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Research, Monitoring and Inventory Reports

The following reports are listed in reverse chronological order (newest to oldest):

    1. 2022 Ecological Monitoring Summary
    2. 2021 Ecological Monitoring Summary
    3. Ecological Monitoring at rare, 2020
    4. Using Vegetation Sampling Protocol for invasive species monitoring in two woodlots: Thompson Tract and the Hogsback, 2018, Updated 2020
      Report prepared by Megan Rowcliffe, 2018, 2020
    5. Ecological Monitoring at rare Summary, 2019
    6. Ecological Monitoring at rare Summary, 2018
    7. Aquatic Monitoring Report, 2006-2016
      Report prepared by Allie Abram, Christine Head and Jenna Quinn, 2018.
    8. Ecological Monitoring at rare, 2017
      Report prepared by Allie Abram, 2017.
    9. Monitoring Bobolink: A 5 Year Perspective (2013-2017)
      Report prepared by Bill Wilson, 2017.
    10. Ecological Monitoring at rare, 2016
      Report prepared by Allie Abram, 2016.
    11. Ecological Monitoring at rare, 2015
      Report prepared by Tim Skuse, 2015.
    12. Lichen Monitoring at rare, 2014
      Report prepared by Carleigh Pope, 2015.
    13. Butterfly Monitoring at rare, 2014
      Report prepared by Erin Sonser, 2014.
    14. Invasive Species Management: Work Plan in Priority Areas, 2014
      Report prepared by Carleigh Pope, 2014
    15. Ecological Monitoring at rare, 2013
      Report prepared by Jenna Quinn, Amy Reinert and Carleigh Pope, 2013.
    16. Ecological Monitoring at rare, 2012
      Report prepared by Jenna Quinn, 2012.
    17. Butterfly Monitoring at rare, 2012
      Report prepared by Jenna Quinn, 2012.
    18. Ecological Monitoring at rare Charitable Research Reserve, 2011
      Report prepared by Holly Dodds, 2011.
    19. Ecological Monitoring at rare Charitable Research Reserve, 2010
      Report prepared by Laura Robson, 2010.
    20. Eman Butterfly Monitoring Report 2010
      Report prepared by Charlotte Moore, 2010
    21. Salamander, Benthic Invertebrates and Forest Biodiversity Monitoring Report 2009- 2010
      Report prepared by Jennifer McCarter, 2010
    22. Eman Butterfly Monitoring Report 2009
      Report prepared by Charlotte Moore, 2009
    23. Eman Butterfly Monitoring Report 2006
      Report prepared by Jessica Grealey, 2006
    24. Aquatic and Terrestrial Monitoring
      Report prepared by Shannon Holton, 2006
    25. The 1840’s Slit Barn – Condition and Heritage Report
      Report prepared and written by Andre Scheinman, Heritage Preservation Consultant
    26. Some Comments on the Geology of CCRR
      This report by Dr. A.V. Morgan, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Waterloo, describes the general geology of the river escarpment with reference to a geologic x-section of SW Ontario; geologic time period & the Guelph Formation; fossil presence; and, evidence of glaciation (two figures).
    27. Forest Survey at Indian Woods – Cruickston
      Report written by Terry Schwan, RPF, M.Sc., District Forester, Guelph District, Ministry of Natural Resources. The survey was begun in July 2004 and completed in August 2004.
    28. Bald Eagles in the Grand River Watershed
      Report by Art Timmerman and Bill Wilson 2008
    29. Birds about the Confluence of the Grand and Speed Rivers, Cambridge, Ontario
      Report by William G. Wilson, June 2009.
    30. Draft Management Framework for Cruickston Park, August 2001
      Report prepared by Brent Tegler.
    31. Environmental Management Plan
      Prepared by rare’s Environmental Advisory Team (EAT), formerly known as The Cruickston Park Ecological Team (CPET). Contributors include Douglas W. Larson, Lawrence E. Lamb, William G. Wilson and Kenneth W. Dance.

