Analysis of Scholarly Communication on Phonology during 2000 - 2017: A Scientometric Study

The study is aimed to find out the authorship pattern and the collaboration trends in the field of phonology. In the study, Collaborative index, Degree of collaboration, Collaborative Coefficient, Relative growth rate and Doubling time these Scientometric indicators were used. The study found that the Degree of Collaboration is 0.5 which reveals the average relationship between singled authored papers and muli-authored papers. Collaboration Coefficient and Modified Collaboration Coefficient is less than 0.5, it means there were fewer trends of authors collaboration. But the study found slight growth from 1013 to 2015 and again decreased. As per the study Goswami, U was the first ranked author, Lingua was the first ranked journal and USA was the first ranked Country between 2000 and 2017

Analysis of Scholarly Communication on Phonology during 2000 - 2017: A Scientometric Study

The study is aimed to find out the authorship pattern and the collaboration trends in the field of phonology. In the study, Collaborative index, Degree of collaboration, Collaborative Coefficient, Relative growth rate and Doubling time these Scientometric indicators were used. The study found that the Degree of Collaboration is 0.5 which reveals the average relationship between singled authored papers and muli-authored papers. Collaboration Coefficient and Modified Collaboration Coefficient is less than 0.5, it means there were fewer trends of authors collaboration. But the study found slight growth from 1013 to 2015 and again decreased. As per the study Goswami, U was the first ranked author, Lingua was the first ranked journal and USA was the first ranked Country between 2000 and 2017

Assessment of the reproductive ecology of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) in Alaska using subsistence biosampling programs

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2014.Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) in Alaska have experienced extreme fluctuations in abundance in recent decades. The purpose of this study was to examine growth and determine the age and size at sexual maturity in populations of these two species, as spatial and temporal variations in environmental conditions and changes in ecological constraints as a result of population fluctuations can influence growth and reproductive characteristics of individuals. All samples for this research were collected via biosampling, the collection of measurements and biological tissue samples, as a component of subsistence harvesting by Alaska Natives. In Chapter 1, morphometric measurements and reproductive tracts were collected by the Alaska Native Harbor Seal Commission's Biosampling Program from female harbor seals harvested throughout the Gulf of Alaska from 1998 through 2005. Seals attained an asymptotic standard length (SE) of 147.7 ± 2.6 cm and body mass of 82.2 ± 4.8 kg. Female harbor seals did not mature until a minimum age of 3 yr, a standard length of 122 cm, and a weight of 48 kg. The average age of sexual maturity was 4.2 ± 0.7 yr (95% CI). Fetal growth was measured by standard length, curvilinear length, axillary girth, the cube root of fetal mass, skull length, condylobasal length, zygomatic width, and skull width against the day of the year the mother was harvested. The x-intercept of the linear regression of each fetal growth measurement against the day of the year produced estimates of the implantation date that ranged from September 22nd to October 17th, with a mean date of September 30th ± 8 d (SD). Harbor seals from this study are smaller in length, have a later implantation date, and are larger at sexual maturity compared to harbor seals in the Gulf of Alaska from the 1960s. In Chapter 2, morphometric measurements and reproductive tracts were collected by a Native Alaskan subsistence hunter from 40 male sea otters near Gustavus, in Southeast Alaska. The maximum recorded standard length and axillary girth were 160 cm and 78.7 cm, respectively. Sexual maturity was assessed by the histological examination of the testes and epididymides and the subsequent measurement and characterization of the seminiferous tubules. Male sea otters in the region reached sexual maturity at 3 to 4 yr of age, after attaining a standard body length of 130 cm., a mean seminiferous tubule diameter of 140 µm, and a baculum length of 14 cm. Sea otters outside Gustavus, Alaska exhibit increased body size and lower ages of sexual maturity compared to sea otters in other regions of Alaska, suggesting that resources are abundant and are not limiting maturation rates of male sea otters near Glacier Bay. In the future, as anthropogenic influences continue to increase and environmental conditions fluctuate, biosampling programs will be an invaluable tool for continued monitoring of marine mammals in Alaska.General Introduction -- Chapter 1: Female growth, reproductive characteristics, and fetal growth of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) in the Gulf of Alaska -- Chapter 2: Growth and sexual maturation in male northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) from Gustavus, Alaska

Exploring the energetic consequences and decision-making behaviours of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) foraging on common eider (Somateria mollissima) seaduck eggs on Mitivik Island, Nunavut

