Greater Washington Research Articles

Environmental filtering of avian communities along a rural‐to‐urban gradient in Greater Washington, D.C., USA

AbstractThe composition of avian communities in human‐dominated habitats is thought to be determined by the interaction between species‐specific traits and environmental characteristics. Traits such as dietary habits and habitat specialization influence the vulnerability of species to land use change. As species are excluded from anthropogenic environments, local species pools are differentially sorted from the regional species pool. This sorting process, environmental filtering, is characterized by a decline in the functional diversity of local biotic communities and may result in a loss of regional biodiversity as landscapes are urbanized. Environmental filtering due to urbanization is hypothesized due to an ecosystem stress gradient, which describes a decrease in species richness or abundance with increasing urban intensity. Conflicting patterns of species richness and species abundances have limited our ability to determine whether urban environments filter avian communities. To evaluate the hypothesis that environmental filtering is occurring, we analyzed avian point count data collected along a rural‐to‐urban gradient in metropolitan Washington, D.C. We examined predictions that species richness, functional diversity, and the total and relative abundances of some life history guilds exhibit the pattern expected under the ecosystem stress‐gradient hypothesis. Species richness and functional diversity declined monotonically with increasing impervious surface. Life history guilds, representing species’ diet, foraging, nest, and migration habits, exhibited differential rates of decline across the rural‐to‐urban gradient, resulting in marked shifts in the composition of communities. Our results support the hypothesis that urbanization filters bird communities as a function of avian traits and provide further evidence of trait‐level responses to urban environments.

Strategies and Barriers in Effective Bus Lane Implementation and Management: Best Practices for Use in the Greater Washington, D.C. Region

Bus lanes have the potential to significantly improve bus speeds and reliability. These benefits are typically not solely achieved through the design and installation of a bus lane, however. A successful bus lane must also have sufficient public support for regulating bus lane use, as well as enforcing those regulations. Effective design, enforcement, legislation, and education strategies are critical during both the planning and post-implementation phases to limit bus lane violations and increase compliance, thereby improving bus lane efficiency. Despite the importance of developing a robust management plan to limit violations and maintain bus lane efficiency, there is little documented guidance for bus lane implementation and management in the literature, particularly related to enforcement and education strategies. This paper develops a best practices review to respond to that gap in guidance by conducting a comprehensive literature review of best practice in bus lane management along with interviews with agency staff. The objective of this paper is to research, identify, and develop strategies to improve bus lane observance and enforcement, and to create an implementation plan for agencies with specific recommendations and strategies to ensure the success of bus lane initiatives.

Correction to: Organochlorine Chemical Residues in Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Eggs from Greater Washington, DC USA.

The original version of this article contained a mistake. Author name in the text citation and reference in section should be Maldonado et al (2016), it was incorrectly spelled as Maldinado et al (2015).

Cybersecurity Startup Founders in Greater Washington, DC: Prior Experience Required

Cybersecurity Startup Founders in Greater Washington, DC: Prior Experience Required

Attachment Security Priming Decreases Children's Physiological Response to Threat.

Ninety 6- and 7-year-olds (49.3% White, mostly middle class) from greater Washington, DC were randomly assigned to a subliminal priming condition (secure, happy, or neutral) to determine if attachment security priming decreases physiological, expressive, and self-reported fear reactions to threatening stimuli. Dispositional attachment security was also assessed. Secure priming and attachment security each decreased electrodermal reactivity, increased vagal augmentation, and decreased fearful facial expressions compared to control conditions. Examination of a statistical interaction between security priming and child attachment indicated that, although secure children had increased vagal augmentation and fewer fearful expressions than insecure children, the effects of priming were constant across secure and insecure children. There were no priming or attachment effects associated with children's self-reported fear.

