis on an aerial hyperspectral dataset to map peatland plant functional types (PFTs) across an area encompassing a range of different plant communities. Our results underscore recent advances in the application of remote sensing measurements to ecological research, particularly in far northern ecosystems.
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Hilderbrand GV, Joly K, Sorum MS, Cameron MD, Gustine DD. Brown bear (Ursus arctos) body size, condition, and productivity in the Arctic, 1977–2016. Polar Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-019-02501-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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11
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SURVEY OF ARCTIC ALASKAN WILDLIFE FOR INFLUENZA A ANTIBODIES: LIMITED EVIDENCE FOR EXPOSURE OF MAMMALS. J Wildl Dis 2018; 55:387-398. [PMID: 30289331 DOI: 10.7589/2018-05-128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Influenza A viruses (IAVs) are maintained in wild waterbirds and have the potential to infect a broad range of species, including wild mammals. The Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska supports a diverse suite of species, including waterfowl that are common hosts of IAVs. Mammals co-occur with geese and other migratory waterbirds during the summer breeding season, providing a plausible mechanism for interclass transmission of IAVs. To estimate IAV seroprevalence and identify the subtypes to which geese, loons, Arctic foxes ( Vulpes lagopus), caribou ( Rangifer tarandus), and polar bears ( Ursus maritimus) are potentially exposed, we used a blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (bELISA) and a hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay to screen for antibodies to IAVs in samples collected during spring and summer of 2012-16. Apparent IAV seroprevalence using the bELISA was 50.3% in geese (range by species: 46-52.8%), 9% in loons (range by species: 3-20%), and 0.4% in Arctic foxes. We found no evidence for exposure to IAVs in polar bears or caribou by either assay. Among geese, we estimated detection probability from replicate bELISA analyses to be 0.92 and also found good concordance (>85%) between results from bELISA and HI assays, which identified antibodies reactive to H1, H6, and H9 subtype IAVs. In contrast, the HI assay detected antibodies in only one of seven loon samples that were positive by bELISA; that sample had low titers to both H4 and H5 IAV subtypes. Our results provide evidence that a relatively high proportion of waterbirds breeding on the Arctic Coastal Plain are exposed to IAVs, although it is unknown whether such exposure occurs locally or on staging or wintering grounds. In contrast, seroprevalence of IAVs in concomitant Arctic mammals is apparently low.
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12
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Hilderbrand GV, Gustine DD, Mangipane BA, Joly K, Leacock W, Mangipane LS, Erlenbach J, Sorum MS, Cameron MD, Belant JL, Cambier T. Body size and lean mass of brown bears across and within four diverse ecosystems. J Zool (1987) 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - D. D. Gustine
- Grand Teton National Park National Park Service Moose WY USA
| | - B. A. Mangipane
- Lake Clark National Park and Preserve National Park ServicePort Alsworth AK USA
| | - K. Joly
- Gates of the Arctic National Park and PreserveNational Park Service Fairbanks AK USA
| | - W. Leacock
- US Fish and Wildlife Service Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge KodiakAK USA
| | - L. S. Mangipane
- Carnivore Ecology Laboratory Forest and Wildlife Research Center Mississippi State University Mississippi State MS USA
| | - J. Erlenbach
- Department of Zoology Washington State University Pullman WAUSA
| | - M. S. Sorum
- Gates of the Arctic National Park and PreserveNational Park Service Fairbanks AK USA
| | - M. D. Cameron
- Gates of the Arctic National Park and PreserveNational Park Service Fairbanks AK USA
| | - J. L. Belant
- Carnivore Ecology Laboratory Forest and Wildlife Research Center Mississippi State University Mississippi State MS USA
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Kafle P, Leclerc LM, Anderson M, Davison T, Lejeune M, Kutz S. Morphological keys to advance the understanding of protostrongylid biodiversity in caribou ( Rangifer spp.) at high latitudes. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2017; 6:331-339. [PMID: 29159064 PMCID: PMC5678365 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2017.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
The Protostrongylidae is a diverse family of nematodes capable of causing significant respiratory and neuromuscular disease in their ungulate and lagomorph hosts. Establishing the species diversity and abundance of the protostrongylid fauna has been hindered because the first stage larvae, commonly referred as dorsal spined larvae (DSL), that are shed in the feces are morphologically very similar among several genera. We aimed to determine the protostrongylid diversity and distribution in caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus and R. t. pearyi) in the central and high Canadian Arctic. We first developed, tested and validated a morphological diagnostic guide for the DSL of two important protostrongylids, Parelaphostrongylus andersoni and Varestrongylus eleguneniensis, and then applied this guide to determine the prevalence and intensity of infection of these parasites in fecal samples from 242 caribou. We found that DSL of V. eleguneniensis and P. andersoni can be differentiated morphologically based on the structural differences at the caudal extremity. The presentation and morphology of the dorsal spine, and caudoventral bulging at the start of the tail extension were identified as the key identifying features. The two species were found in caribou on the arctic mainland and southern Victoria Island in single and co-infections, but the prevalence and intensity of infection was low. No protostrongylids were detected in caribou from the high arctic islands. Through this study, we provide a simple, efficient, and robust method to distinguish the DSL of the two protostrongylids, and present the current status of infection in different herds of caribou of the central Canadian Arctic. We report new geographic and host records for P. andersoni infection in Dolphin and Union caribou herd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratap Kafle
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Lisa-Marie Leclerc
- Department of Environment, Government of Nunavut, Kugluktuk, NU, X0B 0E0, Canada
| | - Morgan Anderson
- Department of Environment, Government of Nunavut, Igloolik, NU, X0A 0L0, Canada
| | - Tracy Davison
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Northwest Territories, Inuvik, NT, X0E 0T0, Canada
