Debris-flow entrainment modelling under climate change: Considering antecedent moisture conditions along the flow path
Anna Konz, Jacob Hirschberg, Brian McArdell, Benjamin B. Mirus, Tjalling de Haas, Perry Bartelt, Peter Molnar
2024, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (49) 2950-2964
Debris-flow volumes can increase along their flow path by entraining sediment stored in the channel bed and banks, thus also increasing hazard potential. Theoretical considerations, laboratory experiments and field investigations all indicate that the saturation conditions of the sediment along the flow path can...
Reservoir evolution, downstream sediment transport, downstream channel change, and synthesis of geomorphic responses of Fall Creek and Middle Fork Willamette River to water years 2012–18 streambed drawdowns at Fall Creek Lake, Oregon
Mackenzie K. Keith, J. Rose Wallick, Liam N. Schenk, Laurel E. Stratton Garvin, Gabriel W. Gordon, Heather M. Bragg
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2023-5135
Executive SummaryChapter A. IntroductionFall Creek Dam impounds Fall Creek Lake, a 10-kilometer-long reservoir in western Oregon and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) primarily for flood-risk management (or flood control) in late autumn through early spring months, as well as for water quality, irrigation, recreation, and...
Zebra and Quagga mussels in the United States—Dreissenid mussel research by the U.S. Geological Survey
Cayla R. Morningstar, Patrick M. Kocovsky, Michael E. Colvin, Timothy D. Counihan, Wesley M. Daniel, Peter C. Esselman, Cathy A. Richter, Adam Sepulveda, Diane L. Waller
2024, Fact Sheet 2024-3009
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) delivers high-quality data, technologies, and decision-support tools to help managers both reduce existing populations and control the spread of dreissenid mussels. The USGS researches ecology, biology, risk assessment, and early detection and rapid response methods; provides decision support; and develops and tests control measures....
Records of fleas (Siphonaptera) from Delaware
A.C Kennedy, W.S. Winter, A.L. Gardner, Neal Woodman, S.A. Shifflett, S. Redus, J.R. Newcomer, R. P. Eckerlin
2024, Journal of Medical Entomology (61) 959-964
We present an annotated checklist of fleas (Siphonaptera) known to occur in the state of Delaware based on an examination of Siphonaptera collections at the University of Delaware and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, as well as new specimens of fleas we collected from wildlife, other hosts, and tick...
Restoring blue carbon ecosystems
Daniel A. Friess, Zoe I. Shribman, Milica Stankovic, Naima Iram, Melissa Millman Baustian, Carolyn J. Ewers Lewis
2024, Cambridge Prisms: Coastal Futures (2)
Mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrasses have experienced extensive historical reduction in extent due to direct and indirect effects of anthropogenic land use change. Habitat loss has contributed carbon emissions and led to foregone opportunities for carbon sequestration, which are disproportionately large due to high ‘blue carbon’ stocks and sequestration rates...
Evaluation of DNA yield from various tissue and sampling sources for use in single nucleotide polymorphism panels
David L. Pearce, Jessie E. Edson, Chris S. Jennelle, W. David Walter
2024, Scientific Reports (14)
Genetics studies are used by wildlife managers and researchers to gain inference into a population of a species of interest. To gain these insights, microsatellites have been the primary method; however, there currently is a shift from microsatellites to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). With the different DNA requirements between microsatellites...
Distribution and abundance of Southwestern Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii extimus) on the Upper San Luis Rey River, San Diego County, California—2023 data summary
Scarlett L. Howell, Barbara E. Kus
2024, Data Report 1194
Executive SummaryWe surveyed for Southwestern Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii extimus; flycatcher) along the upper San Luis Rey River near Lake Henshaw in Santa Ysabel, California, in 2023. Surveys were completed at four locations: three downstream from Lake Henshaw, where surveys previously occurred from 2015 to 2022 (Rey River Ranch [RRR],...
Modeling coupled dynamics of an empirical predator-prey system to predict top predator recovery
Samantha N. M. Hamilton, M. T. Tinker, Joseph Jackson, Joseph A. Tomoleoni, Michael C. Kenner, Julie L. Yee, Tomoko Bell, Max C. N. Castorani, Benjamin H. Becker, Brent B. Hughes
2024, Biological Conservation (294) 110623
Limited data, time, and funding lead conservation managers to make difficult choices in managing species recovery. Coupled dynamical models are relied upon for decision support, but their application to empirical predator-prey systems has generally been restricted to small, tractable species. To broaden their use in conservation decision-making, we developed a...