Dispersal in the Urban Matrix: Assessing the Influence of Landscape Permeability on the Settlement Patterns of Breeding Songbirds

The ability of organisms to disperse across urban landscapes is theorized to be constrained by habitat fragmentation. While previous research has shown the distribution of forest patches is a determinant of dispersal patterns among forest-obligate bird species, the impacts of habitat distribution on the dispersal of “urban-adapted” species, has yet to be examined. Here, we use capture-reencounter data of birds banded over a 9-year period at six banding stations in greater Washington, DC to assess dispersal in four species of songbirds and a translocation experiment to examine the influence of land cover on movement. Point count and land cover data were used to construct habitat suitability and landscape permeability surfaces, with the latter representing potential travels costs from the capture location to the surrounding landscape. To assess how dispersal processes are affected by urban land cover, we searched for previously banded birds at sampling locations within 1.5 km of each banding station and compared the distribution of sampling locations with and without observations of previously-banded birds. We found evidence that settlement of two of four focal species, the Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) and Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), was more likely in sites with high relative permeability. To experimentally explore the consequences of the urban matrix habitat on movement, we attached radio transmitters to male Cardinals, translocated individuals 1.5 km across high-intensity urban, suburban, and forested landscapes, and recorded the time to return to their territory. Return time was dependent on land cover with Cardinals translocated across suburban habitats returning significantly faster than those moved across the other two land use classes. Combined, our findings suggest that, even among some “urban-adapted” species, dispersal within urban environments may be influenced by landscape structure and composition.

Managing a Complex Public Organization under Resource Dependency: The Case of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail System

This article offers a timely and empirical case study of the effects of political influence from governing stakeholders on the management of a major inter-regional public transportation system in the greater Washington, DC area. It demonstrates the critical importance of intensive cooperation between federal, state, and local authorities for the sustainment and effective delivery of a vital public service, and documents the significant challenges for public managers charged with administering public organizations in an organizational environment characterized by resource dependence, principal-agent conflicts, and dysfunctional governance structures. Solutions recommended include institutional entrepreneurship, lobbying for stronger federal oversight, and greater use of strategic planning and strategic communications to shape public and legislator perspectives.

What research and theory inspires IA/UX, and how can this change behavior and help make a political and humanitarian difference?

ABSTRACTThis session is a moderated panel discussion among senior IA/UX practitioners from the greater Washington, DC area. Its goal is to challenge and inspire the ASIST research community. Among themes the panel will discuss are: 1) how research and theory inspires client project work – what types of research is needed, and what would be considered accessible and practical research; and 2) how IA/UX (including content strategy, taxonomy, governance, etc.) can change behavior, and help make a political and humanitarian difference.

A novel method of urban land type identification utilizing meteorological station network temperature data, as developed for the Baltimore-Washington region

Changes to urban areas over time and their relationship to precipitation and climate is a topic of growing interest. Cities have existed and expanded for centuries, but datasets which show levels and changes in urbanization prior to recent years are often spatially or temporally limited. It is known urban areas are generally warmer than rural areas, therefore relative values of temperatures can be used to discern land type. In this study, a new method utilizing the statistical k-means clustering technique is proposed to identify urbanization by using temperature data recorded at meteorological weather stations. The new technique was developed and applied to a network of meteorological stations in the greater Washington, DC region for 5-year intervals from 1980 to 2010, where it was able to identify urban, suburban, and rural land types for both large and small cities. The technique was also able to capture general temporal transitions from rural to suburban environments at the edges of urban areas.

Characterizing avian survival along a rural‐to‐urban land use gradient

Many avian species persist in human‐dominated landscapes; however, little is known about the demographic consequences of urbanization in these populations. Given that urban habitats introduce novel benefits (e.g., anthropogenic resources) and pressures (e.g., mortality risks), conflicting mechanisms have been hypothesized to drive the dynamics of urban bird populations. Top‐down processes such as predation predict reduced survivorship in suburban and urban habitats, whereas bottom‐up processes, such as increased resource availability, predict peak survival in suburban habitats. In this study, we use mark–recapture data of seven focal species encountered between 2000 and 2012 to test hypotheses about the processes that regulate avian survival along an urbanization gradient in greater Washington, D.C., USA. American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Cardinal, and Song Sparrow exhibited peak survival at intermediate and upper portions of the rural‐to‐urban gradient; this pattern supports the hypothesis that bottom‐up processes (e.g., resource availability) can drive patterns of avian survival in some species. In contrast, Carolina Chickadee showed no response and Carolina and House Wren showed a slightly negative response to urban land cover. These contrasting results underscore the need for comparative studies documenting the mechanisms that drive demography and how those factors differentially affect urban adapted and urban avoiding species.

