Amanda Hale | Texas Christian University (original) (raw)

Papers by Amanda Hale

PeerJ

The effects of anthropogenic modification of air space on wildlife, particularly volant species, ... more The effects of anthropogenic modification of air space on wildlife, particularly volant species, is not fully understood. Thus, it is essential to understand wildlife-interactions with tall structures to implement effective mitigation strategies. Yet, we are currently lacking standard protocols for visual surveys of wildlife behavior at such heights. Our study sought to determine an effective, repeatable method using readily available night vision and thermal technology to survey wildlife at tall structures. Using bats as the taxonomic group of interest, we (1) created a key to identify bats and their behavior, (2) compared the effectiveness of 2 different technologies, and (3) assessed optimal equipment placement to visually capture bat activity and behavior in proximity to wind turbine towers. For the latter, we tested thermal cameras at four distances from the base of the tower. The results of our study revealed that thermal cameras captured ∼34% more flying animals than night vi...

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PeerJ, 2017

Although the ultimate causes of high bat fatalities at wind farms are not well understood, severa... more Although the ultimate causes of high bat fatalities at wind farms are not well understood, several lines of evidence suggest that bats are attracted to wind turbines. One hypothesis is that bats would be attracted to turbines as a foraging resource if the insects that bats prey upon are commonly present on and around the turbine towers. To investigate the role that foraging activity may play in bat fatalities, we conducted a series of surveys at a wind farm in the southern Great Plains of the US from 2011-2016. From acoustic monitoring we recorded foraging activity, including feeding buzzes indicative of prey capture, in the immediate vicinity of turbine towers from all six bat species known to be present at this site. From insect surveys we found Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Orthoptera in consistently high proportions over several years suggesting that food resources for bats were consistently available at wind turbines. We used DNA barcoding techniques to assess bat diet compositi...

This dissertation is the first study of the black-breasted wood-quail, Odontophorus leucolaemus, ... more This dissertation is the first study of the black-breasted wood-quail, Odontophorus leucolaemus, a Neotropical cloud forest endemic. Deforestation has resulted in a reduction in species-wide population size and isolation of the remaining populations in Costa Rica. Wood-quail are ...

The Condor, 2008

Individuals are predicted to direct aid-giving behaviors preferentially to kin. In this study, we... more Individuals are predicted to direct aid-giving behaviors preferentially to kin. In this study, we examined patterns of investment in nesting activities and compared them to genetic paternity across a three-year period (1994-1996) in cooperatively breeding Brown Jays (Cyanocorax morio) in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Brown Jays live in large, territorial groups (mean = 10 individuals) that usually contain a single primary nesting female, her social mate (consort), and helpers of both sexes. Consorts were identified in most but not all nesting femaleyears; the consort-breeding female relationship was a stable one that often persisted across years, and consorts spent more time with the breeding females than did any other group males during nest building and egg laying. At an individual level, helpers invested little time in the nest area or feeding effort during the prenestling stages, although they provided the majority of feedings (90%) to the breeding female. The breeding pair spent more time in the nest area and had higher nestling feeding rates than the helpers. Consorts did not reduce their investment in nestling feeding in cases where they had not obtained paternity. Within-group extra-pair fathers, on the other hand, tended to provision nestlings less than did other nonbreeding males and were very rarely seen in the nesting areas. Extra-group fathers provided no nestling care. Brown Jay consorts appear to invest less in nesting activities compared to other well-studied New World jays. These findings suggest that mate guarding may be ineffective for consorts, and that both consorts and helper males may invest little in nesting activities because they are pursing mating or dispersal opportunities outside their social groups.

Conservation Genetics Resources, 2015

Journal of Mammalogy, 2015

Migratory tree bats comprise the majority of casualties at wind energy facilities across North Am... more Migratory tree bats comprise the majority of casualties at wind energy facilities across North America and some species, like Lasiurus borealis, are suspected to be in decline. We took advantage of the large numbers of L. borealis and L. cinereus salvaged during fall migration at 1 wind farm in Texas and 3 wind farms in Minnesota to evaluate the ability of current genetic methods to estimate population size and detect genetic bottlenecks in these species. Using DNA extracted from wing membrane tissue samples, we genotyped 439 L. borealis and 246 L. cinereus at 6 microsatellite loci and a 550 bp segment of the mitochondrial COI gene. Both microsatellite loci and mitochondrial haplotypes showed high levels of genetic diversity in each species. Historical estimates of N e were large for both species. Estimates of N Ef from the COI gene were almost 2 times higher for L. borealis than L. cinereus, whereas estimates utilizing microsatellite heterozygosity were higher for L. cinereus. We found a strong signal of rapid historical population growth and range expansion in L. borealis, but not in L. cinereus. The majority of our estimates of current N e had upper 95% confidence intervals that encompassed infinity. There is some indication from contemporary estimates of N e that L. borealis may have a lower current N e than historical estimates and that L. cinereus may currently have a very large N e. We found no genetic evidence of recent population declines and no evidence of population structure in either species. Genetic monitoring of migratory tree bats, specifically for the purpose of detecting population declines caused by wind turbine mortality, may be impractical due to the large effective population sizes and high levels of gene flow in these species. Future efforts should focus on developing genomic resources for these species, obtaining better estimates of mutation rates, and conducting range-wide population genetic studies in order to better estimate historical and current population sizes.

