Nicholls State University

About: Nicholls State University is a education organization based out in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & The Internet. The organization has 456 authors who have published 795 publications receiving 20031 citations.

Variability in Gull-Billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) Breeding Parameters at the Isles Dernieres Barrier Islands Refuge, Louisiana, USA

Abstract: . Gull-billed Terns (Gelochelidon nilotica) have historically demonstrated variability in nest-site selection and reproductive success throughout their breeding range. However, few studies have investigated the breeding parameters of Gull-billed Tern populations on barrier islands in the northern Gulf of Mexico, USA. The main objective of this study was to investigate annual variability of breeding population size, hatching success, and causes of nest failure during eight breeding seasons (2009–2016). Annual variation was observed in colony sizes (Range = 1–68 nests), colony locations (among five islands), and hatching success (0–93%). Mean hatching success was 56% and flooding was the main cause of failure, accounting for 64% of all failed nests. Additionally, nest site habitat characteristics were compared between successful and unsuccessful Gull-billed Tern nests. Nest substrate composition differed between successful and failed nests, and successful nests were also associated with higher eleva...

The annual flood pulse mediates crayfish as a major diet constituent of carnivorous fishes in south Louisiana

Abstract: Anthropogenic modifications to river-floodplain systems can decouple floodplains from mainstem inputs, alter flood pulse dynamics, and disrupt population dynamics and trophic web stability of aquatic biota. The Atchafalaya River Basin (ARB) receives an annual flood pulse from the Mississippi River that contributes to high crayfish abundance. Conversely, reduced crayfish abundance in the Barataria Basin (BB) is attributed to the system no longer receiving an annual flood pulse from the Mississippi River. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to determine if the absence of an annual flood pulse and reduced crayfish abundance influenced the diets of carnivorous fishes by examining stomach contents of fishes from both basins. Stomach contents were grouped as crayfish, fish, non-crayfish invertebrate, and herpetological. Although the percent occurrence of crayfish in fish stomachs differed between floodplain inundation and low-water periods in the ARB, crayfish were still the major diet constituent of ARB fishes during both periods. Non-crayfish invertebrate was the major diet constituent in BB fishes, with crayfish ranking as the second fewest diet constituent present. Our results demonstrate how flood pulse dynamics influence crayfish, and ultimately trophic webs, in large river-floodplain systems. Copyright © 2020 by The Author(s). Published by the International Association of Astacology. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. A R T I C L E I N F O