The question of style in daguerreotype and calotype portraits by Antoine Claudet

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Bat Activity in Riverine Stands of Native Plains Cottonwood and Naturalized Russian Olive in Southeastern Montana

Replacement of native riverine gallery forests by woody exotics is a significant conservation issue throughout the western United States. Controversy surrounds the management of Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), a small Eurasian tree now naturalized in the west, because its detrimental effects to native vegetation are offset to some degree by resources (food and cover) it provides for some wildlife species. We examined the relative use by bats of plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides) and Russian olive by measuring bat activity with electronic bat detectors in stands dominated by each plant species (cottonwood: 12, Russian olive: 6) along the Yellowstone and Powder rivers in eastern Montana. Bats were detected in all stands, but activity was greatest in those dominated by cottonwood. Bat activity was also positively correlated with percent canopy cover of cottonwood. Snags and dead limbs, loose bark, and cavities, all important roosting habitat for bats, were most prevalent in cottonwood stands; cavity-making birds (woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees) were also significantly more evident in cottonwoods. We conclude that naturalized Russian olive in the northern Great Plains is inferior riverine habitat for bats relative to native cottonwood gallery forest

Rural Adolescents’ Perspectives on Contextual Influences of Sexual Risk Behavior

Persistent health disparities in HIV on racial and ethnic minorities are evident in recent national reports of HIV rates. Furthermore, high rates of other sexually transmitted infections among minority adolescents point to the need for risk reduction interventions. Research in disproportionately affected rural communities in the Southern United States suggests that sexual risk reduction interventions targeting these communities should address contextual factors that perpetuate health disparities. In this article, we report findings on a formative study that was conducted to identify rural adolescent perspectives on sociocontextual influences on sexual risk behaviors. Thirty eight rural adolescents ages 12-16 participated in initial and follow-up focus group sessions that were segmented by age group (12-14, 14-16) and gender (male, female). A comprehensive theoretical model addressing the complex interplay of multi-level factors associated with risk behavior guided the study. Qualitative content analyses were used to analyze transcribed audiotapes of focus group sessions and observation notes. Emergent themes supported the theoretical model and revealed modifiable contextual and decision-making factors; and related consequences that can be used in risk reduction interventions. Collaborating with target population provided relevant input for a user-centric approach to intervention development aimed at reducing sexual risk behaviors

Assessing the natural range of variability in minimally disturbed wetlands across the Rocky Mountains: the Rocky Mountain ReMAP Project

Prepared for: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.Includes bibliographical references (pages 35-40).In Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah, extremes of mountain climate, high elevations and characteristic geology produce a large range of natural variability within ecological systems. Even under minimal human disturbance regimes, environmental gradients can result in wetlands with very low vegetation cover, low species diversity and unpredictable hydrologic shifts. Documenting the range of variability found under minimally disturbed conditions can help distinguish signal from noise when assessing more altered occurrences, and aid in the calibration of assessment metrics. The project was a collaboration between the Montana Natural Heritage Program (MTNHP), the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) and the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database (WYNDD). It had three objectives:1) identify reference standards for four wetland ecological systems across four Rocky Mountain ecoregions; 2) assess the range of natural variability of these ecological systems; and3) produce a regionally standardized Level 1,2 and 3 method for assessing and monitoring wetland condition, including quality assurance project plans, sampling strategies, and metrics calibrated to the four different wetland ecological systems. This report summarizes our approach, activities, and conclusions

Accessing Information on Montana’s Animals, Plants and Biological Communities Through the Montana Natural Heritage Program’s Web Applications: Recent Updates (Poster)

The Montana Natural Heritage Program (MTNHP) was established by the Montana State Legislature in 1983 and charged with statutory responsibility for acquisition, storage and retrieval of information documenting Montana’s flora, fauna and biological communities (Montana Code Annotated 90-15).  Information managed by MTNHP includes taxonomy, biology, ecology and conservation status information for nearly 8,000 plant and animal species and nearly 150 terrestrial and aquatic communities, nearly 1.7 million animal observation records, over 182,000 locations where a formal structured animal survey protocol has been followed, predictive distribution models for animal and plant species, species occurrence and wetland and riparian mapping polygons that are used in environmental reviews, land cover mapping and land management information.  We deliver this information via staff facilitated requests and web applications that include the Montana Animal and Plant Species of Concern reports, the Montana Field Guide, the Natural Heritage MapViewer and the Species Snapshot.  In this presentation we will provide a brief overview of how biologists and natural resource managers can access information via our websites.  We will focus on recent updates to our Species Snapshot and Montana Field Guide applications that allow users to create custom species summaries and field guides using spatial, taxonomy and conservation status filters and our vision for the development of an environmental review tool that can be used by agency resource managers, planners and consultants to speed environmental reviews

Montana’s Mapviewer Web Application: Direct Access to 1.4 Million Animal Observations, Wetland and Land Cover Mapping, Land Management and Georeferenced Photos

The Montana Natural Heritage Program (MTNHP) was established by the Montana State Legislature in 1983 and charged with statutory responsibility for the acquisition, storage, and retrieval of information documenting Montana’s flora, fauna and biological communities (Montana Code Annotated 90-15). In order to track the distribution and status of species, MTNHP has developed databases containing nearly 1.5 million animal observation records and over 160,000 locations where a formally structured animal survey protocol has been followed.  This information is used to create a variety of other data products, including, range maps, species occurrence areas used in environmental review processes, and predicted distribution models. Agency biologists and resource managers have direct access to this information as well as more than 2.2 million acres of mapped wetland and riparian areas, statewide landcover mapping, land management information, and georeferenced photos on MTNHP’s new MAPVIEWER web application. MAPVIEWER is compatible with Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome and will eventually be compatible with touch screen devices. Users can submit animal observations, search for a place names and map coordinates, get summaries of land cover and land management within preselected areas, select different wetland types for viewing, overlay a variety of information layers, create a variety of customized queries, and generate image, pdf, and excel reports through the application

Montana’s Mapviewer Web Application: Direct Access to 1.4 Million Animal Observations, Wetland and Land Cover Mapping, Land Management and Georeferenced Photos

The Montana Natural Heritage Program (MTNHP) was established by the Montana State Legislature in 1983 and charged with statutory responsibility for the acquisition, storage, and retrieval of information documenting Montana’s flora, fauna and biological communities (Montana Code Annotated 90-15). In order to track the distribution and status of species, MTNHP has developed databases containing nearly 1.5 million animal observation records and over 160,000 locations where a formally structured animal survey protocol has been followed. This information is used to create a variety of other data products, including, range maps, species occurrence areas used in environmental review processes, and predicted distribution models. Agency biologists and resource managers have direct access to this information as well as more than 2.2 million acres of mapped wetland and riparian areas, statewide landcover mapping, land management information, and georeferenced photos on MTNHP’s new MAPVIEWER web application. MAPVIEWER is compatible with Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome and will eventually be compatible with touch screen devices. Users can submit animal observations, search for a place names and map coordinates, get summaries of land cover and land management within preselected areas, select different wetland types for viewing, overlay a variety of information layers, create a variety of customized queries, and generate image, pdf, and excel reports through the application