Climate change is projected to further degrade sea-ice conditions in the Arctic, causing disruptions in the foraging ecology of animals. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) will likely continue to suffer declines in fitness if they are unable to supplement lost on-ice hunting opportunities with terrestrial resources. My thesis aimed to investigate whether polar bears accrue a net energetic gain from foraging on common eider (Somateria mollissima) eggs and whether the decisions they make when foraging on eggs are consistent with optimal foraging theory. Using aerial footage of bears foraging on common eider eggs, I estimated the energetic consequences of foraging on eggs, and examined polar bears’ foraging performance as the resource was depleted. My results indicate that polar bears consumed eggs at a decelerating rate. While the proportion of time spent searching in the colony increased as the season advanced, the energetic cost of searching remained constant throughout the season as a result of similar costs of expenditure across locomotion and feeding. Overall, while some bears gain an energetic surplus from egg foraging, the benefits decline with nest density, resulting in a net loss. Further, my results indicate that as the resource depleted, polar bears did not adjust all their foraging decisions to match resource density. Bears increased their visitation rates to nests that were ‘empty’, despite visiting fewer nests overall. Polar bears did not adjust their movement to nest density, but did become less selective in their choice of which clutches of eggs to consume. Lastly, bears that capitalized on the visual cue of a flushing eider hen to locate nests also significantly increased the number of clutches they consumed

EFFECTS OF ACOUSTIC DISTURBANCE CAUSED BY SHIP TRAFFIC ON COMMON FISH SPECIES IN THE HIGH ARCTIC

Due to climate change the high Arctic is experiencing growth in acoustic anthropogenic disturbance that may affect aquatic species, such as Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida), and Inuit residents. To our knowledge, no studies have been conducted on this topic and species. Furthermore, there is urgent need for conservation action through much needed collaboration between Inuit and researchers, and an engagement of different audiences, and thus, a documentary film was added to the project as means of communication. Resolute Bay is a small Inuit community located just north of the Northwest Passage, where ships are often visitors in the summer and the bay is a home to Arctic cod, making this the perfect location to address this gap of knowledge and communication. In Chapter 2, we show that Arctic cod was horizontally displaced from its home range and individuals reduced the extent of their habitat use and changed their swimming patterns during vessel presence and movement. In Chapter 3, we describe and put into context the different techniques the film uses to accomplish the set objectives: highlighting the issues facing the Inuit and the arctic ecosystem, the value of Inuit traditional ecological knowledge and need for its incorporation into future studies in the region. Arctic cod spatial distribution and behavioral changes carry consequences for the whole Arctic ecosystem and need to be well understood by scientists as well as by a wide range of audiences to allow for sustainable management and timely conservation action

