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Sarah Saalfeld

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Modeling Future Storm Impacts on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta
The western coast of Alaska is a remote region, rich in wildlife and providing critical nesting habitat for many of Alaska’s seabirds. It is also home to indigenous communities who rely upon the region’s natural resources to support a traditional lifestyle of hunting, gathering, and fishing. Although the region is frequently subject to extensive inland flooding from Bering Sea storms, little is known about the extent and frequency of flooding and its impacts on vegetation, wildlife, and water quality. Furthermore, information is lacking about how climate change and sea-level rise (which can influence the frequency and intensity of storms and subsequent flooding) are affecting this area, its communities, and their...
Predicting Geese and Eider Nest Distributions on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta of Alaska, 1985–2013
To determine the current spatial distribution of waterfowl nesting areas and understand the importance of environmental variables in the selection of nest locations, we modeled nest densities for six species of geese and eiders that commonly breed on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, including cackling goose ( Branta hutchinsii minima), emperor goose ( Chen canagica), black brant ( B. bernicla nigricans), greater white-fronted goose ( Anser albifrons frontalis), spectacled eider ( Somateria fischeri), and common eider ( S. mollissima). The data used were from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's long-term waterbird monitoring program in which single-visit nest searches were conducted during incubation (typically from early...
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