| | - Manigandan Lejeune
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Susan Kutz
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
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14
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Normalized Difference Vegetation Index as an Estimator for Abundance and Quality of Avian Herbivore Forage in Arctic Alaska. REMOTE SENSING 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/rs9121234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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15
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Udevitz MS, Jay CV, Taylor RL, Fischbach AS, Beatty WS, Noren SR. Forecasting consequences of changing sea ice availability for Pacific walruses. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mark S. Udevitz
- Alaska Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey 4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska 99508 USA
| | - Chadwick V. Jay
- Alaska Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey 4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska 99508 USA
| | - Rebecca L. Taylor
- Alaska Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey 4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska 99508 USA
| | - Anthony S. Fischbach
- Alaska Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey 4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska 99508 USA
| | - William S. Beatty
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management 1011 East Tudor Road Anchorage Alaska 99503 USA
| | - Shawn R. Noren
- Institute of Marine Science University of California, Santa Cruz 100 Shaffer Road Santa Cruz California 95060 USA
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16
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Implications of Rapid Environmental Change for Polar Bear Behavior and Sociality. MARINE MAMMAL WELFARE 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-46994-2_24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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17
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Forde TL, Orsel K, Zadoks RN, Biek R, Adams LG, Checkley SL, Davison T, De Buck J, Dumond M, Elkin BT, Finnegan L, Macbeth BJ, Nelson C, Niptanatiak A, Sather S, Schwantje HM, van der Meer F, Kutz SJ. Bacterial Genomics Reveal the Complex Epidemiology of an Emerging Pathogen in Arctic and Boreal Ungulates. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1759. [PMID: 27872617 PMCID: PMC5097903 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Northern ecosystems are currently experiencing unprecedented ecological change, largely driven by a rapidly changing climate. Pathogen range expansion, and emergence and altered patterns of infectious disease, are increasingly reported in wildlife at high latitudes. Understanding the causes and consequences of shifting pathogen diversity and host-pathogen interactions in these ecosystems is important for wildlife conservation, and for indigenous populations that depend on wildlife. Among the key questions are whether disease events are associated with endemic or recently introduced pathogens, and whether emerging strains are spreading throughout the region. In this study, we used a phylogenomic approach to address these questions of pathogen endemicity and spread for Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, an opportunistic multi-host bacterial pathogen associated with recent mortalities in arctic and boreal ungulate populations in North America. We isolated E. rhusiopathiae from carcasses associated with large-scale die-offs of muskoxen in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and from contemporaneous mortality events and/or population declines among muskoxen in northwestern Alaska and caribou and moose in western Canada. Bacterial genomic diversity differed markedly among these locations; minimal divergence was present among isolates from muskoxen in the Canadian Arctic, while in caribou and moose populations, strains from highly divergent clades were isolated from the same location, or even from within a single carcass. These results indicate that mortalities among northern ungulates are not associated with a single emerging strain of E. rhusiopathiae, and that alternate hypotheses need to be explored. Our study illustrates the value and limitations of bacterial genomic data for discriminating between ecological hypotheses of disease emergence, and highlights the importance of studying emerging pathogens within the broader context of environmental and host factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taya L. Forde
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of CalgaryCalgary, AB, Canada
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of GlasgowGlasgow, UK
| | - Karin Orsel
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of CalgaryCalgary, AB, Canada
| | - Ruth N. Zadoks
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of GlasgowGlasgow, UK
| | - Roman Biek
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of GlasgowGlasgow, UK
| | - Layne G. Adams
- Alaska Science Center, U.S. Geological SurveyAnchorage, AK, USA
| | - Sylvia L. Checkley
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of CalgaryCalgary, AB, Canada
| | - Tracy Davison
- Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Northwest TerritoriesInuvik, NT, Canada
| | - Jeroen De Buck
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of CalgaryCalgary, AB, Canada
| | - Mathieu Dumond
- Department of Environment, Government of NunavutKugluktuk, NU, Canada
| | - Brett T. Elkin
- Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Northwest TerritoriesYellowknife, NT, Canada
| | | | - Bryan J. Macbeth
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of CalgaryCalgary, AB, Canada
| | - Cait Nelson
- Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Government of British ColumbiaNanaimo, BC, Canada
| | | | - Shane Sather
- Department of Environment, Government of NunavutCambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada
| | - Helen M. Schwantje
- Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Government of British ColumbiaNanaimo, BC, Canada
| | - Frank van der Meer
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of CalgaryCalgary, AB, Canada
| | - Susan J. Kutz
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of CalgaryCalgary, AB, Canada
- Canadian Wildlife Health CooperativeCalgary, AB, Canada
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18
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Losing Legacies, Ecological Release, and Transient Responses: Key Challenges for the Future of Northern Ecosystem Science. Ecosystems 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-016-0055-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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