Tool use increases mechanical foraging success and tooth health in southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis)
Chris J. Law, M. Tim Tinker, Jessica A. Fujii, Teri Nicholson, Michelle M. Staedler, Joseph A. Tomoleoni, Colleen Young, Rita S. Mehta
2024, Science (384) 798-802
Although tool use may enhance resource utilization, its fitness benefits are difficult to measure. By examining longitudinal data from 196 radio-tagged southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis), we found that tool-using individuals, particularly females, gained access to larger and/or harder-shelled prey. These mechanical advantages translated to reduced tooth damage during...
Considerations and challenges in support of science and communication of fish consumption advisories for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
Jonathan M. Petali, Erin L. Pulster, Chris McCarthy, Heidi M. Pickard, lsie M. Sunderland, Jacqueline T. Bangma, Anna R. Robuck, Courtney Carignan, Kathryn A. Crawford, Megan E. Romano, Rainer Lohmann, Katherine E. von Stackelberg
2024, Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management (20) 1839-1858
Federal, state, tribal, or local entities in the United States issue fish consumption advisories (FCAs) as guidance for safer consumption of locally caught fish containing contaminants. Fish consumption advisories have been developed for commonly detected compounds such as mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls. The existing...
U.S. Geological Survey data strategy 2023–33
Vivian B. Hutchison, Thomas E. Burley, Kyle W. Blasch, Paul E. Exter, Gregory L. Gunther, Aaron J. Shipman, Courtney M. Kelley, Cheryl A. Morris
2024, Circular 1517
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has long recognized the strategic importance and value of well-managed data assets as an integral component of scientific integrity and foundational to the advancement of scientific research, decision making, and public safety. The USGS investment in the science lifecycle, including collection of unbiased data assets,...
Sight and blindness: The relationship between ostracod eyes, water depth, and light availability in the Arctic Ocean
Jingwen Zhang, Moriaki Yasuhara, Chih-Lin Wei, Skye Yunshu Tian, Kyawt K. T. Aye, Laura Gemery, Thomas M. Cronin, Peter Frenzel, David J. Horne
2024, Limnology and Oceanography (69) 1418-1428
Eye loss has been a long-standing interest in evolutionary biology. Many organisms that inhabit environments without light penetration, for example the deep sea, exhibit eye loss and thus become blind. However, water-depth distribution of eyes in marine organisms is poorly understood. Ostracods are widely distributed crustaceans, and many sighted marine...
On the survival and habitat use of hatchery-reared cisco (Coregonus artedi) in Lake Erie
Richard Kraus, James Markham, Jason Robinson, Thomas MacDougall, Matthew Faust, Joseph Schmitt, Christopher Vandergoot, James E. McKenna Jr., Dimitri Gorsky
2024, Journal of Great Lakes Research (50)
Cisco (Coregonus artedi) have been extirpated from Lake Erie in North America since the 1960s, but they once supported one of the largest Laurentian Great Lakes fisheries. Numerous potential impediments to rehabilitation have been identified, including summer habitat refugia and predation. We used acoustic telemetry to investigate the thermal habitat use and survival of hatchery-reared...
Atlas of microscopic images of biochar using reflected light microscopy in biochar characterization
Agnieszka Drobniak, Maria Mastalerz, Will Knauth, Omid Adarkani, Telma Ataide dos Santos, Valdeci Caio de Faria, Tara Congo, Paul C. Hackley, Javin J. Hatcherian, James C. Hower, Henrik I. Petersen, Julito Reyes, Hamed Sanei
2024, Indiana Journal of Earth Sciences (6)
Derived through the thermochemical conversion of biomass, biochar is a carbon-rich substance recognized for its significance in environmental applications and sustainable agriculture. As interest in its utilization continues to rise, it becomes crucial to comprehend how the source material and pyrolysis parameters influence the properties of biochar and, consequently, to...
Species richness and distribution of Sphaeriidae surveyed with Environmental DNA metabarcoding
Nathaniel T. Marshall, Katy E. Klymus, Carol A. Stepien
2024, Freshwater Mollusk Biology and Conservation (27) 16-26
Freshwater bivalves of the family Sphaeriidae (fingernail, pea, and pill clams) are difficult to survey and identify due to their small size and overlapping morphological traits. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding offers a cost-effective method for assessing species richness and distributional patterns at large scales. We...
U.S. Geological Survey—Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center 2021–23 research activity report
Mark H. Sherfy, editor(s)
2024, Circular 1512
The mission of Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center is to provide scientific information needed to conserve and manage the Nation’s natural capital for current and future generations, with an emphasis on migratory birds, Department of the Interior trust resources, and ecosystems of the Nation’s interior. This report provides an overview...