Caring While Missing Children's Infancy: Transnational Mothering among Honduran Women Working in Greater Washington

Many women from developing countries migrate to postindustrial countries while leaving their children with other family members, especially the children's grandmothers. Forced by macro structural conditions, immigrants have to develop a variety of strategies to overcome this spatial separation. This is the case of most Honduran immigrant women who have migrated to the United States in the last decades. The devastation left by Hurricane Mitch (1998) in Honduras and severe social political crisis in the last decade have pushed thousands of women to work in the domestic (reproductive) labor market in the vicinity of Washington, DC while leaving their children at home. Using ethnographic data, this paper will focus on how structural, ethnic, generational, and gender factors affect the development of transnational mothering practices among Honduran women, highlighting their social contributions to both sending and receiving societies.

Cultural Adaptation and Translation of Outreach Materials on Autism Spectrum Disorder.

In order to connect with families and influence treatment trajectories, outreach materials should address cultural perceptions of the condition, its causes, and post-diagnostic care. This paper describes the cultural adaptation and translation of the Autism Speaks First 100 Days Kit into Korean for the purpose of improving autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis, assessment, and interventions. The goal of this study is to describe a methodology for future cross-cultural adaptations and translations of outreach materials on ASD, using the Autism Speaks First 100 Days Kit as an exemplar. The research involved two stages of qualitative interviews: unstructured individual and group interviews with 19 Korean child health and education professionals in Queens, NY, followed by structured cultural consensus modeling interviews with 23 Korean mothers, with and without children with ASD, in Queens, NY and the greater Washington, DC area. We conclude that a systematic approach to cultural translation of outreach materials is feasible. Cultural consensus modeling yielded information about numerous barriers to care, had a demonstrable effect on the translation of the kit, and was efficient when employed with coherent segments of a relatively homogeneous population and focused on a single condition.

Accuracy of family history reports of migraine in a community-based family study of migraine.

Family history of migraine is the most potent and consistent risk factor for migraine. However, there has been limited systematic research on the reliability of family history information in detecting migraine based on valid diagnostic interviews. This study systematically evaluated the accuracy of migraine defined by the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-II) based on a direct structured interview compared to structured family history reports. The aim of the present study was to assess the validity of migraine diagnosis provided by family history compared with direct interview using a validated diagnostic interview of headache syndromes in the context of a family study of migraine comorbidity. The sample included 921 study participants identified in a cross-sectional community-based controlled family study of comorbidity of migraine and affective disorders recruited from the greater Washington, DC community. Lifetime migraine and tension-type headache were ascertained by direct clinical interview using a validated interview that collects ICHD-II criteria for headache syndromes. A structured history of headache was also collected from all interviewed probands and relatives regarding their relatives. All family history reports were reviewed by the study neurologist according to ICHD-II criteria. Family history ratings and diagnoses were made by the neurologist, who was blinded to the headache diagnosis obtained by direct interview. The sensitivity and specificity of family history reports of migraine compared with direct interview were 38.6% and 96.8%, respectively, indicating that the false positive rate was very low, whereas the false negative rate was substantial. The positive and negative predictive values of migraine diagnosis provided by family member report are 90.0% and 67.6%, respectively. Our results confirm that migraine assessed by family member report largely underestimates migraine in relatives. This demonstrates the value of direct interviews with relatives rather than reliance on family history report in both clinical practice and family and genetic studies. Potential steps to improve the reliability of family history report in clinical settings are described.

