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Influences of seasonality and habitat quality on Great Lakes coastal wetland fish community composition and dietsGreat Lakes coastal wetlands (GLCW) have been severely degraded by anthropogenic activity over the last several decades despite their critical role in fish production. Many Great Lakes fish species use coastal wetland habitats for spawning, feeding, shelter, and nurseries throughout the year. The goal of our study was to compare GLCW fsh community composition in the spring, summer, and fall months and investigate how water quality relates to fish diversity, the presence of functional groups, and juvenile fsh diets. We summarized fsh data collected from GLCW across the basin and used the coastal wetland monitoring program’s water quality-land use indicator to quantify water quality. Basin-wide, we found taxonomic and functional group diferences in community composition among three sampling seasons, as well as across the range of water quality. Water quality was positively associated with the abundance of small cyprinids and the relative abundance of some habitat and reproductive specialists. Seasonal differences were also observed for many of these functional groups, with more temperature- and pollution-sensitive fishes captured in the spring and more nest-spawning fishes captured in the summer and fall. In our diet study, we found that age-0 fish primarily consumed zooplankton in the fall, whereas age-1 fish primarily consumed macroinvertebrates in the spring. Moreover, wetland quality was positively associated with trichopteran prey abundance. We concluded that taxonomic and functional composition of fish communities in GLCW vary markedly with respect to water quality and season. Thus, a full understanding of communities across a gradient of quality requires multi-season sampling.
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Evaluating the use of hyperspectral imagery to calculate raster-based wetland vegetation condition indicatorField observations and measurements of wetland plants have traditionally been used to monitor and evaluate wetland condition; however, there has been increasing use of remote sensing applications for rapid evaluations of wetland productivity and change. Combining key aspects of field- and remote sensing-based wetland evaluation methods can provide more efficient or improved biological indices. This exploratory study set out to develop a raster-based Wetland Vegetation Condition Indicator system that used airborne hyperspectral imagery-derived data to estimate plant-community quality (via wetland classification and Coefficient of Conservatism) and vegetation biomass (estimated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index). The Wetland Vegetation Condition Indicator system was developed for three Lake Ontario wetland areas and compared to a field-based floristic quality index and a dominant-plant based Floristic quality indexdom. The indicator system serves as a proof-of-concept that capitalized on the spatial and spectral attributes of high-resolution imagery to quantify and characterize the quality and quantity of wetland vegetation. A Pearson correlation analysis showed moderate r values of 0.59 and 0.62 for floristic quality index and floristic quality indexdom, respectively, compared to the indicator method. The differences are potentially due to the spatial resolution of the imagery and the indicator method only accounting for the dominant plants within each assessment unit (pixel), therefore disregarding understory plants or those with low abundance. However, the multi-metric Wetland Vegetation Condition Indicator approach shows promise as an indicator of wetland condition by using remotely sensed data, which could be useful for more efficient landscape-scale assessments of wetland health, resilience, and recovery.
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Reframing Social Work Education Using OERSocial work is, by definition, a profession devoted to the pursuit of social justice and the eradication of oppression, inequity, disparities, and other forms of injustice. Social workers are focused on the empowerment of marginalized people and communities and are expected to adhere to clear standards of ethical and competent practice. Additionally, the title of “social worker” is earned through the successful completion of social work education, either on the undergraduate or graduate levels. These social work programs are, in the United States of America, accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), which periodically revises and updates its Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS)1 and monitors the adherence of each accredited program to these standards. Essentially, CSWE determines the learning of every social worker in the United States.
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Failure of Walleye Recruitment in a Lake with Little Suitable Spawning Habitat Is Probably Exacerbated by Restricted Home RangesOver eight million walleye (Sander vitreus) fry are stocked annually in Honeoye Lake, a small lake in the Finger Lakes Region of west-central New York. The objectives of our study were to find and describe the spawning locations and habitats of walleye and describe the spawning locations and habitats of walleye and to assess natural production of fry. Twenty-thee adult walleye were radio-tagged and tracked for up to 2.5 years. They established relatively small home ranges (24-188 ha) and moved more during the three-week spawning season (149 m/d)than the rest of the year (37 m/d) No naturally produced walleye eggs were collected in the Honeoye inlet channel where adults congregated during the 2002 and 2003 spawning season, nor were fry collected in the lake until after 8.7 million were stocked in 2003. Radio-tagged walleye exhibited homing and site fidelity in Honeoye Lake but not in the few known areas with suitable spawning substrates (no eggs were collected at these locations.