List of Publications

Formal research is commonly shared among the academic community via peer-reviewed research publications. These research projects and associated methods, analyses, results, and conclusions have been rigorously reviewed by experts in the respective discipline. Published works conducted at rare, involving rare, or with samples collected at rare are listed below:

Horn, L.C., van Vliet, H.E.J., Norris, D.R., and Stutchbury, B.J.M. 2022. Migratory behaviour of Ontario-breeding Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis) revealed by the Motus Wildlife Tracking System. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 134(4):595-603.

Krogstad, K., Gharasoo, M., Jensen, G., Hug, L.A., Rudolph, D., Van Cappellen, P., and Rezanezhad, F. 2022. Nitrogen leaching from agricultural soils under imposed freeze-thaw cycles: A column study with and without fertilizer amendment. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10:915329. doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2022.915329

Jensen, G. Krogstad, K., Rezanezhad, F., and Hug, L.A. 2022. Microbial community compositional stability in agricultural soils during freeze-thaw and fertilizer stress. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10:908568 doi:10.3389/fenvs.2022.908568

Young, M.R. and Hebert, P.D.N. 2022. Unearthing soil arthropod diversity through DNA metabarcoding. PeerJ, 10:e12845 doi:10.7717/peerj.12845

Gaudon, J.M., McTavish, M.J., Hamberg, J., Cray, H.A., and Murphy, S.D. 2021. Noise attenuation varies by interactions of land cover and season in an urban/peri-urban landscape. Urban Ecosystems, doi:10.1007/s11252-021-01194-4

Cray, H.A., Gaudon, J.M., and Murphy, S.D. 2021. Introduced earthworms (Lumbricidae) in restored and remnant tallgrass prairies of southern Ontario. The Canadian Field-Naturalist, 135(3):234-244, doi:10.22621/cfn.v135i3.2721

Boyd, R.J., Denommé, M.R., Grieves, L.A., and MacDougall-Shackleton, E.A. 2021. Stronger population differentiation at infection-sensing than infection-clearing innate immune loci in songbirds: Different selective regimes for different defenses. Evolution, doi:10.1111/evo.14368

Grieves, L.A., Gloor, G.B., Kelly, T.R., Bernards, M.A., and MacDougall-Shackleton, E.A. 2021. Preen gland microbiota of songbirds differ across populations but not sexes. Journal of Animal Ecology, 90:2202-2212, doi:10.1111/1365-2656.13531

Grieves, L.A., Gloor, G.B., Bernards, M.A., and MacDougall-Shackleton, E.A. 2021. Preen gland microbiota covary with major histocompatibility complex genotype in a songbird. Royal Society Open Science, doi:10.1098/rsos.210936

Stothart, M.R. and Newman, A.E.M. 2021. Shades of grey: host phenotype dependent effect of urbanization on the bacterial microbiome of a wild mammal. Animal Microbiome, doi:10.1186/s42523-021-00105-4

Wilcox, A.A.E, Newman, A.E.M, Raine, N.E., Mitchell, G.W, and Norris, D.R. 2021. Captive-reared migratory monarch butterflies show natural orientation when released in the wild. Conservation Physiology, doi:10.1093/conphys/coab032

Brunke, A.J., Pentinsaari, M., and Klimaszewki, J. 2021. Integrative taxonomy of Nearctic and Palaearctic Aleocharinae: new species, synonymies, and records (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae). ZooKeys, 1041:27-99

Wilcox, A.A.E., Newman, A.E.M., Raine, N.E., Mitchell, G.W., and Norris, D.R. 2020. Effects of early-life exposure to sublethal levels of a common neonicotinoid insecticide on the orientation and migration of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus). Journal of Experimental Biology, doi: 10.1242/jeb.230870

Etzler, E.A. and Gwynne, D.T. 2020. Sex differences in survival: viability selection in nymphal tree crickets from a conopid fly parasitoid. Ecological Entomology, doi:10.1111/een.12989

Audette, Y., Smith, D.S., Parsons, C.T., Chen, W., Rezanezhad, F., and Van Cappellen, P. 2020. Phosphorus binding to soil organic matter via ternary complexes with calcium. Chemosphere, doi.org/10.1016

MacPhail, V.J. and Colla, S.R. 2020. Power of the people: A review of citizen science programs for conservation. Biological Conservation, 249:108739.

