Analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequence data demonstrates that monophyly of myotis occultus is complicated by greater sampling of myotis lucifugus
Jeffrey M. Lorch, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Daniel R. Taylor
2024, Southwestern Naturalist (67) 255-262
The validity of Myotis occultus as a species unique from Myotis lucifugus has been a source of debate. Most recently, many authorities treat M. occultus as a distinct species, at least in part because a previous study showed that M. occultus and M. l. carissima (the subspecies that occurs in closest geographic proximity to M....
New diagnostic assessment of MCMC algorithm effectiveness, efficiency, reliability, and controllability
Hossein KavianiHamedani, Julianne D. Quinn, Jared David Smith
2024, IEEE Access (12) 42385-42400
Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) is a robust statistical approach for estimating posterior distributions. However, the significant computational cost associated with MCMC presents a considerable challenge, complicating the selection of an appropriate algorithm tailored to the specific problem at hand. This study introduces a novel and comprehensive framework for...
White-tailed deer detection rates increase when coyotes are present
Hannah L. Clipp, Sarah M. Pesi, Madison L. Miller, Laura C. Gigliotti, Brett P. Skelly, Christopher T. Rota
2024, Ecology and Evolution (14)
Predator species can indirectly affect prey species through the cost of anti-predator behavior responses, which may involve shifts in occupancy, space use, or movement. Quantifying the various strategies implemented by prey species to avoid adverse interactions with predators can lead to a better understanding of potential population-level repercussions. Therefore, the...
Data-driven adjustments for combined use of NGA-East hard-rock ground motion and site amplification models
Maria E. Ramos-Sepulveda, Jonathan P. Stewart, Grace Alexandra Parker, Morgan P. Moschetti, Eric M. Thompson, Scott J. Brandenberg, Youssef M A Hashash, Ellen Rathje
2024, Earthquake Spectra (40) 1132-1157
Model development in the Next Generation Attenuation-East (NGA-East) project included two components developed concurrently and independently: (1) earthquake ground-motion models (GMMs) that predict the median and aleatory variability of various intensity measures conditioned on magnitude and distance, derived for a reference hard-rock site condition with an average shear-wave velocity in...
Vulnerability to sea-level rise varies among estuaries and habitat types: Lessons learned from a network of surface elevation tables in Puget Sound
Melanie J. Davis, Katrina L. Poppe, John M. Rybczyk, Eric E. Grossman, Isa Woo, Joshua W. Chamberlin, Michelle Totman, Todd Zackey, Frank Leonetti, Suzanne Shull, Susan E.W. De La Cruz
2024, Estuaries and Coasts (47) 1918-1940
Estuarine systems that provide valuable ecosystem services to society and important foraging and rearing habitat for fish and wildlife species continue to undergo degradation. In Puget Sound, WA, as much as 70–80% of historic estuarine habitat has been lost to anthropogenic development, and continued losses are...
Snow-cover remote sensing of conifer tree recovery in high-severity burn patches
Casey Menick, Wade T. Tinkham, Chad Hoffman, Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Jody C. Vogeler
2024, Remote Sensing of Environment (305)
The number of large, high-severity wildfires has been increasing across the western United States over the last several decades. It is not fully understood how changes in the frequency of large, severe wildfires may impact the resilience of conifer forests,...
Shift in piscivory by salmonids following invasion of a minnow in an oligotrophic reservoir
Rachelle Carina Johnson, Marshal Hoy, Karl D. Stenberg, Jonathan H Mclean, Benjamin Lorenz Jensen, Tessa Julianne Code, Carl Ostberg, David Beauchamp
2024, Ecology of Freshwater Fish (33)
Predation can play an important role in structuring ecological communities, and predator–prey dynamics can be altered following the introduction of new species. An unauthorized introduction of redside shiner (Richardsonius balteatus) into reservoirs in the Upper Skagit River, Washington, USA created concern that a consequent shift...
Electrocution (avian) case definition for wildlife
Julia S. Lankton, Laura Bourque, Bridget B. Baker, Jane Parmley
2024, Techniques and Methods 19-H1
Diagnostic laboratories receive carcasses and samples for diagnostic evaluation and pathogen/toxin detection. Case definitions bring clarity and consistency to the evaluation process. Their use within and between organizations allows more uniform reporting of diseases and etiologic agents.The intent of a case definition is to provide scientifically based criteria for determining...