Post-Typhoon Mawar population counts of the endangered yǻyaguak (Mariana swiftlet) on Guam
Eben H. Paxton, P. Marcos Gorresen, Paul M. Cryan, Megan Parker
2024, Report
The yǻyaguak (Mariana swiftlet, Aerodramus bartschi) is an endangered cave-roosting species native to Guam and southern Mariana Islands, Micronesia. The population on Guam has declined substantially over the last half century, likely due to the introduction of the brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis), but other factors...
Grand challenges in anticipating and responding to critical materials supply risks
Anthony Ku, Elisa Alonso, Rod Eggert, Thomas Graedel, Komal Habib, Alessa Hool, Toru Muta, Dieuwertje Schrijvers, Luic Tercero, Tatiana Vakhitova, Constanze Veeh
2024, Joule (8) 1208-1233
Critical materials are resources that are vulnerable to supply disruptions, where those disruptions can have significant adverse impacts on society. In the coming years, materials supply risks associated with the energy transition and geopolitics are likely to intensify and new risks are expected to emerge. This perspective identifies three “Grand...
Changes in microbial community and network structure precede shrub degradation in a desert ecosystem
Guohua Wang, Seth M. Munson, Elly Morrien, Fei Mo, Mengting Maggie Yuan, Bin Wang, Ning Chen, Jian-Sheng Ye, Kailiang Yu
2024, Catena (242)
Large-scale restoration is intended to promote ecological recovery. Improvements in plant and microbial conditions, however, may slow or even reverse in late succession. To better understand long-term restoration outcomes and underlying drivers of successional pathways, we tracked plant, bacterial and...
Evaporation from the interior of Lake Okeechobee—A large freshwater lake in Florida, 2013–16
W. Barclay Shoemaker, Qinglong Wu
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5040
In 2012, a platform at the approximate center of Lake Okeechobee in central Florida was instrumented to continuously measure evaporation with the Bowen-ratio energy-budget method as part of a long-term partnership between the South Florida Water Management District and the U.S. Geological Survey. The primary goal for the study was...
Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the Mojave Basin Domestic-Supply Aquifer study unit, 2018—California GAMA Priority Basin Project
Krishangi D. Groover, Miranda S. Fram, Zeno F. Levy
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5019
Groundwater quality in the western part of the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California, was investigated in 2018 as part of the California State Water Resources Control Board Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment Program Priority Basin Project. The Mojave Basin Domestic-Supply Aquifer study unit (MOBS) region was divided into...
An experimental study of benthic habitat selection in yellow-phase American eels (Anguilla rostrata)
Melissa Braham, S.A. Welsh, Dustin M. Smith
2024, Environmental Biology of Fishes (107) 513-522
In a laboratory experiment, we quantified microhabitat use of small yellow-phase American eels (Anguilla rostrata, n = 130, 224–338 mm TL) conditional on five benthic substrate types common to rivers within their geographic range. During nine, 4-day trials replicated with three aquaria, American eels were given a choice to burrow into five equally...
Site response in the Walnut Creek–Concord region of the San Francisco Bay, California: Ground motion amplification in a fault-bounded basin
Stephen H. Hartzell, Alena L. Leeds, Leonardo Ramirez-Guzman, Victoria Langenheim, Robert G. Schmitt
2024, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (114) 2668-2686
Thirty‐seven portable accelerometers were deployed in the eastern San Francisco Bay communities of Walnut Creek and Concord to study site response in a fault‐bounded, urban, sedimentary basin. Local earthquakes were recorded for a period of two years from 2017 to 2019 resulting in 101 well‐recorded events. Site response is estimated...
Translocation in a fragmented river provides demographic benefits for imperiled fishes
Casey A. Pennock, Brian D. Healy, Matthew R. Bogaard, Mark C. McKinstry, Keith B. Gido, C. Nathan Cathcart, Brian Hines
2024, Ecosphere (15)
Fragmentation isolates individuals and restricts access to valuable habitat with severe consequences for populations, such as reduced gene flow, disruption of recolonization dynamics, reduced resiliency to disturbance, and changes in aquatic community structure. Translocations to mitigate the effects of fragmentation and habitat loss are common, but few are rigorously evaluated,...
Estimating price elasticity of demand for mineral commodities used in lithium-ion batteries in the face of surging demand
Ensieh Shojaeddini, Elisa Alonso, Nedal T. Nassar
2024, Resources, Conservation and Recycling (207)
The accelerating adoption of clean energy technologies is driving demand for certain mineral commodities like lithium, essential for electric vehicle batteries. Understanding the influence of the energy transition on each market requires examining their supply and demand price elasticities. However, there have only been a limited number of studies that...
