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Browsing Publications by Department "American Museum of Natural History"
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PublicationEcology of marsupials in two Amazonian rain forsts in northeastern Peru( 1995-01-01)Harder J.
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PublicationRoosting ecology of Amazonian bats: Evidence for guild structure in hyperdiverse mammalian communities(American Museum of Natural History, 2016-12-14)
;Voss R.S. ;Strauss R.E. ;Velazco P.M.Simmons N.B.The ecological mechanisms that sustain high species richness in Neotropical bat communities have attracted research attention for several decades. Although many ecologists have studied the feeding behavior and diets of Neotropical bats on the assumption that food is a limiting resource, other resource axes that might be important for species coexistence are often ignored. Diurnal refugia, in particular, are a crucial resource for bats, many of which exhibit conspicuous morphological or behavioral adaptations to the roost environment. Here we report and analyze information about roost occupancy based on >500 field observations of Amazonian bats. Statistical analyses of these data suggest the existence of distinct groups of species roosting (1) in foliage, (2) exposed on the trunks of standing trees, (3) in cavities in standing trees, (4) in or under fallen trees, (5) beneath undercut earth banks, and (6) in arboreal insect nests; additionally, we recognize other groups that roost (7) in animal burrows, and (8) in rocks or caves. Roosting-guild membership is hypothesized to have a filtering effect on Amazonian bat community composition because some types of roosts are absent or uncommon in certain habitats. Among other applications of our results, cross-classifying bat species by trophic and roosting guilds suggests that the often-reported deficit of gleaning animalivores in secondary vegetation by comparison with primary forest might reflect habitat differences in roost availability rather than food resources. In general, ecological and evolutionary studies of Neotropical bats would be enhanced by considering both trophic- and roosting-guild membership in future analyses, but additional fieldwork will be required to determine the roosting behavior of many data-deficient species. Kuesban utsi-utsiek ikek. Kuesban kuëte tëdion uzhek. Kuesban mani padan uzhek. Kuesban meçhodon uzhek. Kuesban tazhodo tëdion uzhek. Kuesban kuëte tanunkiokkid dadiadek. Kuesban kuëtedapa tëdion kodotanaknombo kuesban utsi ikkid. Padnubi zhëkuëdapambik utsi tëmpadapa zhëkuëdapan. Kuesban dadpenkiozhë ikek. (Bats exist in different ways. Bats sleep under trees. Bats sleep in wild banana plants. Bats sleep in termite nests. Bats sleep under buttress roots. Bats hang on the trunks of very dry trees. Other bats are under big fallen trees, where the tree is twisted. Also, others are in big hollows, in big hollows of big tëmpa trees. There are very, very many kinds of bats.) -Antonio Manquid Jiménez Tajur4. -
PublicationTeaching for higher levels of thinking: Developing quantitative and analytical skills in environmental science courses(Ecological Society of America, 2016-04-01)
;Porzecanski A. ;Sterling E. ;Bynum N. ;Cawthorn M. ;Fernandez D.S. ;Freeman L. ;Ketcham S. ;Leslie T. ;Mull J.Vogler D.Professionals with strong quantitative and analytical skills are essential to understanding and responding to current environmental challenges. The goal of this study was to promote and evaluate the development of data analysis (DA) skills in undergraduate students through targeted interventions in environmental science courses. We developed materials to promote practice, instruction, and assessment of four core DA dimensions: the ability to make appropriate calculations, convert data to graphical representations, interpret graphical or mathematical information, and draw conclusions based on the analysis of data. We integrated two conservation exercises as pre/post assessment tools, flanking differentiated teaching interventions, into selected science courses and used a standardized rubric to measure students' performance level. We found that students improved their DA skills in a single semester, but the level of improvement varied across skill dimensions. Students struggled with dimensions that require higher levels of thinking such as data interpretation and drawing conclusions. The use of additional exercises targeting these dimensions and alternative practices might enhance gains. Importantly, students also gained content knowledge in ecological principles while developing skills, and demonstrated an increase in self-confidence with their DA skills. Our approach and open-access materials can be integrated into existing courses to develop and assess data skills in undergraduate learners.