Doug Duncan - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Doug Duncan

Ranching and endangered species recovery: It doesn’t have to be a conflict Mac Donaldson and Doug... more Ranching and endangered species recovery: It doesn’t have to be a conflict Mac Donaldson and Doug Duncan Far too often, livestock grazing and endangered species issues are pitted against each other. This does not have to be the case, and how things are done on the Las Cienegas NCA can be one example. Fish and wildlife biologists, ranchers, and others often have common ground that can form the basis of a mutually beneficial relationship. Collaboration has been occurring for a long time in conservation and ranching, it was just called something else. Endangered species issues on Las Cienegas were dealt with at multiple levels and included: the USFWS biologist, the Biological Planning Team, the Sonoita Valley Planning Partnership, BLM, and the Donaldsons. These processes can involve the investment of a great deal of time and effort. All parties need to be educated on the issues and processes involved. Requires people to see both sides of an issue and reach appropriate compromises when ...

Traffic injury prevention, 2011

Before October 1, 2002, Maryland's regulations for relicensing drivers with 2 recorded alcoh... more Before October 1, 2002, Maryland's regulations for relicensing drivers with 2 recorded alcohol-related traffic violations distinguished between offenders with 5 or more years between their first and second violations and those with less than 5 years. Our research examined whether this policy was supported by differential probabilities of recidivism and violation-free survival.

Journal of Criminal Justice, 2011

Objective-Research demonstrates that punitive approaches to DWI employed by the judiciary have fa... more Objective-Research demonstrates that punitive approaches to DWI employed by the judiciary have failed to significantly reduce recidivism. However, little is known about the deterrent effects of administrative and diversion sanctions. We examine whether such sanctions deter first-time DWI offenders.

Accident Analysis & Prevention, 2011

Small raptors are good barometers of environmental changes, resulting from either natural or cult... more Small raptors are good barometers of environmental changes, resulting from either natural or cultural causes, for several reasons: 1) these raptors have small territories and population densities are often relatively high and easily censused (e.g., by using playback recordings, especially during the breeding seas()Jl); 2) their relatively large numbers allow statistical treatment of,population estimates to determine population trends; 3) raptors are top carnivores, thus environmental perturbations affecting lower trophic levels commorly affect raptors also; and 4) since owls are largely crespuscular or nocturnal. the incidence of human contact and direct persecution is lessened. allowing easier detection of population flunctuations attributable to environmental changes such as habitat degradation or contamination of food chains. Raptors emphasized in this paper include the burrowing owl, ferruginous pygmy-owl, elf owl, western screech-owl and American kestrel.

Avian environments can be divided in a variety of ways based on human settlement patterns. One sc... more Avian environments can be divided in a variety of ways based on human settlement patterns. One scheme consists of dividing habitats into three major categories-urban-suburban, rural-agricultural, and natural communities~ These three basic categories divided into several additional habitat types. Urban environments, for example, can be further divided into a series of habitats that range from well vegetated city parks· to older, settled residential areas, and finally to high-rise buildings. In this paper we are concerned with new residential developments, using Tucson, Arizona, one of the nation's fastest growing cities, as a model. This southern Arizona city has dozens of newly developing tracts in a variety of ·native habitats. Development range from a few acres to thousands of acres with costs running from hundreds of thousands to hundreds of millions of dollars. Construction is occurring in native habitats that range from semi-arid creosote bush scrub to intermittent and· eph...

The Gila topminnow, Poeciliopsis occidentalis, was once considered the commonest fish in the Gila... more The Gila topminnow, Poeciliopsis occidentalis, was once considered the commonest fish in the Gila River basin. Due to the well-known and extensively documented threats of habitat desiccation and the release of exotic and nonnative fishes, this once common live-bearer was reduced to a few isolated populations, and listed as an endangered species in 1967. Gila topminnow have been released over 200 times into mostly wild habitats (streams, springs, stock tanks, ponds), and more than 100 times into captive sites. These numbers include the initial and augmentation releases, and have been largely over the last 35 years. The releases have been facilitated by MOUs, Endangered Species Act Section 6 funding, Arizona Heritage Funds, the topminnow pupfish Safe Harbor Agreement, and the Gila River Basin Native Fish Conservation Program. Most releases were done by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, but have included numerous partners. The topminnow pupfish Safe Harbor Agreement has allowed the...