The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society, 2014

ABSTRACT Clonality and the mechanisms by which populations become established can affect the leve... more ABSTRACT Clonality and the mechanisms by which populations become established can affect the level and pattern of genetic diversity, which can in turn affect the ecology and evolution of those populations. We used amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) to examine genetic diversity and clonality in four isolated populations of the rhizomatous pale pitcher plant, Sarracenia alata, with particular emphasis on determining the extent of clonal spread and the likely mechanisms by which these populations became established. Genetic variation was greater within (87%) than between (13%) populations. The interpopulation genetic differentiation was a function of geographic distance. The mean (+ SE) genetic diversity (HE) within populations was 0.126 + 0.006, and the percentage of polymorphic loci within populations ranged from 58.9 to 72.4% (64.3 + 2.89, mean + SE). We found no repeated multilocus genotypes among our samples, nor was there evidence of bimodality of genetic differences among individuals within populations. Significant spatial genetic correlation was generally found only within 1 m, and matrix incompatibility analysis indicated that more than 90% of the genetic differences among individuals within each population could be explained by recombination. Our results indicate that asexual spread by this species is minimal. The relatively high genetic diversity within populations, the low differentiation among populations, and the low probability of gene flow among current populations suggest that the study populations are most likely the remnants of populations that were formerly more widespread with greater probability for gene flow.

Systematic Botany, 2015

ABSTRACT Abstract— Swertia perennis s. l. ranges discontinuously across Eurasia to the mountains ... more ABSTRACT Abstract— Swertia perennis s. l. ranges discontinuously across Eurasia to the mountains of western North America in a series of geographic isolates sometimes recognized as distinct taxa. We sequenced the chloroplast trnL intron, the trnL-trnF intergenic spacer, and the trnH-psbA spacer from 26 North American populations of S. perennis, two Altai populations, and ten outgroup taxa, and analyzed these data with previously published sequences. Combined data from trnL, trnL-trnF, and trnH-psbA yielded 11 distinct haplotypes from North America and two from the Altai. Phylogenetic analyses resolve rooted phylogenies of chloroplast lineages within North American S. perennis. In our sample, some lineages have well-characterized, non-overlapping geographic ranges. Further sampling will likely reveal additional haplotypes and polymorphism within populations or geographic areas, but this study lays a foundation for investigations of phylogenetic biogeography in S. perennis and co-distributed species.

The American Midland Naturalist, 2014

Animal Conservation, 2014

ABSTRACT Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain why bat–wind turbine collisions occur; how... more ABSTRACT Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain why bat–wind turbine collisions occur; however, most of these hypotheses have yet to be tested and with high numbers of bat fatalities reported annually at wind resource facilities globally, there is a real need to understand this phenomenon. In this study, we tested whether aviation lighting influenced the number of bat fatalities at wind turbines. Thus, at a utility-scale wind facility in north-central Texas, we explored whether bat fatalities were higher at wind turbines with red flashing aviation lighting compared with turbines without such lighting. Over a 5-year period, we recorded fatalities at wind turbines as part of a long-term fatality monitoring programme. During standardized searches, we collected 916 bat carcasses representing all six species known to be present at the site. We found that bat fatalities were higher at wind turbines without aviation lighting compared with those with; a pattern that was driven by one species, Lasiurus borealis, and there was no significant difference between fatalities at wind turbines with or without aviation lighting for any other species. Our study demonstrates that wind turbines should continue to be fitted with synchronized, flashing red aviation lights, as this form of lighting does not appear to be one of the potential causes of bat fatalities at wind resource facilities. We therefore support further research that explores possible alternative causes of bat–wind turbine interactions. More specifically, we reiterate that there is still a pressing need to determine the aspects of bat ecology that result in individuals coming into contact with wind turbines.

Molecular Ecology Notes, 2003

Eight polymorphic microsatellite loci are described for Littorina littorea (Linnaeus, 1758). Data... more Eight polymorphic microsatellite loci are described for Littorina littorea (Linnaeus, 1758). Data on allelic variation in Irish and Celtic Sea samples are reported. The average number of alleles per locus was 11 (range 4-29), and observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 6.9 to 84.3% and from 9.4 to 95.2%, respectively. Loci did not deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and no linkage disequilibrium between loci pairs was detected. Microsatellites were not highly conserved in the congeners, L. fabalis, L. saxatilis, L. compressa and L. obtusata as evidenced by a low rate of cross-amplification. These microsatellites should prove useful in population genetic studies.