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Two Congener‑specifc Models Estimate PCB TEQ Hazard to American Mink (Neovison vison) Living near a Western New York CreekWe present two models to monitor the health of ecosystems by assessing hazard from a persistent organic compound to a top predator species. Our diet model predicts the dietary exposure of American Mink (Neovison vison) to PCB toxic equivalents (TEQ) by combining concentrations in their prey using weighted average proportions consistent with literature-based mink diets. Our bioaccumulation model predicts the dietary exposure of mink to PCB TEQ based on each congener’s total concentration in water (dissolved plus particulate fractions), the octanal/water partition coefcient (log Kow) of the compound, and the trophic levels of prey taxa. Both models predict mink dietary concentrations which can be directly compared with each other and with lowest observable adverse efects concentrations (LOAECs) to assess chronic and acute hazards of PCB TEQ to mink. By our choice of certain parameters in the bioaccumulation model, we forced it to match the diet model within less than 5% for Eighteenmile Creek in western New York State. When the two models were used for a similar creek about 25 km away, the diferences in their predictions were of the same magnitude.
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The Doctorate: The Next Educational Step in Librarianshipdegree in librarianship, that does not have to be the case. As a mid-career library professional, you may feel like you have reached a point at which you don’t know where to go. If you have decided that management is not for you right now, yet you still want to grow, a doctorate can stretch you and help you to gain more knowledge, research expertise, and leadership skills. Pursuing and accomplishing this goal will open career possibilities, including promotion, administration, and teaching positions in library schools where you could help effect change in librarianship by educating future librarians. S
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Levels of Bioaccumulative Chemicals of Concern in Air, Water, Sediment and Sentinel Species of the Rochester Embayment of Lake OntarioIn the 1980s, the International Joint Commission (IJC) began the process of creating and implementing remedial action plans (RAPs) in 43 areas of concern (AOCs) throughout the Great Lakes Basin of Canada and the United States. An area identified as an AOC violated one or more of 14 “use impairments” listed by the IJC. For example, “fish and wildlife consumption advisories” due to the presence of bioaccumulative chemicals of concern (BCCs) is a use impairment identified for the Rochester, NY Embayment of Lake Ontario AOC.
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Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern Mink Prey Survey and Oak Orchard Creek Add-onIn the Great Lakes Basin, the International Joint Commission (IJC) has identified 43 Areas of Concern (AOC) where pollution from past industrial production and waste disposal practices has created hazardous waste sites or contaminated sediments. Beneficial Use Impairments (BUI) have been identified for each AOC, and for an AOC to be delisted removal of each of its BUIs must be documented. This study assessed whether chemicals of concern (COC) could negatively impact mink populations along Eighteenmile Creek (EMC) and addressed two BUIs: Degradation of Fish and Wildlife Populations and Bird or Animal Deformities or Reproductive Problems. Criteria for removing these two BUIs in the EMC AOC are in Table 1 and definitions of acronyms used in this report are in Table 2.
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Fen development along the southern shore of Lake OntarioFen development along a drowned-river-mouth tributary to Braddock Bay, Lake Ontario was studied to address its formation. Nested piezometers were installed to assess groundwater contributions and obtain water chemistry samples. Soil and geology information came from existing sources. We converted paleo lake levels from published reports to IGLD1985 and calendar years BP for use in analyzing vegetation changes over time using a combination of peat-core plant macrofossils and modern surveys. Piezometer data showed upward discharge, water at 3-m depth had pH 6.9, specific conductivity of 508 lS/cm, and alkalinity 206 mg/L as CaCO3. Hydraulic head and mineralized water chemistry decreased at shallower depths. Vegetative development began 1790 cal yr BP with sedges and brown moss when land surface was 0.135 m above lake level. Lake levels increased, and by 1590 cal yr BP, water was 0.17 m deep and sedges were joined by shoreline emergent species. Water depth then increased to 0.525 m but began decreasing as lake levels fell. Peatland species appeared around 810 cal yr BP when water depth was reduced to 0.225 m. About 585 cal yr BP, additional peatland species appeared when land surface was 0.075 m above lake level. Sphagnum became prominent 80 cal yr BP (0.81 m above lake level), representing 67 % mean cover in modern vegetation. Isolation of the surface from calcareous groundwater resulted in transition from rich fen to poor fen. These wetlands are rare in the lower Great Lakes and deserve protection of their characteristic hydrology, water chemistry, and vegetation structure.