MacPhail, V.J., Gibson, S.D., Hatfield, R., and Colla, S.R. 2020. Using Bumble Bee Watch to investigate the accuracy and perception of bumble bee (Bombus spp.) identification by community scientists. PeerJ, doi:10.7717/peerj.9412

Etzler, E.A., Brown, W.D., Bussière, L.F., and Gwynne, D.T. 2020. Oecanthus nigricornis (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) as the first known host of Stylogaster neglecta (Diperta: Conopidae). The Canadian Entomologist, doi:10.4039/tce.2020.21.

MacPhail, V.J., Gibson, S.D., and Colla, S.R. 2020. Community science participants gain environmental awareness and contribute high quality data but improvements are needed: insights from Bumble Bee Watch. PeerJ, 8:e9141. http://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9141.

Pronk, G.J., Mellage, A., Milojevic, T., Smeaton, C.M., Engel, K., Neufeld, J.D., Rezanezhad, F., and Van Cappellen, P. 2020. Carbon turnover and microbial activity in an artificial soil under imposed cyclic drainage and imbibition. Vadose Zone Journal, 19:e20021.

Thornton, G.L., French, S.K., Peregrine, A.S., and Jardine, C.M. 2020. Prevalence of Baylisascaris procyonis in raccoon latrines in southern Ontario, Canada. Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports, 100391.

van Vliet, H.E.J., Stutchbury, B.J.M., Newman, A.E.M., and Norris, D.R. 2020. The impacts of agriculture on an obligate grassland bird of North America. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 287:106696.

Więcek, M., Szydło, W., Dabert, J. and Proctor, H. 2020. Delimiting species of water mites of the genus Hydrodroma (Acari: Hydrachnidiae: Hydrodromidae) from North America and Europe: Integrative evidence of species status from COI sequences and morphology. Zoologischer Anzeiger, 284:16-29.

Campomizzi, A. J., Lebrun-Southcott, Z.M., and Richardson, K. 2019. Conspecific cures encourage Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica erythrogaster) prospecting, but not nesting, at new nesting structures. Canadian Field-Naturalist, 122(3):253-245.

Stothart, M.R., Palme, R., and Newman, A.E.M. 2019. It’s what’s on the inside that counts: stress physiology and the bacterial microbiome of a wild urban mammal. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 286: 20192111.

deWaard, J.R., Ratnasingham, S., Zakharov, E.V. … Hebert, P.D.N. 2019. A reference library for Canadian invertebrates with 1.5 million barcodes, voucher specimens, and DNA samples. Scientific Data, 6:308.

Li, N., Hu, G., and Hua, B. 2019. Complete mitochondrial genomes of Bittacus strigosus and Panorpa debilis and genomic comparisons of Mecoptera. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 140:672-681.

Lu, X., Heal, K.R., Ingalls, A.E., Doxey, A.C., and Neufeld, J.D. 2019. Metagenomic and chemical characterization of soil cobalamin production. ISME Journal: Multidisciplinary Journal of Microbial Ecology, doi:10.1038/s41396-019-0502-0.

Audette, Y., Smith, S., Parsons, C.T., Longstaffe, J., Chen, W., Rezanezhad, F., Evans, L.J., Van Cappellen, P. 2019. Impact of hydrofluoric acid treatment on humic acid properties extracted from organic soils and an organic amendment: a technical evaluation. Soil Science Society of America Journal, doi:10.2136/sssaj2018.11.0419.

MacPhail, V.J., Richardson, L.L., Colla, S.R. 2019. Incorporating citizen science, museum specimens, and field work into the assessment of extinction risk of the American Bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus De Geer 1773) in Canada. Journal of Insect Conservation, doi:10.1007/s10841-019-00152-y.

Braukmann, T.W.A., Ivanova, N.V., Prosser, S.W.J., Elbrecht, V., Steinke, D., Ratnasingham, S., de Waard, J.R., Sones, J.E., Zakharov, E.V., and Hebert, P.D.N. 2019. Metabarcoding a diverse arthropod mock community. Molecular Ecology Resources, 19:711-727.