Cienega Creek, Pima County, Arizona, currently supports the largest, most ~extensive Gila topminn... more Cienega Creek, Pima County, Arizona, currently supports the largest, most ~extensive Gila topminnow (Poeciliopsis occidentalis) population in the United States. Data was collected for 14 habitat parameters along 10 km of Cienega Creek in 1990 and 4 km in 4 separate reaches in 2000. Notable changes in aquatic habitat include increased' overstory canopy, increased pool habitat area, increased instream cover, increased average pool depth and increased maximun pool depth. Topminnow population trend data was also collected over a 17 year period beginning in 1989. The upper half of the creek has shown a declining trend in topminnow abundance, including the loss of the species at 2 sites, while the lower portion of the creek has shown a relatively stable trend. As a result of Arizona BLM's riparian restoration strategy, a series of livestock exclosures have been constructed since 1990 to improve riparian and aquatic habitat conditions. The results of long-term monitoring indicate t...

The U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) [Section 4(c)(2)] requires that the status of listed specie... more The U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) [Section 4(c)(2)] requires that the status of listed species be reviewed periodically to insure that the classification as threatened or endangered is accurate. Additional recommendations on conservation measures and other actions can be made in the five-year review. We just completed the five-year review for the desert pupfish. Under the ESA, the "desert" pupfish is Cyprinodon macularius, and includes the "Quitobaquito" pupfish, C. m. eremus as the listed entities. The five-year review recommends changing the taxa covered by the act to reflect the current taxonomy and common names: desert pupfish Cyprinodon macularius; Rio Sonoyta pupfish C. eremus; and Santa Cruz pupfish C. arcuatus (extinct). The other main recommendation is to update the desert pupfish recovery plan to incorporate information on management units in the Salton Sink.

The Gila River Basin Native Fishes Conservation Program was established to conserve native fishes... more The Gila River Basin Native Fishes Conservation Program was established to conserve native fishes and manage against nonnative fishes in response to several Endangered Species Act biological opinions between the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Central Arizona Project (CAP) water transfers to the Gila River basin. Populations of some Gila River native fish species are rare in the wild and appear on the verge of extirpation. The CAP Program provides monies to undertake and support conservation actions for five priority fishes and other native fishes in the Gila River basin by implementing recovery plans. The Program will last 30 years, and provide more than $16M. In addition, the Program provides monies to control and eradicate nonnative fishes and other non-indigenous aquatic organisms. Thus the Program is directed toward actions against nonnative aquatic biota where it interferes with recovery of native forms. Fund transfers from Reclamation to the Se...

ARIZONA NEVADA • a 6 1 7 r.f r r~5

The Río Sonoyta in northern Sonora is an important aquatic ecosystem that is disappearing because... more The Río Sonoyta in northern Sonora is an important aquatic ecosystem that is disappearing because of drought and groundwater withdrawal. Its native species are also threatened by introduced species. The only watered reach is an intermittent segment (<1 km, Agua Dulce), found just across the International Border from Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. The native fish present in the river include the endangered Sonoyta pupfish and the indigenous longfin dace. In the wild, the pupfish occurs only at Quitobaquito Springs and at Agua Dulce. The longfin dace may be extirpated. A partnership formed and led by the La Reserva de la Biosfera El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar included partners from the United States and Mexico to create fish refuges in Mexico. We summarize conservation efforts to maintain native fishes in refuge ponds, report on their status, and offer suggestions for future management. We also present information on the future establishment of refuges for longfin dace...