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Testing restoration methods for Lake Ontario wetlands at a wetland scaleSedges and grasses have a competitive advantage over cattails at higher elevations in Great Lakes wetlands where periodic low lake levels result in soils too dry to support cattails. Regulation of Lake Ontario water levels eliminated low lake-level years, resulting in cattail invasion. At a wetland scale at two Lake Ontario sites, we tested restoration methods by dredging channels through cattails, using spoil materials to create mounds suitable for sedge/grass growth, seeding mounds, and controlling cattails (T. glauca) using methods adapted from experimental studies. Soil moisture and subsidence of mound soils were monitored. Vegetation was sampled pre-restoration and in shoreline sedge/grass meadow, emergent, and mound zones for two years following implementation. Although spoil mounds decreased in elevation at both sites, soil moisture increased more at the site with greater subsidence. Mean percent cover and ramet counts of cattails were reduced in sedge/grass and emergent zones at both sites. Mounds with greater soil moisture held more cattails post-construction. Across years at both sites, Carex lacustris and Calamagrostis canadensis increased in the sedge/grass meadow zone with reduction in Typha; Calamagrostis increased on the mounds. Key factors affecting results were cattail litter and, on the mounds, a second year of seeding with in situ cold, moist stratification, as well as soil moisture related to subsidence. Recommendations for future restorations include conducting more detailed soil surveys to assess potential subsidence, dredging wider and deeper channels to provide spoil for higher mounds, actively controlling invasive species, and conducting additional years of post-restoration data collection. 2022 International Association for Great Lakes Research. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
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Wetland Restoration in Typha -Dominated Braddock Bay of Lake OntarioThe barrier beach at the Braddock Bay wetland on Lake Ontario was lost to erosion. Without the protective barrier, the area of vegetated wetland was reduced by wave attack. Lake-level regulation implemented in 1960 resulted in cattail (primarily hybrid Typha × glauca), invasion and loss of sedge-grass meadow habitat. As part of the Rochester Embayment Great Lakes Area of Concern, Braddock Bay was targeted for restoration by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The plan included reducing coverage by cattails, construction of channels and potholes to improve wildlife access to the wetland, creation of spoil mounds along the channels to discourage growth of cattail while supporting the growth of sedge-grass meadow species, re-creation of the barrier beach, and construction of new emergent marsh. We collected vegetation data for three years following the 2016 construction activities. Post-restoration results showed that cattail cover decreased greatly across years in the cattail treatment areas, decreased in lower elevation constructed habitats, and gradually increased in higher elevation habitats. Opening of the canopy resulted in increased floating and submersed species, and constructed mounds hosted wet meadow species. Site-level weighted mean C is recommended for future data analyses, rather than FQAI or mean C, because it has no observed influence from species richness. Restoration results were affected by high lake levels in 2017, identified problems in seeding and planting, and meeting construction plans for some channel and pothole depths and mound elevations. Pre-restoration soil surveys are recommended to reduce construction problems, and adaptive management should include invasive species control.