Isotopic records of terrestrial ice age environments in mammoth bioapatite

Palaeoenvironments of the latter half of the Weichselian ice age and the transition to the Holocene, from ca. 52 to 4 ka, were investigated using isotopic analysis of oxygen, carbon and strontium in mammal skeletal apatite. The study material consisted predominantly of subfossil bones and teeth of the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius Blumenbach), collected from Europe and Wrangel Island, northeastern Siberia. All samples have been radiocarbon dated, and their ages range from >52 ka to 4 ka. Altogether, 100 specimens were sampled for the isotopic work. In Europe, the studies focused on the glacial palaeoclimate and habitat palaeoecology. To minimise the influence of possible diagenetic effects, the palaeoclimatological and ecological reconstructions were based on the enamel samples only. The results of the oxygen isotope analysis of mammoth enamel phosphate from Finland and adjacent nortwestern Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Denmark and Sweden provide the first estimate of oxygen isotope values in glacial precipitation in northern Europe. The glacial precipitation oxygen isotope values range from ca. -9.2±1.5 in western Denmark to -15.3 in Kirillov, northwestern Russia. These values are 0.6-4.1 lower than those in present-day precipitation, with the largest changes recorded in the currently marine influenced southern Sweden and the Baltic region. The new enamel-derived oxygen isotope data from this study, combined with oxygen isotope records from earlier investigations on mammoth tooth enamel and palaeogroundwaters, facilitate a reconstruction of the spatial patterns of the oxygen isotope values of precipitation and palaeotemperatures over much of Europe. The reconstructed geographic pattern of oxygen isotope levels in precipitation during 52-24 ka reflects the progressive isotopic depletion of air masses moving northeast, consistent with a westerly source of moisture for the entire region, and a circulation pattern similar to that of the present-day. The application of regionally varied δ/T-slopes, estimated from palaeogroundwater data and modern spatial correlations, yield reasonable estimates of glacial surface temperatures in Europe and imply 2-9°C lower long-term mean annual surface temperatures during the glacial period. The isotopic composition of carbon in the enamel samples indicates a pure C3 diet for the European mammoths, in agreement with previous investigations of mammoth ecology. A faint geographical gradient in the carbon isotope values of enamel is discernible, with more negative values in the northeast. The spatial trend is consistent with the climatic implications of the enamel oxygen isotope data, but may also suggest regional differences in habitat openness. The palaeogeographical changes caused by the eustatic rise of global sea level at the end of the Weichselian ice age was investigated on Wrangel Island, using the strontium isotope (Sr-87/Sr-86) ratios in the skeletal apatite of the local mammoth fauna. The diagenetic evaluations suggest good preservation of the original Sr isotope ratios, even in the bone specimens included in the study material. To estimate present-day environmental Sr isotope values on Wrangel Island, bioapatite samples from modern reindeer and muskoxen, as well as surface waters from rivers and ice wedges were analysed. A significant shift towards more radiogenic bioapatite Sr isotope ratios, from 0.71218 ± 0.00103 to 0.71491 ± 0.00138, marks the beginning of the Holocene. This implies a change in the migration patterns of the mammals, ultimately reflecting the inundation of the mainland connection and isolation of the population. The bioapatite Sr isotope data supports published coastline reconstructions placing the time of separation from the mainland to ca. 10-10.5 ka ago. The shift towards more radiogenic Sr isotope values in mid-Holocene subfossil remains after 8 ka ago reflects the rapid rise of the sea level from 10 to 8 ka, resulting in a considerable reduction of the accessible range area on the early Wrangel Island.Tämä tutkimus käsittelee ympäristöoloja Veiksel-jääkauden jälkipuoliskolla ja nykyisen lämpökauden, Holoseenin, alussa 52 000-4 000 vuotta sitten käyttäen hyväksi luustoapatiitin, enimmäkseen villakarvamammutin (Mammuthus primigenius Blumenbach) poskihampaiden hammaskiilteen, isotooppikoostumuksia. Yhteensä 100 luustoapatiittinäytettä analysoitiin hapen, hiilen ja strontiumin isotooppikoostumusten suhteen. Tutkimukset kohdentuivat Eurooppaan ja Itä-Siperian edustalla Jäämeressä sijaitsevaan Wrangelin saareen. Euroopassa tutkimukset keskittyivät muinaiseen ilmastoon ja mammuttien elinympäristöön, joita selvitettiin happi- ja hiili-isotooppien avulla. Suomesta, Luoteis-Venäjältä, Virosta, Latviasta, Liettuasta, Puolasta, Ruotsista ja Tanskasta löytyneiden poskihammasnäytteiden kiilteen happi-isotooppikoostumuksen perusteella pystyttiin määrittämään jääkautisen sadannan happi-isotooppiarvo Pohjois-Euroopassa noin 52 000-24 000 vuotta sitten, ja edelleen arvioimaan alueen keskimääräisiä vuotuisia lämpötiloja. Saadut tulokset tarjoavat ensimmäiset arviot jääkausiaikaisen ilmaston lämpötiloista alueella ja viittaavat selviin alueellisiin eroihin muutoksen voimakkuudessa jääkausiaikaisen ja nykyisen ilmaston välillä. Alueesta riippuen happi-isotooppiarvojen perusteella arvioidut vuosittaiset keskilämpötilat jääkausiajalla olivat 2-9°C nykyisiä lämpötiloja alempia. Työssä tuotetun uuden happi-isotooppiaineiston yhdistäminen aikaisempiin tutkimustuloksiin mahdollisti ensimmäistä kertaa jääkausiajan sadannan happi-isotooppiarvojen maantieteellisen jakauman rekonstruoimisen koko läntisen Euroopan alueella. Jääkautisen sadannan happi-isotooppiarvot ovat korkeimmat lounaassa, ja muuttuvat jatkuvasti matalammiksi koillista kohden kuvastaen läntistä kosteuslähdettä ja ilmamassojen kulkua lounaasta koilliseen. Näin ollen tutkimuksen tulokset viittaavat siihen, että Euroopan sadannan kosteuslähteet ja ilmakehän suurimittakaavainen liike ovat pysyneet samankaltaisina viimeisen ~50 000 vuoden ajan. Rekonstruoitua jääkausiaikaisen sadannan happi-isotooppikarttaa voidaan käyttää hyödyksi tarkistettaessa globaalisten ja alueellisten ilmastomallien toimivuutta. Eurooppalaisten hammaskiillenäytteiden hiili-isotooppikoostumus viittaa puhtaasti C3-kasvillisuudesta koostuneeseen ravintoon. Arvoissa nähtävä heikko maantieteellinen gradientti on yhtäpitävä happi-isotooppiarvoissa ilmentyvän ilmastogradientin kanssa, mutta saattaa myös viitata maantieteellisiin eroihin mammuttien elinympäristön avoimuudessa. Hiili-isotooppiarvot mahdollistavat tulkinnan, jonka mukaan elinympäristöt idässä ja koillisessa olisivat olleet suljetumpia verrattuna läntisempiin elinympäristöihin. Veiksel-jääkauden lopulla jäätikköjen sulamisesta aiheutuneen merenpinnan nousun vaikutuksia tutkittiin Wrangelin saarelta löytyneiden jääkausifaunan luustojäänteiden strontiumisotooppikoostumuksen (Sr-87/Sr-87) avulla. Holoseeni-epookin alussa, noin 10 000 vuotta sitten, eläinten luuston strontiumisotooppisuhteessa tapahtui selvä muutos. Ajanjaksoon >50 000-11 000 vuotta sitten ajoitettujen näytteiden Sr-isotooppisuhde eroaa selvästi Holoseeniin ajoitettuihin (9900-4000 vuotta sitten) näytteisiin verrattuna. Muutos korkeampiin Sr-isotooppiarvoihin heijastaa muutosta eläinten käyttämissä laidunnusalueissa ja lopulta merenpinnan noususta aiheutunutta Wrangelin saaren irtikuroutumista mantereesta. Luustoapatiitin strontiumisotooppiarvot viittaavat siihen, että maayhteys on katkennut 10 000-10 500 vuotta sitten, ja näin ollen tarkentavat aikaisempia, merenpintakäyriin ja syvyyskarttoihin perustuneita arvioita saaren eristymisestä