Hay, C.R.J., Thorn, R.G., and Clinton, R.J. 2018. Taxonomic survey of Agaricomycetes (Fungi: Basidiomycota) in Ontario tallgrass prairies determined by fruiting body and soil rDNA sampling. The Canadian Field-Naturalist, 132(4):407-424.

Grieves, L.A., Bernards, M.A., and MacDougall-Shackleton, E.A. 2018. Wax ester composition of songbird preen oil varies seasonally and differs between sexes, ages, and populations. Journal of Chemical Ecology, doi:10.1007/s10886-018-1033-2.

Clairmont, L.K., Stevens, K.J., and Slawson, R.M. 2018. Site-specific differences in microbial community structure and function within the rhizosphere and rhizoplane of wetland plants is plant species dependent. Rhizosphere, doi:10.1016/j.rhisph.2018.11.006.

Van Vliet, H.E.J. and Stutchbury, B.J.M. 2018. Radiotagged fledgling Savannah Sparrows Passerculus sandwichensis at risk of entanglement in vegetation. International Journal of Avian Science, doi:10.111/ibi.12615

Kuzmina, M.L., Braukmann, T.W.A., and Zakharov, E.V. 2018. Finding the pond through the weeds: eDNA reveals underestimated diversity of pondweeds. Applications in Plant Sciences, 6(5):e1155.

Lu, X., Nicol, G.W., and Neufeld, J.D. 2018. Differential responses of soil ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria to temperature and depth under two different land uses. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 120: 272-282.

Hebert, P.D.N., Braukmann, T.W.A., Prosser, S.W.J., Ratnasingham, S., deWaard, J.R., Ivanova, N.V., Janzen, D.H., Wallwachs, W., Naik, S., Sones, J.E., and Zakharov, E.V. 2018. A sequel to sanger: amplicon sequencing that scales. BioMed Central Genomics, 19: 219.

Harvey, E. and MacDougall, A.S. 2018. Non-interacting impacts of fertilization and habitat area on plant diversity via contrasting assembly mechanisms. Diversity and Distributions, 24: 509-520.

Maavara, T., Slowinski, S., Rezanezhad, F., Van Meter, K., and Van Cappellen, P. 2018. The role of groundwater discharge fluxes on Si:P ratios in a major tributary to Lake Erie. Science of the Total Environment, 622-623: 814-824.

Kleimeier, C., Rezanezhad, F., Van Cappellen, P., and Lennartz, B. 2017. Influence of pore structure on solute transport in degraded and undegraded fen peat soils. Mires and Peat, 19(18):1-9.

Schneider, S., Steeves, R., Newmaster, S., and MacDougall, A.S. 2017. Selective plant foraging and the top-down suppression of native diversity in a restored prairie. Journal of Applied Ecology, doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.12886.

Punzalan, D. and Rowe, L. 2017. Hybridisation and lack of prezygotic barriers between Phymata pennsylvanica and americana. Ecological Entomology, doi:10.1111/een.12380.

Kreiner, J.M., Kron, P., and Husband, B.C. 2017. Frequency and maintenance of unreduced gametes in natural plant populations: associations with reproductive mode, life history and genome size. New Phytologist, doi:10.111/nph.14423.

Seuradge, B.J., Oelbermann, M., and Neufeld, J.D. 2017. Depth-dependent influence of different land-use systems on bacterial biogeography. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 93(2):fiw239.

Lu, X., Seuradge, B., and Neufeld, J.D. 2017. Biogeography of soil Thaumarchaeota in relation to soil depth and land usage. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 93(2):fiw246.

Bhamjee, R., Lindsay, J.B., and Cockburn, J. 2015. Monitoring ephemeral headwaters streams: a paired-sensor approach. Hydrological Processes, 30:888-898.

+Tefler, A.C., Young, M.R, Quinn, J.* … deWaard, J.R. 2015. Biodiversity inventories in high gear: DNA barcoding facilitates a rapid biotic survey of a temperate nature reserve. Biodiversity Data Journal 3:e6313

Harvey, E. and MacDougall, A.S. 2015. Spatially heterogeneous perturbations homogenize the regulation of insect herbivores. The American Naturalist, 186(5):632-633.