Impacts of the HackHealth after‐school program: Motivating youth through personal relevance

ABSTRACTAfter‐school programs are uniquely situated to attract and engage youth in a variety of interest‐driven activities that ensure that each individual youth's personal interests are nurtured. In collaboration with school librarians at five middle schools in the greater Washington D.C. metro area, we developed and implemented an after‐school program, HackHealth, which aims to increase disadvantaged middle school students’ interest in science and health, their health and digital literacy skills, and their health‐related self‐efficacy. Based on data collected from the 63 youth who have participated in HackHealth over the past two years (as well as their parents) through surveys, participant observation, pre‐ and post‐interviews, and focus groups, we investigate why these youth joined HackHealth, the health‐related topic each one selected to research during the program and the reasons for their choice, and the perceptions of participants and their parents regarding the short‐term outcomes of participating in the program. The importance of building on youths’ personal interests and ensuring the personal relevance of both content and skills in attracting and sustaining youth participation and engagement in after‐school programs is discussed.

An Evaluation of Time and Cost Variability in Hospice Interdisciplinary Group Meetings and Comparative Clinical Quality Outcomes

This study involved a community-based, multisite hospice program serving 7 distinct communities in the greater Washington, DC, metropolitan area. The objectives were to compare time and costs among hospice interdisciplinary group (IDG) meetings and resultant select clinical outcomes in order to esta

Hepatitis B screening practice among older Chinese in the Greater Washington, DC, area.

Older Chinese Americans are at greater risk of contracting hepatitis B virus (HBV) because they were born before the implementation of universal childhood vaccination policies. This study examined the prevalence of HBV screening, test results, and predictors of HBV screening among older Chinese. Two hundred fifty-two Chinese immigrants (older than 50 years) recruited from Chinese-speaking physicians' offices in the Washington, DC, area participated in a cancer screening questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and hierarchical logistic regressions were conducted. Among the 164 participants (65%) who underwent HBV screening, 66% reported that they were susceptible to HBV infection. Stronger self-care beliefs, longer US residency, lower HBV knowledge, and lack of physician recommendations were independently and negatively associated with HBV screening. Many older Chinese did not adhere to HBV screening guidelines because of cultural views and information deficiency. Culturally appropriate interventions aimed to enhance their knowledge and communication with physicians about HBV are needed for promoting screening.

Finding Our Compass: Lessons in Planning from National Trust Historic Sites

Finding Our Compass:Lessons in Planning from National Trust Historic Sites Suzanne B. Laporte (bio) and National Trust Staff and Compass Volunteers (bio) Stewards of historic sites including the National Trust may excel at preservation, collections management and interpretation, but they rarely excel at the business of running historic sites. Enter Compass, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that engages professionals from a variety of areas, including alumni from the nation’s top business schools; employees of consulting firms such as McKinsey and Booz Allen Hamilton; and lawyers, consultants and others to provide pro bono strategic business consulting to nonprofits in the greater Washington, D.C., and greater Philadelphia areas. Since 2010 Compass has worked with the National Trust and some of its sites on board development, governance, fundraising, planning, partnerships, program collaborations, mergers, and marketing. By promoting smart business practices and strategic planning, Compass has helped the National Trust ensure long-term sustainability at many of its cherished historic sites. OATLANDS: MAKING DEVELOPMENT A PRIORITY Oatlands (1798), a National Trust Historic Site and National Historic Landmark in Leesburg, Virginia, operated as a grain and wool-producing plantation whose success depended completely on a slave economy. Bequeathed to the National Trust in 1965, it opened the following year to the public as a historic, cultural and recreational site. Since then, it has become increasingly important as a year-round open-space refuge in fast-growing Loudoun County. In 2009 Oatlands’ stewards ambitiously developed a strategic plan that required significant additional operating funds, while also proposing major restoration projects on the 1821 barn and 1810 greenhouse (the second oldest greenhouse in the country). As the board and staff began confronting the financial challenges the [End Page 32] strategic plan and renovations presented, they reached out to Compass for assistance. Click for larger view View full resolution Oatlands, a National Trust Historic Site in Virginia, urgently needed help to gain financial sustainability. The Compass team’s recommendations, based on in-depth research, included building a stronger donor base and improving special-events facilities. Compass conducted a deep market and profitability analysis of the site’s four principal funding categories: development, admissions, events and gift shop. Compass conducted extensive interviews with various staff and stakeholders and compiled operating and financial data on similar organizations. It became clear early on that Oatlands would benefit the most by focusing on development, where there was untapped potential that could lead to significant gains. The Compass team’s final report for Oatlands included numerous recommendations, particularly around building a stronger donor base and realigning the site’s four funding categories. Other suggestions included increasing revenue from special events by addressing the lack of a permanent covered facility and making upgrades to the poorly performing gift shop. The site is implementing these recommendations by installing a party pavilion with a semi-permanent frame tent on a concrete base and by adjusting shop inventory. According to the Compass team’s project leader, Jennifer Blasko, “The team explained that sometimes an income stream may serve a strategic purpose and therefore it is acceptable for it not to be profitable. However, it is important to define the net contribution of each of the streams and plan accordingly.” [End Page 33] Interestingly, a notable cultural change at the site occurred after the Compass project concluded, but it was directly tied to the project. A new executive director worked to realign the board and recruit members with new skills to address the urgent need to work toward financial sustainability, a key theme of the Compass work. PRESIDENT LINCOLN’S COTTAGE Round 1: Strengthening the Core President Lincoln’s Cottage (PLC) was Lincoln’s preferred summer residence during the most crucial years of the Civil War. Located several miles north of the White House on the grounds of the Soldiers’ Home, a retirement home for veterans, it provided the Lincoln family with a respite from the heat and humidity of central Washington and the constant distractions that were part of life in the White House. Lincoln spent nearly a quarter of his presidency living at this quiet retreat, where, among other things, he formulated the thoughts on freedom that eventually resulted in...

