Source Reconstruction for Spatio-Temporal Physical Statistical Models

In many applications, a signal is deformed by well-understood dynamics before it can be measured. For example, when a pollutant enters a river, it immediately begins dispersing, flowing, settling, and reacting. If the pollutant enters at a single point, its concentration can be measured before it enters the complex dynamics of the river system. However, in the case of a non-point source pollutant, it is not clear how to efficiently measure its source. One possibility is to record concentration measurements in the river, but this signal is masked by the fluid dynamics of the river. Specifically, concentration is governed by the advection-diffusion-reaction PDE, with an unknown source term. We propose a method to statistically reconstruct a source term from these PDE-deformed measurements. Our method is general and applies to any linear PDE. This method has important applications in the study of environmental DNA and non-point source pollution.Comment: 28 pages, 8 figures, 2 table

Large-scale movement behavior in a reintroduced predator population

Understanding movement behavior and identifying areas of landscape connectivity is critical for the conservation of many species. However, collecting fine-scale movement data can be prohibitively time consuming and costly, especially for rare or endangered species, whereas existing data sets may provide the best available information on animal movement. Contemporary movement models may not be an option for modeling existing data due to low temporal resolution and large or unusual error structures, but inference can still be obtained using a functional movement modeling approach. We use a functional movement model to perform a population-level analysis of telemetry data collected during the reintroduction of Canada lynx to Colorado. Little is known about southern lynx populations compared to those in Canada and Alaska, and inference is often limited to a few individuals due to their low densities. Our analysis of a population of Canada lynx fills significant gaps in the knowledge of Canada lynx behavior at the southern edge of its historical range. We analyzed functions of individual-level movement paths, such as speed, residence time, and tortuosity, and identified a region of connectivity that extended north from the San Juan Mountains, along the continental divide, and terminated in Wyoming at the northern edge of the Southern Rocky Mountains. Individuals were able to traverse large distances across non-boreal habitat, including exploratory movements to the Greater Yellowstone area and beyond. We found evidence for an effect of seasonality and breeding status on many of the movement quantities and documented a potential reintroduction effect. Our findings provide the first analysis of Canada lynx movement in Colorado and substantially augment the information available for conservation and management decisions. Th e functional movement framework can be extended to other species and demonstrates that information on movement behavior can be obtained using existing data sets

Interchangeable punishments during aversive conditioning in Drosophila

Using Drosophila melanogaster larvae we asked whether distinct aversive stimuli have a common neuralrepresentation during associative learning. We tested the interchangeability of heat shock and electroshock punishments when used within a single olfactory associative conditioning experiment. We find that compared to animals trained with the repetitive use of a single punishment, the use of two alternating punishments results in similar associative learning. Additionally, the two punishments are shown to have different sensory origins. Therefore, while punishments are processed differently by the larvae of Drosophila melanogaster, the value of the stimulus is preserved

Developing an integrated ecological resource management and monitoring plan as part of an environmental management system

Recent interest in defining the appropriate content of an Environmental Management System (EMS) as specified by ISO 14001 prompted a study to determine how ecological concerns should be integrated into an EMS and subsequently implemented. This paper describes an approach for developing objectives, targets, and processes for ecological resource management at those Department of Energy (DOE) facilities where an ecological resource management approach that goes beyond simple regulatory compliance is warranted. A major goal of this approach is to position DOE facilities so that they can proactively address ecological concerns, rather than being forced to respond retroactively to damage claims, restoration requirements, and/or bad publicity. Although DOE is not requiring ISO 14001 implementation at its facilities, it is recommending ISO 14001 as a voluntary approach to encourage good environmental practices, such as pollution prevention and sustainable development, by adopting an integrated systems approach. The DOE position is that existing DOE orders and policy statements are consistent with, and have elements of, the ISO 14001 EMS approach

Inferring invasive species abundance using removal data from management actions

Evaluation of the progress of management programs for invasive species is crucial for demonstrating impacts to stakeholders and strategic planning of resource allocation. Estimates of abundance before and after management activities can serve as a useful metric of population management programs. However, many methods of estimating population size are too labor intensive and costly to implement, posing restrictive levels of burden on operational programs. Removal models are a reliable method for estimating abundance before and after management using data from the removal activities exclusively, thus requiring no work in addition to management. We developed a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate abundance from removal data accounting for varying levels of effort, and used simulations to assess the conditions under which reliable population estimates are obtained. We applied this model to estimate site-specific abundance of an invasive species, feral swine (Sus scrofa), using removal data from aerial gunning in 59 site/time-frame combinations (480–19,600 acres) throughout Oklahoma and Texas, USA. Simulations showed that abundance estimates were generally accurate when effective removal rates (removal rate accounting for total effort) were above 0.40. However, when abundances were small