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Evaluating the use of hyperspectral imagery to calculate raster-based wetland vegetation condition indicatorField observations and measurements of wetland plants have traditionally been used to monitor and evaluate wetland condition; however, there has been increasing use of remote sensing applications for rapid evaluations of wetland productivity and change. Combining key aspects of field- and remote sensing-based wetland evaluation methods can provide more efficient or improved biological indices. This exploratory study set out to develop a raster-based Wetland Vegetation Condition Indicator system that used airborne hyperspectral imagery-derived data to estimate plant-community quality (via wetland classification and Coefficient of Conservatism) and vegetation biomass (estimated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index). The Wetland Vegetation Condition Indicator system was developed for three Lake Ontario wetland areas and compared to a field-based floristic quality index and a dominant-plant based Floristic quality indexdom. The indicator system serves as a proof-of-concept that capitalized on the spatial and spectral attributes of high-resolution imagery to quantify and characterize the quality and quantity of wetland vegetation. A Pearson correlation analysis showed moderate r values of 0.59 and 0.62 for floristic quality index and floristic quality indexdom, respectively, compared to the indicator method. The differences are potentially due to the spatial resolution of the imagery and the indicator method only accounting for the dominant plants within each assessment unit (pixel), therefore disregarding understory plants or those with low abundance. However, the multi-metric Wetland Vegetation Condition Indicator approach shows promise as an indicator of wetland condition by using remotely sensed data, which could be useful for more efficient landscape-scale assessments of wetland health, resilience, and recovery
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TEAMing up with Students and Faculty: Using Microsoft Teams to Increase Student-Librarian Interaction in Asynchronous LearningPowerPoint Presentation on ways to enhance student-librarian interactions through creative use of MS Teams.
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The potential applications of a virtual moving environment for assessing falls in elderly adultsThe purpose of this study was to investigate whether the moving room paradigm could be used to assess fall risk in older people. A group of young adults (18–29 years) and two groups of elderly adults (60–79 years) with and without a history of falls were placed into a simulated moving room. Participants stood still facing an oscillating three dimensional virtual room moving in the antero-posterior plane with three types of room movement conditions, continuous oscillatory, discrete anterior and discrete posterior. The young adults performed with less postural motion and coherence with the virtual motion than the older age groups. The group of elderly fallers exhibited more postural motion [center of pressure (COP) length, p < 0.05], a trend towards higher coherence with the object motion ( p = 0.07), and the greatest amount of time-to-stability ( p < 0.05). A virtual moving room incorporating measures of time-to-stability and egomotion appears useful in predicting risk for falls.
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Dysfunctional career thoughts and attitudes as predictors of vocational identity among young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorderThis study examined dysfunctional career thoughts and attitudes as predictors of vocational identity among high school students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Regression analysis results indicated that dysfunctional career thoughts and attitudes were significant predictors of vocational identity, accounting for 42% of the explained variance. Dysfunctional career thinking, measured by the Career Thoughts Inventory (Sampson, Peterson, Lenz, Reardon, & Saunders, 1996) and the CareerMaturity Inventory—Revised (Crites & Savickas, 1996), displayed important predictive relationships with vocational identity as measured by the Vocational Identity Scale (Holland, Daiger, & Power, 1980). Implications for interventions and further research in vocational psychology and career counseling with ADHD students are discussed.
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Sedge/Grass Meadow Restoration on Former Agricultural Lands along a Lake Ontario Drowned-River-Mouth TributaryRestoration of sedge/grass meadow habitat was implemented on former agricultural lands adjacent to a Lake Ontario drowned-river-mouth tributary at an elevation that historically supports this community type. Four hectares of land were disked in spring and seeded with diverse wetland mixes containing sedges, grasses, and forbs, with additional Calamagrostis canadensis (bluejoint) and Carex stricta (upright sedge) seeds added. Seedling plugs of C. canadensis and C. stricta were also planted. Mowing at a height of 45 cm to control tall, invasive annual weeds prior to seed-set was conducted as an adaptive management practice. Three years after implementation, C. canadensis and C. stricta were not found, but seeded Carex vulpinoidea (fox sedge) was dominant, and seeded Carex lupulina (hop sedge) and Carex lurida (shallow sedge) were also present. Most invasive annuals were rare, but canopies created by larger perennials may pose future problems. Although a greenhouse seed-bank emergence study was conducted, field sampling suggested that plants growing on adjacent lands were a better predictor of future plant communities, with select seeded species serving as a secondary predictor. Failure of some sedges to survive after seeding likely was not related to stratification or diurnal temperature range. However, inadequate soil moisture related to soil type and a second-year drought likely played a role, as might loss of viability of seeds during storage. Future efforts on similar lands might use fresh Carex seeds broadcast in autumn for over-winter stratification, and specially developed seed mixes could focus on species that established at the site and native species found nearby, while avoiding some potential problem species.