Molecular Ecology Resources, 2013

We developed a simple and reliable genetic method to determine sex in bats from the Vespertilioni... more We developed a simple and reliable genetic method to determine sex in bats from the Vespertilionidae and Molossidae families. Polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify a portion of the introns within the zinc-finger-X (Zfx) and zinc-finger-Y (Zfy) genes. We designed primers to produce size variation between the Zfx and Zfy products that could be visualized using gel electrophoresis. Using an example from our wind-wildlife research, we show how sex data generated using this method are superior to sex data based on external morphology. Our method allows for the generation of sex data across a wide range of bats that can be used to address key questions in wildlife forensics, behavioural ecology, conservation and evolutionary biology.

Biodiversity and Conservation, 2013

Wind energy development is rapidly increasing within breeding and wintering ranges of many grassl... more Wind energy development is rapidly increasing within breeding and wintering ranges of many grassland birds in North America. Despite recognized environmental benefits of such development, wind farms have the potential to negatively impact bird communities. Using an area-search method, we surveyed grassland birds within a matrix of pastures, hay fields, and agricultural lands at a wind facility in north-central Texas during the winters of 2009/10 and 2010/11. We used binary logistic regression to examine the effect of distance from wind turbines on plot occupancy for species that did not show significant habitat associations. In contrast, for species with significant habitat associations, we used a two-step process to test for displacement. First, we identified suitable plots using a niche modeling approach in Maxent. Second, we used binary logistic regression to examine whether distance to turbine influenced the occupancy of those plots. Sprague's Pipit Anthus spragueii, Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis, and meadowlarks Sturnella sp. showed no evidence for displacement. In contrast, the Le Conte's Sparrow Ammodramus leconteii, was significantly more likely to occupy suitable plots as distance from the nearest turbine increased. Mean plot occupancy for the Le Conte's Sparrow was more than four times lower in plots \200 m from the nearest wind turbine compared to those that were[400 m away. Our study highlights the need to investigate displacement at the level of individual species. Our data also suggest that species dependent on cryptic predator evasion strategies may be displaced from wind turbines and this idea warrants further investigation.

The Auk, 2013

Proliferation of wind energy across the Great Plains of the United States has the potential to ne... more Proliferation of wind energy across the Great Plains of the United States has the potential to negatively affect many grassland birds through displacement, avoidance, or changes in nesting ecology. This is troublesome because grassland birds have had the highest average annual rate of decline over the past several decades. We studied the potential indirect effects of wind turbines on nesting success in Dickcissels (Spiza americana) at a utility-scale wind farm in north-central Texas in 2010 and 2011. We monitored 195 nests and found that proximity to a wind turbine did not affect nest density or nest-site characteristics. We used an informationtheoretic approach with logistic exposure modeling to identify the most likely models of nest fate. Nest initiation day and distance to wind turbine were the most important predictors of nest success. Proximity to a wind turbine did not reduce nest success. Furthermore, the daily survival rates at our site were within the range documented for Dickcissels at other sites without wind-energy developments. For the monitored nests, snake predation was the greatest source of nest failure and depredated nests were closer to woodland edges than to wind turbines. This may be because wind turbines were farther away from wooded edges. On the other hand, we cannot rule out the possibility that wind-energy development influenced predator behavior and activity, and this may warrant additional investigation. We recommend further research into the breeding ecology of a diverse selection of grassland species to fully assess the indirect effects of wind-energy development on grassland birds.

Diversity

Bats are killed at wind energy facilities worldwide and we must improve our understanding of why ... more Bats are killed at wind energy facilities worldwide and we must improve our understanding of why this is happening and implement effective strategies to minimize impacts. To this end, we need accurate assessments of which individuals from which bat species are being killed at individual wind projects and at regional and range-wide scales. Traditional fatality searches have relied on physical characteristics to ascertain species and sex of bat carcasses collected at wind turbines; however, the resulting data can be incomplete and inaccurate. In contrast, the use of readily available and low-cost molecular methods improves both the quality and quantity of available data. We applied such methods to a bat fatality dataset (n = 439 bats) from far-south Texas, USA. Using DNA barcoding, we increased accurate species identification from 83% to 97%, and discovered the presence of 2 bat species outside of their known geographic ranges. Using a PCR-based approach to determine sex, the number o...

Conservation Genetics …, 2012

We developed a non-invasive DNA sampling method and 15 tetranucleotide microsatellite markers for... more We developed a non-invasive DNA sampling method and 15 tetranucleotide microsatellite markers for Texas horned lizards (Phrynosoma cornutum). Swabbing the cloaca with a small cotton swab and preserving the cells in lysis buffer was an effective method to obtain tissue for DNA extraction. Loci were highly polymorphic with 8-25 alleles and observed heterozygosity was high (0.71-0.96). Some of these loci can also be used for round-tailed horned lizards (P. modestum).

The Southwestern Naturalist, 2012