Papers by Kerry Griffis-Kyle
Herpetological review, Dec 1, 2013
Social Science Research Network, 2022
Large worldwide sources of dust, such as the Saharan desert, play a key role in the amounts and c... more Large worldwide sources of dust, such as the Saharan desert, play a key role in the amounts and composition of atmospheric particulate deposition (APD), but their relative contribution compared to other sources remain unclear. Our study aimed to apportion Saharan, regional, and anthropogenic sources of APD in three sampling along a long transect affected by Saharan outbreaks. We quantified total APD, and analyzed its mineralogical and chemical composition between 2011 and 2012.. Strong markers of Saharan dust, such as large amounts of APD and of a low Al 2 O 3 :CaO ratio allowed identifying clear periods influenced by Saharan outbreaks. Nitrogen and phosphorus reflected soil affected by agricultural practices, while Cd, Pb, Sb and Sn tracked traffic and industrial sourcesas confirmed by enrichment factors. Then, we designed a conceptual model including sensitivity analyses to estimate the contribution of unanalyzed (10-11%, likely chlorites or sulfates), organic (34-41%), anthropogenic (11-22%), mineral-regional (5-25%) and mineral-Saharan (10-38%) matter over our entire study period. Our study shows the rapidly decreasing contribution of Saharan outbreaksand the decreasing flux of Ca and Mg, from 40 to 0.4 kg.ha −1 over the study period between Algeria and France. Yet, Saharan outbreaks were still noticeable in APD at a site 1500 km away. Our study also shows the large relative contribution of organic and anthropogenic sources to APD in the three sampling sites, and their possible influence on nutrient budgets.
Urbanization, due to associated habitat degradation and fragmentation, is threatening amphibian s... more Urbanization, due to associated habitat degradation and fragmentation, is threatening amphibian survival worldwide. Mitigating urban amphibian declines is critical for amphibian conservation and requires understanding of amphibian life-histories and their use of urban landscapes. Since amphibian monitoring is non-existent in urban centers of the Southern High Plains, I conducted amphibian surveys in 2011 and 2012 in the city of Lubbock, west Texas, to establish fundamental baseline data regarding amphibian species occurring ...
Landscape Ecology, Jun 28, 2017
Context Biodiversity in arid regions is usually concentrated around limited water resources, so n... more Context Biodiversity in arid regions is usually concentrated around limited water resources, so natural resource managers have constructed artificial water catchments in many areas to supplement natural waters. Because invasive species may also use these waters, dispersing into previously inaccessible areas, the costs and benefits of artificial waters must be gauged and potential invasion-and climate changemanagement strategies assayed. Objectives We present a network analysis framework to identify waters that likely contribute to the spread of invasive species. Methods Using the Sonoran Desert waters network and the American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)-a known predator, competitor, and carrier of pathogens deadly to other amphibians-as an example, we quantified the structural connectivity of the network to predict regional invasion potential under current and two future scenarios (climate change and management reduction) to identify waters to manage and monitor for invasive species. Results We identified important and vulnerable waters based on connectivity metrics under scenarios representing current conditions, projected climatelimited conditions, and conditions based on removal of artificial waters. We identified 122,607 km 2 of land that could be used as a buffer against invasion and 67,745 km 2 of land that could be augmented by artificial water placement without facilitating invasive species spread. Conclusions Structural connectivity metrics can be used to evaluate alternative management strategies for invasive species and climate mitigation.