The conservation of native fish in the southwestern United States has always been reliant on find... more The conservation of native fish in the southwestern United States has always been reliant on finding water that isn’t “used,” or that does not have conflicts that make the site unavailable. Examples of issues that can render a site unsuitable or unusable for native fish are sport fisheries, low-quality effluent, non-indigenous fish, and livestock use. Climate change and drought also have the potential to drastically and negatively alter conservation activities for native fishes. In addition to the issues listed above, the multiple effects of human activities in a watershed also impact waters. Native fish conservation is also complicated because of potential conflicts with other rare aquatic species. The potential effects of climate change and drought need to be addressed by the time factor and uncertainty of effects. The precautionary principle should be adhered to when planning for native fish conservation. While there may not necessarily be solutions to the problems presented by d...

Southwestern desert …, 2010

This book brings together peer-reviewed research from two interagency projects that focused on So... more This book brings together peer-reviewed research from two interagency projects that focused on Southwestern Desert ecosystems and resources. The first is a series of biennial conferences that were held from 1996 through 2006. These were guided and managed by a committee representing

The Southwestern Naturalist, 1991

To compare and contrast herpetofaunas at Ranchos Los Fresnos and El Aribabi in north-central Sono... more To compare and contrast herpetofaunas at Ranchos Los Fresnos and El Aribabi in north-central Sonora, México, we conducted herpetological surveys during 2006-2011, contacted others working in these two areas, and queried 27 museums and collections for specimens collected at or near these ranches. Based on this work, nine and seven amphibian, and 27 and 24 reptile species are known to occur at Ranchos El Aribabi and Los Fresnos, respectively. Significant findings at Los Fresnos include presence of presumed Sonora tiger salamanders (Ambystoma mavortium stebbinsi), of which there are only three localities in México; Arizona treefrog (Hyla wrightorum) at several sites; and Mexican gartersnake (Thamnophis eques); and at El Aribabi, Neotropical whipsnake (Coluber mentovarius), a range extension of 144 km, Tarahumara salamander (Ambystoma rosaceum) near the northern edge of its range, and Mexican gartersnake. Both ranches support non-native American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) and n...

Ranching and endangered species recovery: It doesn’t have to be a conflict Mac Donaldson and Doug... more Ranching and endangered species recovery: It doesn’t have to be a conflict Mac Donaldson and Doug Duncan Far too often, livestock grazing and endangered species issues are pitted against each other. This does not have to be the case, and how things are done on the Las Cienegas NCA can be one example. Fish and wildlife biologists, ranchers, and others often have common ground that can form the basis of a mutually beneficial relationship. Collaboration has been occurring for a long time in conservation and ranching, it was just called something else. Endangered species issues on Las Cienegas were dealt with at multiple levels and included: the USFWS biologist, the Biological Planning Team, the Sonoita Valley Planning Partnership, BLM, and the Donaldsons. These processes can involve the investment of a great deal of time and effort. All parties need to be educated on the issues and processes involved. Requires people to see both sides of an issue and reach appropriate compromises when ...

Traffic injury prevention, 2011

Before October 1, 2002, Maryland's regulations for relicensing drivers with 2 recorded alcoh... more Before October 1, 2002, Maryland's regulations for relicensing drivers with 2 recorded alcohol-related traffic violations distinguished between offenders with 5 or more years between their first and second violations and those with less than 5 years. Our research examined whether this policy was supported by differential probabilities of recidivism and violation-free survival.

Journal of Criminal Justice, 2011

Objective-Research demonstrates that punitive approaches to DWI employed by the judiciary have fa... more Objective-Research demonstrates that punitive approaches to DWI employed by the judiciary have failed to significantly reduce recidivism. However, little is known about the deterrent effects of administrative and diversion sanctions. We examine whether such sanctions deter first-time DWI offenders.