Minutes of the ESA Governing Board, December 18‐19, 2012 Washington, DC

Minutes of the ESA Governing Board, December 18‐19, 2012 Washington, DC

Implications of Variation in Social-Ecological Systems for the Development of U.S. Fungal Management Policy

Public lands fungal management in the United States developed in direct response to commercial harvesting in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) in the 1980s. In the early 2000s, concerns over declining morel mushroom abundance in national parks in the greater Washington, DC, region (NCR) led to the creation of harvest limits and stimulated research on the social-ecological system of morels in that region. In this article we compare findings from research on morel harvesting conducted at two national parks in the NCR from 2004 to 2007, with fungal management from two federal units in the PNW. We find substantial differences in existing regulatory policies, historical and cultural harvesting practices, and taxonomic and ecological variation in Morchella, indicating the need for regionally specific management. To address these differences, we recommend a participatory approach incorporating the local social-ecological specificities of mushroom harvesting and ecology that are missed at coarser spatial and temporal scales.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Driver Behavior to Establish Parameters for Timing of Yellow Change and Red Clearance Intervals

In 2009, NCHRP Project 03–95 sought to develop a comprehensive, uniform set of recommended guidelines for determining safe and operationally efficient yellow change and red clearance (i.e., all-red) intervals at signalized intersections. Before guideline development, a comprehensive field study of driver behavior was performed to establish the three primary parameters found in a commonly used kinematic equation (the ITE equation): perception–reaction time, deceleration rate, and approach speed. To provide broad nationwide representation of driver characteristics, site conditions, and traffic signal timing practices, 83 study approaches were evenly selected from four regions of the United States: Southeast Michigan, Central Florida, Southern California, and Greater Washington, D.C. Driver behavior data were collected at each site with an elevated high-definition video camera. The resulting data set included 2,458 first-to-stop dilemma zone vehicles that were less than 5.5 s upstream of the intersection at the start of the yellow interval. The study's overall mean brake response time of 1.00 s was identical to ITE's recommended default value of 1.0 s for timing of the yellow interval, and the overall mean deceleration rate of 10.08 ft/s2 was very close to ITE's recommended deceleration rate of 10 ft/s2. The study determined that the 85th percentile speed of free-flowing through-moving vehicles approaching a signalized intersection may be accurately estimated by adding 7 miles per hour (mph) to the posted speed limit on the approach. Similarly, the 85th percentile approach speed for free-flowing left-turning vehicles may be accurately estimated by subtracting 5 mph from the posted speed limit.