Ophidiomycosis (snake fungal disease) case definition for wildlife
Julia S. Lankton, Brian Stevens, Lenny Shirose, Christina Davy
2024, Techniques and Methods 19-F1
Diagnostic laboratories receive carcasses and samples for diagnostic evaluation and pathogen/toxin detection. Case definitions bring clarity and consistency to the evaluation process. Their use within and between organizations allows more uniform reporting of diseases and etiologic agents.The intent of a case definition is to provide scientifically based criteria for determining...
Avian botulism case definition for wildlife
Julia S. Lankton, Brian Stevens
2024, Techniques and Methods 19-E1
Diagnostic laboratories receive carcasses and samples for diagnostic evaluation and pathogen/toxin detection. Case definitions bring clarity and consistency to the evaluation process. Their use within and between organizations allows more uniform reporting of diseases and etiologic agents.The intent of a case definition is to provide scientifically based criteria for determining...
[Disease/condition] case definition [template] for wildlife
Kimberli J.G. Miller, E. Jane Parmley, Anne Ballmann, Jennifer Buckner, Megan Jones, Julia S. Lankton, Marnie Zimmer, Emily Lankau
2024, Techniques and Methods 19-A1
Diagnostic laboratories receive carcasses and samples for diagnostic evaluation and pathogen/toxin detection. Case definitions bring clarity and consistency to the evaluation process. Their use within and between organizations allows more uniform reporting of diseases and etiologic agents. The intent of a case definition is to provide scientifically based criteria for...
Case definitions for wildlife diseases
Kimberli J.G. Miller, E. Jane Parmley, Anne Ballmann, Jennifer Buckner, Megan Jones, Julia S. Lankton, Marnie Zimmer
2024, Techniques and Methods 19
Welcome to the first manual of “Case Definitions for Wildlife Diseases,” a “living” electronic publication. The plan is to add and update this manual’s case definitions periodically as warranted; thus, this manual will never be completed, and readers should download the latest versions of specific chapters (that is, definitions) when...
Flood of October 31 to November 3, 2019, East Canada Creek, West Canada Creek, and Sacandaga River Basins
Alexander P. Graziano, Travis L. Smith, Arthur G. Lilienthal III
2024, Conference Paper, Proceedings of the 2024 Mohawk Watershed Symposium
Between October 31 and November 3, 2019, historic flooding in parts of the Mohawk Valley and southern Adirondack region resulted in one fatality, an estimated $33 million in damages, and the declaration of a state of emergency for 13 New York counties. Flooding resulted from high-intensity rainfall within a 24-hour...
Yosemite toad (Anaxyrus canorus) transcriptome reveals interplay between speciation genes and adaptive introgression
Paul A. Maier, Amy G. Vandergast, Andrew J. Bohonak
2024, Molecular Ecology (33)
Genomes are heterogeneous during the early stages of speciation, with small ‘islands’ of DNA appearing to reflect strong adaptive differences, surrounded by vast seas of relative homogeneity. As species diverge, secondary contact zones between them can act as an interface and selectively filter through...
Temporal variability and sources of PFAS in the Rio Grande, New Mexico through an arid urban area using multiple tracers and high-frequency sampling
Kimberly R. Beisner, Rebecca E. Travis, David A. Alvarez, Larry B. Barber, Jacob Fleck, Jeramy Roland Jasmann
2024, Emerging Contaminants (10)
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous in the environment but sources are not well defined for temporal and spatial aspects within an urban environment, and especially for an arid urban environment subject to seasonal short term high-intensity precipitation events. A focused diel sampling...
Implications for the resilience of modern coastal systems derived from mesoscale barrier dynamics at Fire Island, New York
Daniel J. Ciarletta, Jennifer L. Miselis, Julie Bernier, Arnell S. Forde
2024, Earth Surface Dynamics (12) 449-475
Understanding the response of coastal barriers to future changes in rates of sea level rise, sediment availability, and storm intensity/frequency is essential for coastal planning, including socioeconomic and ecological management. Identifying drivers of past changes in barrier morphology, as well as barrier sensitivity to...
Time of year and weather influence departure decisions of sandhill cranes at a primary stopover
Rachel A. Vanausdall, William L. Kendall, Daniel P. Collins, Quentin R. Hays
2024, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (12)
The Rocky Mountain Population (RMP) of greater sandhill cranes uses a key stopover area, the San Luis Valley (SLV) in Colorado. Parameters of migration phenology can differ between autumn and spring and are affected by weather and environmental factors. We hypothesized that sandhill cranes in the SLV would have...