Accident Analysis & Prevention, 2011

Small raptors are good barometers of environmental changes, resulting from either natural or cult... more Small raptors are good barometers of environmental changes, resulting from either natural or cultural causes, for several reasons: 1) these raptors have small territories and population densities are often relatively high and easily censused (e.g., by using playback recordings, especially during the breeding seas()Jl); 2) their relatively large numbers allow statistical treatment of,population estimates to determine population trends; 3) raptors are top carnivores, thus environmental perturbations affecting lower trophic levels commorly affect raptors also; and 4) since owls are largely crespuscular or nocturnal. the incidence of human contact and direct persecution is lessened. allowing easier detection of population flunctuations attributable to environmental changes such as habitat degradation or contamination of food chains. Raptors emphasized in this paper include the burrowing owl, ferruginous pygmy-owl, elf owl, western screech-owl and American kestrel.

Avian environments can be divided in a variety of ways based on human settlement patterns. One sc... more Avian environments can be divided in a variety of ways based on human settlement patterns. One scheme consists of dividing habitats into three major categories-urban-suburban, rural-agricultural, and natural communities~ These three basic categories divided into several additional habitat types. Urban environments, for example, can be further divided into a series of habitats that range from well vegetated city parks· to older, settled residential areas, and finally to high-rise buildings. In this paper we are concerned with new residential developments, using Tucson, Arizona, one of the nation's fastest growing cities, as a model. This southern Arizona city has dozens of newly developing tracts in a variety of ·native habitats. Development range from a few acres to thousands of acres with costs running from hundreds of thousands to hundreds of millions of dollars. Construction is occurring in native habitats that range from semi-arid creosote bush scrub to intermittent and· eph...

The Gila topminnow, Poeciliopsis occidentalis, was once considered the commonest fish in the Gila... more The Gila topminnow, Poeciliopsis occidentalis, was once considered the commonest fish in the Gila River basin. Due to the well-known and extensively documented threats of habitat desiccation and the release of exotic and nonnative fishes, this once common live-bearer was reduced to a few isolated populations, and listed as an endangered species in 1967. Gila topminnow have been released over 200 times into mostly wild habitats (streams, springs, stock tanks, ponds), and more than 100 times into captive sites. These numbers include the initial and augmentation releases, and have been largely over the last 35 years. The releases have been facilitated by MOUs, Endangered Species Act Section 6 funding, Arizona Heritage Funds, the topminnow pupfish Safe Harbor Agreement, and the Gila River Basin Native Fish Conservation Program. Most releases were done by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, but have included numerous partners. The topminnow pupfish Safe Harbor Agreement has allowed the...

Cienega Creek, Pima County, Arizona, currently supports the largest, most ~extensive Gila topminn... more Cienega Creek, Pima County, Arizona, currently supports the largest, most ~extensive Gila topminnow (Poeciliopsis occidentalis) population in the United States. Data was collected for 14 habitat parameters along 10 km of Cienega Creek in 1990 and 4 km in 4 separate reaches in 2000. Notable changes in aquatic habitat include increased' overstory canopy, increased pool habitat area, increased instream cover, increased average pool depth and increased maximun pool depth. Topminnow population trend data was also collected over a 17 year period beginning in 1989. The upper half of the creek has shown a declining trend in topminnow abundance, including the loss of the species at 2 sites, while the lower portion of the creek has shown a relatively stable trend. As a result of Arizona BLM's riparian restoration strategy, a series of livestock exclosures have been constructed since 1990 to improve riparian and aquatic habitat conditions. The results of long-term monitoring indicate t...

The U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) [Section 4(c)(2)] requires that the status of listed specie... more The U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) [Section 4(c)(2)] requires that the status of listed species be reviewed periodically to insure that the classification as threatened or endangered is accurate. Additional recommendations on conservation measures and other actions can be made in the five-year review. We just completed the five-year review for the desert pupfish. Under the ESA, the "desert" pupfish is Cyprinodon macularius, and includes the "Quitobaquito" pupfish, C. m. eremus as the listed entities. The five-year review recommends changing the taxa covered by the act to reflect the current taxonomy and common names: desert pupfish Cyprinodon macularius; Rio Sonoyta pupfish C. eremus; and Santa Cruz pupfish C. arcuatus (extinct). The other main recommendation is to update the desert pupfish recovery plan to incorporate information on management units in the Salton Sink.