Oecologia, Mar 10, 2007
Mineral nitrogen (N) has been suggested as a potential factor causing declines in amphibian popul... more Mineral nitrogen (N) has been suggested as a potential factor causing declines in amphibian populations, especially in agricultural landscapes; however, there is a question as to whether it remains in the water column long enough to be toxic. We explored the hypothesis that mineral N can cause both lethal and sublethal toxic eVects in amphibian embryos and larvae in a manipulative Weld experiment. We sampled 12 ponds, fertilizing half with ammonium nitrate fertilizer early in the spring, and measured hatching, survival, development, growth, and the incidence of deformities in native populations of wood frog (Rana sylvatica) and eastern tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum) embryos and larvae held in in situ enclosures. We found that higher ammonium concentrations negatively aVect R. sylvatica more strongly than A. tigrinum. R. sylvatica tended to have lower survival as embryos and young tadpoles, slowed embryonic development, and an increased proportion of hatchlings with deformities at experimentally elevated ammonium. A. tigrinum did not experience signiWcantly reduced survival, but their larval development was slowed in response to elevated ammonium and the abundance of large invertebrate predators. Variable species susceptibility, such as that shown by R sylvatica and A. tigrinum, could have large indirect eVects on aquatic community structure through modiWcation of competitive or predator-prey relationships. Ammonium and nitrate + nitrite concentrations were not correlated with other measures that might have aVected amphibians, such as pH, pond area, depth, or vegetation. Our results highlight the potential importance of elevated ammonium on the growth, development and survival of amphibians, especially those that breed in surface waters receiving anthropogenic N inputs.
Qualitative vulnerability calculations for 25 desert amphibian and reptile species using NatureSe... more Qualitative vulnerability calculations for 25 desert amphibian and reptile species using NatureServe's Climate Change Vulnerability Index version 3.0. Analyses are done across 4 spatial scales and three climate scenarios. We used four types of spatial data, including point data, minimum convex polygons based on the point data, range data clipped to the desert region, and range data clipped to the contiguous United States. We used climate data from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) 5 for Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 2.6, 6.0, and 8.5. Each file is a species x spatial data x climate data model.
Copeia, Sep 1, 2010
We examined the genetic population structure for the Great Plains Toad (Bufo cognatus) in the Chi... more We examined the genetic population structure for the Great Plains Toad (Bufo cognatus) in the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico in order to discern at what spatial scale genetic differentiation is apparent. In addition, we tested whether habitats in the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico differed in their resistance to gene flow in B. cognatus. We used microsatellites to estimate genetic differentiation in populations that varied in distance from 1 to 60 km. Of 120 pairwise tests of genetic differentiation, 44 were significant. However, differentiation was low between all sites (F ST = 0.0-0.087), almost all of the genetic variation being within populations (96.3%). Compared to published studies of other anuran species, populations of B. cognatus in southern New Mexico are among the most genetically homogenous anuran species. Significant isolation by distance did occur over all populations despite the genetic similarity, suggesting that differentiation does occur at a broader scale. In addition, several landscape-based models of gene flow were produced and tested against the allelic data. A community model assigned each plant community a different level of resistance to gene flow. This model was not found to describe the estimated genetic variation between populations better than simple Euclidean distance. However, the river model, which assigned low resistance to the aquatic habitats including the Rio Grande, described the estimated genetic variation better than Euclidean distance, suggesting that the Rio Grande, and potentially other rivers throughout the toad's range, may act as a route of dispersal for B. cognatus, reducing genetic differentiation among distant populations.
Biological Conservation, Sep 1, 2018
Abstract Globally, biodiversity is declining, and a major driver of this decline is climate chang... more Abstract Globally, biodiversity is declining, and a major driver of this decline is climate change; consequently, we need ways to evaluate the vulnerability of species to this change. We assessed 25 species of herpetofauna (7 amphibians and 18 reptiles) using multi-model averaging of NatureServe's Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI), a qualitative trait-based vulnerability assessment tool. We calculated vulnerability across model runs varying type and extent of spatial data and climate model scenario. Amphibians were more vulnerable than reptiles. The most vulnerable species were those that were dependent on water for their habitat, high elevation species, and habitat specialists. For reptiles in particular, the projected downscaled extent of temperature change and change in moisture availability were also important in delineating vulnerability. Unfortunately, the invasive American Bullfrog was less vulnerable than any of the native amphibians, which highlights the importance of considering invasives when planning for climate change. Snakes that were riparian specialists also were ranked as highly vulnerable. Lizards were ranked as less vulnerable related to projected differences in the proportion of their range experiencing larger changes in temperature. We suggest improvements to the CCVI vulnerability index. For example, certain aspects of reptile biology that are critical to climate-related vulnerability are not included in the current generation of the Climate Change Vulnerability Index, specifically reproductive strategy and the difference in vulnerability between viviparous and oviparous species. Methods for assessing vulnerability will need continued refinement as we contend with climate change and other human-caused factors that are driving the biodiversity crisis.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2005