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INTEGRATING WEIGHTED FLOW ACCUMULATION AND AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY FOR DESCRIBING OVERLAND FLOW PATHS: A CASE STUDY IN WESTERN NEW YORKField measurements of overland runoff and aerial photographs were analyzed in Black Creek watershed (western New York State), to determine if a topographically based loading model could be used to identify overland flow paths in order to rank stream segments for prioritization for nutrient remediation. Discharge and phosphorous concentration were measured at twelve sites to compute the frequency of overland flow, approximate volume of overland flow and flux of phosphorous at each site. Using these metrics, sites were ranked according to their phosphorous contribution to the stream network. Although a nonparametric correlation of observed and modeled rankings suggests that flow accumulation did an inadequate job of ranking the sites, valuable management information on hydrologic connectivity was acquired by identifying where the model did not perform well. An analysis of the model showed that the performance of the weighted flow accumulation model was due primarily to its inaccuracy in estimating contributing area. The field and aerial assessments suggest that subtle anthropogenic changes to topography and hydrography, which altered surface flow paths, were the primary cause of this inaccuracy. These changes were not represented at the resolution of the USGS 10-meter DEM used in the model, either because the landscape modification took place after the source material for the DEM was created or the resolution was too low. In descending order of importance, topographic alterations include road and driveway berms, drainage ditches, stream straightening and stream squaring. One other modification type, tile drains, was important for changing the catchment area of overland flows. These features have an enormous impact on surface flow paths in the study area and were found to be important in controlling hydrologic 'connectivity' to the stream network. Identifying where these features impact surface flow paths is critical information in Best Management Practice (BMP) prioritization. Although the flow accumulation model did not accurately assess overland flow paths well enough to rank stream segments sufficiently for buffer prioritization, useful information was gleaned by overlaying the results of the model on aerial photographs and conducting field assessments. The ease with which this model approach can be carried out, requiring no calibration and needing spatial data that are available in practically all areas, make it a very effective tool for watershed planning. The study underscores the importance that anthropogenic alterations of the landscape have on hydrology and the need for better digital elevation products that represent these features.
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FOUR COMPONENT INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN (4C/ID) MODEL CONFIRMED FOR SECONDARY TERTIARY MATHEMATICSCognitive Load Theory’s Four Component Instructional Design (4C/ID) Model has been used in mathematics education but not confirmed as an instructional theory. Using the Factors Influencing College Success in Mathematics (FICSMath) project and confirmatory factor equation modeling, we empirically validated the model and created the 4C/IDMath Model. Instructional experiences of respondents completing the FICSMath survey were mapped to the theoretical components of the 4C/ID Model. The Mathematical Learning Task, Conceptual Understanding, Procedural Fluency, and Practice for Recall Components correspond to the Learning Task, Support, Procedure, and Part Task Components, respectively, from the original 4C/ID Model. The 4C/IDMath Model can be used to guide instruction in secondary precalculus and calculus courses to support transfer of learning to single variable college calculus.
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Influences of Seasonality and Habitat Quality on Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Fish Community Composition and DietsGreat Lakes coastal wetlands (GLCW) have been severely degraded by anthropogenic activity over the last several decades despite their critical role in fish production. Many Great Lakes fish species use coastal wetland habitats for spawning, feeding, shelter, and nurseries throughout the year. The goal of our study was to compare GLCW fish community composition in the spring, summer, and fall months and investigate how water quality relates to fish diversity, the presence of functional groups, and juvenile fish diets. We summarized fish data collected from GLCW across the basin and used the coastal wetland monitoring program’s water quality-land use indicator to quantify water quality. Basin-wide, we found taxonomic and functional group differences in community composition among three sampling seasons, as well as across the range of water quality. Water quality was positively associated with the abundance of small cyprinids and the relative abundance of some habitat and reproductive specialists. Seasonal differences were also observed for many of these functional groups, with more temperature- and pollution- sensitive fishes captured in the spring and more nest-spawning fishes captured in the summer and fall. In our diet study, we found that age-0 fish primarily consumed zooplankton in the fall, whereas age-1 fish primarily consumed macroinvertebrates in the spring. Moreover, wetland quality was positively associated with trichopteran prey abundance. We concluded that taxonomic and functional composition of fish communities in GLCW vary markedly with respect to water quality and season. Thus, a full understanding of communities across a gradient of quality requires multi-season sampling.