Harvey, E. and MacDougall, A.S. 2015. Habitat loss and herbivore attack in recruiting oaks. The American Midland Naturalist, 173(2):218-228.

Henry, T.A., Bainard, J.D., and Newmaster, S.G. 2014. Genome size evolution in Ontario ferns (Polypodiidae): evolutionary correlations with cell size, spore size, and habitat type and an absence of genome downsizing. Genome, 57:555-566.

Brunke, A.J., Bahlal, C.A., Klimaszewski, J., and Hallett, R.H. 2014. Rove beetles (Coleptera: Staphylinidae) in Ontario, Canada soybean agrocecosystems: assemblage diversity, composition, seasonality, and habitat use. The Canadian Entomologist, 146(06):652-670.

Harvey, E., and MacDougall, A.S. 2014. Trophic island biogeography drives spatial divergence of community establishment. Ecology, 95(10):2870-2878.

Drystek, E., and MacDougall, A.S. 2014. Granivory reduces biomass and lignin concentrations of plant tissue during grassland assembly. Basic and Applied Ecology, 15:142-150.

Ercit, K. 2014. Size and sex of cricket prey predict capture by a sphecid wasp. Ecological Entomology, 39:195-202.

Woodcock, T.S., Pekkola, L.J., Dawson, C., Gadallah, F.L., and Kevan, P.G. 2014. Development of a Pollination Service Measurement (PSM) method using potted plant phytometry. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, April 2014.

Germain, R.M., Johnson, L., Schneider, S., Cottenie, K., Gillis, E.A., and MacDougall, A.S. 2013. Spatial variability in plant predation determines the strength of stochastic community assembly. The American Naturalist, 182(2):169-179.

Brunke, A.J, Klimaszewski, J., Dorval, J.A., Bourdon, C., Paiero, S.M., and Marshall, S.A. 2012. New species and distributional records of Aleocharinae (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from Ontario, Canada, with a checklist of recorded species. ZooKeys, 186:119-206.

Bainard, J.D., Henry, T.A., Bainard, L.D., and Newmaster, S.G. 2011. DNA content variation in monilophytes and lycophytes: large genomes that are not endopolyploid. Chromosome Research, 19:763-775.

Bhamjee, R., and Lindsay, J.B. 2011. Ephemeral stream sensor design using state loggers. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 15:1009-1021.

Broders, K.D., and Boland, G.J. 2011. Reclassification of the butternut canker fungus, Sirococcus clavigignenti-juglandacearum, into the genus Ophiognomonia. Fungal Biology, 115:70-79.

Broders, K.D., Woeste, K.E., SanMiguel, P.J., Westerman, R.P., and Boland, G.J. 2011. Discovery of single-0nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the uncharacterized genome of the ascomycete Ophiognomonia clavigignenti-juglandacearum from 454 sequence data. Molecular Ecology Resources, 11(4):693-702.

Brunke, A.J., and Marshall, S.A. 2011. Contributions to the faunistics and bionomics of Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) in northeastern North America: discoveries made through study of the University of Guelph Insect Collection, Ontario, Canada. ZooKeys, 75:29-68.

Sherrard, M.E., and Maherali, H. 2011. Local adaptation across a fertility gradient is influenced by soil biota in the invasive grass, Bromus inermis. Evolutionary Ecology, 26(3):529-544.

Broders, K.D., and Boland, G.J. 2010. Molecular diagnostic assay for detection of the butternut canker pathogen Sirococcus clavigignenti-juglandacearum. Plant Disease, 94(8):952-958.

Brunke, A.J., and Majka, C.G. 2010. The adventive genus Xantholinus Dejean (Coleopters, Staphylinidae, Staphylininae) in North America: new record and a synthesis of distributional data. ZooKeys, 50:51-61.

Kron, P., and Husband, B.C. 2009. Hybridization and the reproductive pathways mediating gene flow between native Malus coronaria and domestic apple, M. domestica. Botany, 87:864-874.

* indicates rare staff
+ indicates non-peer reviewed publication