Under certain conditions, nitrite can be present in freshwater systems in quantities that are tox... more Under certain conditions, nitrite can be present in freshwater systems in quantities that are toxic to the fauna. I exposed wood frog (Rana sylvatica) and eastern tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum) embryos and young tadpoles and larvae to elevated concentrations of nitrite in chronic toxicity tests: 0, 0.3, 0.6, 1.2, 2.1, 4.6, and 6.1 mg/L NO 2-N, exposing individuals as both embryos and larvae. Nitrite caused significant declines in wood frog hatching success (3.4 mg/L NO 2-N, wood frog), and lower concentrations caused significant mortality during the early larval stages (4.6 mg/L NO 2-N, salamander; 0.5 mg/L NO 2-N, wood frog). Later tests exposing individuals to nitrite only after hatching showed that both wood frog and tiger salamander vulnerability to nitrite declined shortly after hatching. Hence, examining a single life-history stage, especially later in development, may miss critical toxic effects on organisms, causing the researcher potentially to underestimate seriously the ecological consequences of nitrite exposure.
Landscape Ecology, Apr 7, 2023
Ecosphere, Feb 1, 2023
Climate change, interacting with and exacerbating anthropogenic modifications to the landscape, i... more Climate change, interacting with and exacerbating anthropogenic modifications to the landscape, is altering ecosystem structure and function, biodiversity, and species distributions. Among the most visible short‐term impacts are the altered ecological roles of foundation species—those species, native or non‐native—that create locally stable environmental conditions and strongly influence ecosystem services. Understanding the future of these species is crucial for projecting impacts on ecosystem services at both local and regional scales. Here we present foundation species by ecoregion study cases across the US South‐Central Region (Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas), including C4 grasses, mesquite, and northern bobwhite in the Southern Great Plains, mangroves and nutria in coastal Louisiana wetlands, tiger salamanders and sandhill cranes in wetlands of the Southern Great Plains, and post and blackjack oaks and eastern redcedar in the Cross Timbers ecoregion. These case studies explore the impacts of climate change on foundation species and the consequences for ecosystem services, the outlook for climate adaptation efforts, and the sustainability of restoration in these systems. We underscore risks and vulnerabilities that stakeholders should consider when managing or restoring natural resources and conserving ecosystem services in an increasingly extreme and variable climate. We show that past management, through a lack of understanding or implementation of actions, has exacerbated shifts in invasive species, resulting in significant changes in ecosystem structure and function. These changes, interacting with landscape fragmentation and shifting land use and exacerbated by climate change, can result in critical losses of biodiversity. Unfortunately, lack of public understanding may hinder political support for restoration efforts and climate adaptation strategies crucial for the continued supply of traditional ecosystem services. Furthermore, the resulting invaded systems may provide opportunities for income via new ecosystem services valued by society that may reduce support for restoration to historical baselines, thus further shifting management priorities. These priorities should be informed by an understanding of past and ongoing ecological trends in region‐specific situations, such as those we present, to highlight the immediacy of climate change impacts on the environment and society and provide evidence for the critical nature of informed management decisions.
Texas Journal of Science, 2019
The addition of desert water developments alleviates water stress for a variety of organisms and ... more The addition of desert water developments alleviates water stress for a variety of organisms and is likely necessary for some species as water availability from other isolated water sources declines with climate change. However, constructed water catchments are different structurally and do not cycle water the same way as natural sites. We assessed whether these novel habitats, the constructed catchments of the Sonoran Desert, function as ecological equivalents of the natural waters and evaluated their effects on macroinvertebrate biodiversity, community composition, and trophic function. We documented an accumulation of ammonia and less diversity and different taxa assemblages in the novel habitat. We also documented a more heterotrophic food web in the natural water basins that are more dependent on resource pulses, and a more autotrophic food web in novel habitats that are more dependent on primary production from the open catchment basin. As natural resource managers continue to add constructed waters to mitigate for climate change induced declines in water availability, organisms are more likely to encounter these novel habitats as they disperse. Consequently, by increasing the density of these novel habitats we are having a measurable effect on the types of species and trophic groups present as well as the ecosystem cycling of energy and nutrients across the desert landscape. The consequences of these shifts in invertebrate community composition and ecosystem cycling on the larger desert ecosystem is unknown.