Annotated bibliography of scientific research relevant to oil and gas reclamation best management practices in the western United States, published from 1969 through 2020
Rebecca K. Mann, Molly L. McCormick, Seth M. Munson, Hillary F. Cooper, Lee C. Bryant, Jared K. Swenson, Laura A. Johnston, Savannah L. Wilson, Michael C. Duniway
2024, Open-File Report 2023-1068
Integrating recent scientific knowledge into management decisions supports effective natural resource management and can lead to better resource outcomes. However, finding and accessing scientific knowledge can be time consuming and costly. To assist in this process, the U.S. Geological Survey has created a series of annotated bibliographies on topics...
Climatic variability as a principal driver of primary production in the southernmost subalpine Rocky Mountain lake
Anna Shampain, Jill Baron, Peter R. Leavitt, Sarah Spaulding
2024, Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research (56)
Mountain lakes are sensitive indicators of anthropogenically driven global change, with lake sediment records documenting increased primary production during the twentieth century. Atmospheric nutrient deposition and warming have been attributed to changes in other Western mountain lakes, however, the intensity of these drivers varies. We analyzed a sediment core representing...
California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program Priority Basin Project: Domestic-Supply Assessment
Jennifer L. Shelton, Elias Tejeda
2024, Fact Sheet 2024-3002
The GAMA-PBP is a comprehensive assessment of statewide groundwater quality in California. The first phase of the GAMA-PBP in 2004–15 assessed groundwater resources used for public drinking-water supplies. The second phase is assessing groundwater resources used for domestic drinking-water supplies. An estimated 2 million Californians rely on individual domestic wells...
Modeled flooding by tsunamis and a storm versus observed extent of coral erratics on Anegada, British Virgin Islands— Further evidence for a great Caribbean earthquake six centuries ago
Yong Wei, Uri S. ten Brink, Brian F. Atwater
2024, JGR Solid Earth (129)
Models of near-field tsunamis and an extreme hurricane provide further evidence for a great precolonial earthquake along the Puerto Rico Trench. The models are benchmarked to brain-coral boulders and cobbles on Anegada, 125 km south of the trench. The models are screened by their success in flooding the mapped sites of...
Incorporating life history diversity in an integrated population model to inform viability analysis
Mark H. Sorel, Jeffrey C. Jorgensen, Richard W. Zabel, Mark David Scheuerell, Andrew R. Murdoch, Cory M. Kamphaus, Sarah J. Converse
2024, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (81) 535-548
Life history diversity can significantly affect population dynamics and effects of management actions. For instance, variation in individual responses to environmental variability can reduce extirpation risk to populations, as the portfolio effect dampens temporal variability in abundance. Moreover, differences in habitat use may cause individuals to respond differently to habitat...
Estimating multivariate ecological variables at high spatial resolution using a cost-effective matching algorithm
Rachel R. Renne, Daniel Rodolphe Schlaepfer, Kyle A. Palmquist, William K. Lauenroth, John B. Bradford
2024, Ecosphere (15)
Simulation models are valuable tools for estimating ecosystem response to environmental conditions and are particularly relevant for investigating climate change impacts. However, because of high computational requirements, models are often applied over a coarse grid of points or for representative locations. Spatial interpolation of model output can be necessary to...
Spatial extent drives patterns of relative climate change sensitivity for freshwater fishes of the United States
Samuel C. Silknetter, Abigail Benson, Jennifer A. Smith, Meryl C. Mims
2024, Ecosphere (15)
Assessing the sensitivity of freshwater species to climate change is an essential component of prioritizing conservation efforts for threatened freshwater ecosystems and organisms. Sensitivity to climate change can be systematically evaluated for multiple species using geographic attributes such as range size and climate niche...
Evaluating water-quality trends in agricultural watersheds prioritized for management-practice implementation
James S. Webber, Jeffrey G. Chanat, John W. Clune, Olivia Devereux, Natalie Celeste Hall, Robert D. Sabo, Qian Zhang
2024, Journal of the American Water Resources Assocation (60) 305-330
Many agricultural watersheds rely on the voluntary use of management practices (MPs) to reduce nonpoint source nutrient and sediment loads; however, the water-quality effects of MPs are uncertain. We interpreted water-quality responses from as early as 1985 through 2020 in three agricultural Chesapeake Bay watersheds...