SUCCESS OR FAILURE? ORDERED PROBIT APPROACHES TO MEASURING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is one of the most controversial pieces of environmental legislation. Part of the controversy stems from doubts about its effectiveness in generating improvements in species viability. This paper uses ordered probit models to test whether the ESA has been successful in promoting species recovery. We find a negative correlation between listing and species recovery. Additionally, we find evidence of positive effects for species-specific spending and the achievement of recovery goals. The evidence also shows that recovery plan completion and the designation of critical habit are not correlated or negatively correlated with recovery.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Neanderthal Diets in Portugal: Small and Large Prey Consumption during the Marine Isotope Stage 5 (MIS-5)

Gruta da Figueira Brava and Gruta da Oliveira are two key-sites within the Middle Palaeolithic research in the Iberian Peninsula. They are located in Central Portugal, the former occupying a coastal position, whereas the latter is about 60 km inland. They were occupied during the MIS-5 and the retrieval of two important faunal collections are now vital to the reconstruction of the palaeoeconomic activities of the Last Interglacial Neanderthals, as well as to understanding their mobility patterns within the landscape. Both caves were within resource-rich landscapes with permanent water sources nearby. Gruta da Figueira Brava also profited from its proximity to the coast with access to an ecotonal environment. This results in the formation of faunal assemblages proliferous in ungulate remains, leporids, birds, tortoises, molluscs and crabs. After detailed taphonomical analyses, it was possible to ascertain that all faunal remains resulted from human activities with some contributions from other agents of accumulation. Neanderthals brought in complete carcasses of small prey, deer and ibex, whereas only the nutrient-rich parts of larger animals were brought home for further processing and consumption. All prey sizes were being evenly targeted, with systematic use of shellfish resources that led to the formation of deposits in Gruta da Figueira Brava comparable to those from nearby Mesolithic sites. Biometric analyses of limpets and tortoises hint at the systematic use and overexploitation of such resources. Quick moving small prey were targeted, with leporids and birds being used for food and maybe for pelts and feathers. The wide range of species exploited demonstrates that Neanderthals had consistent broad spectrum diets, which had implications on the type of site use, with a tendency for year-round occupations, which could have promoted the development of larger Neanderthal groups, and the consequent formation of more complex, more stratified and more organised social structures