100th ESA Annual Meeting (August 9 -- 14, 2015), Aug 10, 2015
Wildlife Society Bulletin, Oct 29, 2013
Natural rock pools, tinajas, and constructed catchments in the Sonoran Desert provide water for a... more Natural rock pools, tinajas, and constructed catchments in the Sonoran Desert provide water for a wide variety of organisms. In 2012, we monitored water quality and amphibian and dragonfly use of wildlife waters in southwestern Arizona, USA. We measured ammonia concentrations that exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's guidelines for aquatic life and were well above concentrations that cause mortality in amphibians and other aquatic organisms. Both amphibians and dragonflies had lower species richness in catchments than in the tinajas, and amphibian species richness was negatively associated with ammonia concentration. These concentrations of ammonia alone cause concern for the management of biodiversity, specifically for wetland-dependent organisms. Furthermore, ammonia concentrations may be high enough to impact terrestrial organisms of economic and conservation importance including humans.
Aquatic Ecology, Jun 7, 2006
Ephemeral pools, which can have high animal biomass and low dissolved oxygen, may be prone to nit... more Ephemeral pools, which can have high animal biomass and low dissolved oxygen, may be prone to nitrite accumulation. As such, it is important to understand how exposure to nitrite might affect development and growth of amphibians that breed in these ephemeral pools. Wood frog (Rana sylvatica) and eastern tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum) embryos and tadpoles and young larvae were exposed to elevated concentrations of nitrite derived from sodium nitrite: 0, 0.3, 0.6, 1.2, 2.1, 4.6, and 6.1 mg l-1 NO 2-N. Increasing nitrite exposure slowed embryonic and larval development in both the eastern tiger salamander and the wood frog, reduced growth in tiger salamander embryos and larvae, and delayed metamorphosis in the wood frog. At concentrations less than 2 mg l-1 NO 2-N nitrite delayed hatching, and at concentrations above 2 mg l-1 time to hatching decreased causing more individuals to hatch at less developed stages. Nitrite also increased asynchrony in tiger salamander hatching. The sublethal effects of nitrite on amphibian development, growth and hatching could have serious repercussions on amphibian fitness in ephemeral environments. Potential increases in mortality on field populations caused by sublethal effects of nitrite are discussed.
Global Ecology and Conservation, Oct 1, 2022
Biological Conservation, Apr 1, 2003
Small aspen stands are disappearing from the landscape in the Southwest, so it is important to un... more Small aspen stands are disappearing from the landscape in the Southwest, so it is important to understand their contribution to the avian community. We sampled birds in 53 small, isolated aspen stands and 53 paired plots within the ponderosa pine forest in northern Arizona, during the 1996 and 1997 breeding seasons. Bird species richness and abundance were higher in aspen than in pine. However, bird species richness and abundance did not vary with size of the aspen patch or isolation index. In addition, direct ordination of species distributions with habitat factors suggested no distinct avian communities. This suggests that aspen stands do not harbor separate populations, but rather are locations where the regional avifauna reaches high local density and richness and may be crucial to birds in years of resource scarcity. Thus it is important for avian conservation to maintain many aspen stands across the landscape, encompassing a diversity of vegetation structure and composition.
Oecologia, Oct 7, 2017
Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Springer-Verlag Gmb... more Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany. This e-offprint is for personal use only and shall not be selfarchived in electronic repositories. If you wish to self-archive your article, please use the accepted manuscript version for posting on your own website. You may further deposit the accepted manuscript version in any repository, provided it is only made publicly available 12 months after official publication or later and provided acknowledgement is given to the original source of publication and a link is inserted to the published article on Springer's website. The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The final publication is available at link.springer.com".
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Papers by Kerry Griffis-Kyle