The Gila River Basin Native Fishes Conservation Program was established to conserve native fishes... more The Gila River Basin Native Fishes Conservation Program was established to conserve native fishes and manage against nonnative fishes in response to several Endangered Species Act biological opinions between the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Central Arizona Project (CAP) water transfers to the Gila River basin. Populations of some Gila River native fish species are rare in the wild and appear on the verge of extirpation. The CAP Program provides monies to undertake and support conservation actions for five priority fishes and other native fishes in the Gila River basin by implementing recovery plans. The Program will last 30 years, and provide more than $16M. In addition, the Program provides monies to control and eradicate nonnative fishes and other non-indigenous aquatic organisms. Thus the Program is directed toward actions against nonnative aquatic biota where it interferes with recovery of native forms. Fund transfers from Reclamation to the Se...

ARIZONA NEVADA • a 6 1 7 r.f r r~5

The Río Sonoyta in northern Sonora is an important aquatic ecosystem that is disappearing because... more The Río Sonoyta in northern Sonora is an important aquatic ecosystem that is disappearing because of drought and groundwater withdrawal. Its native species are also threatened by introduced species. The only watered reach is an intermittent segment (<1 km, Agua Dulce), found just across the International Border from Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. The native fish present in the river include the endangered Sonoyta pupfish and the indigenous longfin dace. In the wild, the pupfish occurs only at Quitobaquito Springs and at Agua Dulce. The longfin dace may be extirpated. A partnership formed and led by the La Reserva de la Biosfera El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar included partners from the United States and Mexico to create fish refuges in Mexico. We summarize conservation efforts to maintain native fishes in refuge ponds, report on their status, and offer suggestions for future management. We also present information on the future establishment of refuges for longfin dace...

The conservation of native fish in the southwestern United States has always been reliant on find... more The conservation of native fish in the southwestern United States has always been reliant on finding water that isn’t “used,” or that does not have conflicts that make the site unavailable. Examples of issues that can render a site unsuitable or unusable for native fish are sport fisheries, low-quality effluent, non-indigenous fish, and livestock use. Climate change and drought also have the potential to drastically and negatively alter conservation activities for native fishes. In addition to the issues listed above, the multiple effects of human activities in a watershed also impact waters. Native fish conservation is also complicated because of potential conflicts with other rare aquatic species. The potential effects of climate change and drought need to be addressed by the time factor and uncertainty of effects. The precautionary principle should be adhered to when planning for native fish conservation. While there may not necessarily be solutions to the problems presented by d...

Southwestern desert …, 2010

This book brings together peer-reviewed research from two interagency projects that focused on So... more This book brings together peer-reviewed research from two interagency projects that focused on Southwestern Desert ecosystems and resources. The first is a series of biennial conferences that were held from 1996 through 2006. These were guided and managed by a committee representing

The Southwestern Naturalist, 1991

To compare and contrast herpetofaunas at Ranchos Los Fresnos and El Aribabi in north-central Sono... more To compare and contrast herpetofaunas at Ranchos Los Fresnos and El Aribabi in north-central Sonora, México, we conducted herpetological surveys during 2006-2011, contacted others working in these two areas, and queried 27 museums and collections for specimens collected at or near these ranches. Based on this work, nine and seven amphibian, and 27 and 24 reptile species are known to occur at Ranchos El Aribabi and Los Fresnos, respectively. Significant findings at Los Fresnos include presence of presumed Sonora tiger salamanders (Ambystoma mavortium stebbinsi), of which there are only three localities in México; Arizona treefrog (Hyla wrightorum) at several sites; and Mexican gartersnake (Thamnophis eques); and at El Aribabi, Neotropical whipsnake (Coluber mentovarius), a range extension of 144 km, Tarahumara salamander (Ambystoma rosaceum) near the northern edge of its range, and Mexican gartersnake. Both ranches support non-native American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) and n...