DNA metabarcoding of feces to infer summer diet of Pacific walruses
Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Chadwick V. Jay, Robert S. Cornman, Anthony S. Fischbach, Jacqueline M. Grebmeier, Sandra L. Talbot
2020, Marine Mammal Science (36) 1196-1211
Environmental conditions in the Chukchi Sea are changing rapidly and may alter the abundance and distribution of marine species and their benthic prey. We used a metabarcoding approach to identify potentially important prey taxa from Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) fecal samples (n = 87). Bivalvia was the most dominant class...
Key components and contrasts in the nitrogen budget across a US-Canadian transboundary watershed
Jiajia Lin, Jana Compton, Chris Clark, Shabtai Bittman, Donna Schwede, Peter Homann, Peter Kiffney, David Hooper, Gary Bahr, Jill S. Baron
2020, Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences (125)
Watershed nitrogen (N) budgets provide insights into drivers and solutions for groundwater and surface water N contamination. We constructed a comprehensive N budget for the transboundary Nooksack River Watershed (British Columbia, Canada, and Washington, USA) using locally derived data, national statistics, and standard parameters. Feed imports...
Monitoring and real-time modeling of Escherichia coli bacteria for the Chattahoochee River, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Georgia, 2000–2019
Brent T. Aulenbach, Anna M. McKee
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1048
The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA) is a National Park Service unit/park with 48 miles of urban waterway in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Chattahoochee River within the CRNRA is a popular place for water-based recreation but is known to periodically experience elevated levels of fecal-coliform bacteria associated with...
Pesticide concentrations associated with augmented flow pulses in the Yolo Bypass and Cache Slough Complex, California
James L. Orlando, Matt De Parsia, Corey J. Sanders, Michelle L. Hladik, Jared Frantzich
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1076
Surface-water and suspended-sediment samples were collected and analyzed by the U.S. Geological Survey for multiple current-use pesticides and pesticide degradates approximately every 2 weeks at up to five sites in the Yolo Bypass and Cache Slough Complex before, during, and after augmented flow pulses in summer and fall 2016 and...
Benthic habitat is an integral part of freshwater Mysis ecology
Jason D. Stockwell, Brian O’Malley, Sture Hansson, Rosie C Chapina, Lars G. Rudstam, Brian Weidel
2020, Freshwater Biology (65) 1997-2009
Diel vertical migration (DVM) is common in aquatic organisms. The trade‐off between reduced predation risk in deeper, darker waters during the day and increased foraging opportunities closer to the surface at night is a leading hypothesis for DVM behaviour.Diel vertical migration behaviour has dominated research and assessment frameworks for Mysis ,...
An invasive disease, sylvatic plague, increases fragmentation of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies
Krystal M. Keuler, Gebbiana M. Bron, Randall Griebel, Katherine Richgels
2020, PLoS ONE (15)
ContextA disease can be a source of disturbance, causing population declines or extirpations, altering species interactions, and affecting habitat structure. This is particularly relevant for diseases that affect keystone species or ecosystem engineers, leading to potentially cascading effects on ecosystems.<div...
Linking land and sea through an ecological-economic model of coral reef recreation
Kirsten L. L. Oleson, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Carlo Fezzi, Megan Barnes, Mary Donovan, Kim A. Falinski, Kelvin Gorospe, Hla Htun, Joey Lecky, Ferdinando Villa, Tamara Wong
2020, Ecological Economics (177)
Coastal zones are popular recreational areas that substantially contribute to social welfare. Managers can use information about specific environmental features that people value, and how these might change under different management scenarios, to spatially target actions to areas of high current or potential value. We explored how snorkelers’ experience would...
Effectiveness of partial sedation to reduce stress in captured mule deer
Anna C. Ortega, Samantha P. Dwinnell, Tayler N. Lasharr, Rhiannon P. Jakopak, Kristin Denryter, Katey S. Huggler, Matthew M. Hayes, Ellen O. Aikens, Tana L Verzuh, Alexander B. May, Matthew Kauffman, Kevin L. Monteith
2020, Journal of Wildlife Management (84) 1445-1456
Information garnered from the capture and handling of free-ranging animals helps advance understanding of wildlife ecology and can aid in decisions on wildlife management. Unfortunately, animals may experience increased levels of stress, injuries, and death resulting from captures (e.g., exertional myopathy, trauma). Partial sedation is a technique proposed to alleviate...
Application of empirical land-cover changes to construct climate change scenarios in federally managed lands
Christopher E. Soulard, Matthew B. Rigge
2020, Remote Sensing (12)
Sagebrush-dominant ecosystems in the western United States are highly vulnerable to climatic variability. To understand how these ecosystems will respond under potential future conditions, we correlated changes in National Land Cover Dataset “Back-in-Time” fractional cover maps from 1985-2018 with Daymet climate data in three federally managed preserves in the sagebrush...
Flowering plants preferred by bees of the Prairie Pothole Region
Stacy C. Simanonok, Clint Otto
2020, Fact Sheet 2020-3038
Land managers have stressed the need for improved pollinator habitat on private and public lands of the Prairie Pothole Region. Understanding flowering plant preferences of pollinators will improve the cost-effectiveness of conservation seeding mixes. The purpose of this fact sheet is to assist conservation planners and producers with developing seed...
Landsat 9: Empowering open science and applications through continuity
Jeffery G. Masek, Michael A. Wulder, Brian Markham, Joel McCorkel, Christopher J. Crawford, James C. Storey, Del Jenstrom
2020, Remote Sensing of Environment (248)
The history of Earth observation from space is well reflected through the Landsat program. With data collection beginning with Landsat-1 in 1972, the program has evolved technical capabilities while maintaining continuity of land observations. In so doing, Landsat has provided a critical reference for assessing long-term changes to Earth's land...
Reconstructing the velocity and deformation of a rapid landslide using multiview video
Thomas D Rapstine, Francis K. Rengers, Kate E. Allstadt, Richard M. Iverson, Joel B. Smith, Maciej Obryk, M. Logan, M. J. Olsen
2020, Journal of Geophysical Research - Earth Surface (125)
Noncontact measurements of spatially varied ground surface deformation during landslide motion can provide important constraints on landslide mechanics. Here, we present and test a new method for extracting measurements of rapid landslide surface displacement and velocity (accelerations of approximately 1 m/s2) using sequences of stereo images obtained from a pair of...
The importance of explicitly modelling sea-swell waves for runup on reef-lined coasts
Ellen Quataert, Curt D. Storlazzi, Ap van Dongeren, Robert T. McCall
2020, Coastal Engineering (160)
The importance of explicitly modelling sea-swell waves for runup was examined using a 2D XBeach short wave-averaged (surfbeat, “XB-SB”) and a wave-resolving (non-hydrostatic, “XB-NH”) model of Roi-Namur Island on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of Marshall Islands. Field observations on water levels, wave heights, and wave runup were used to...
Brianna postcard
U.S. Geological Survey
2020, General Information Product 205
Brianna is a hydrologist in the Hydrologic Investigations (Studies) Unit. She received a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering and a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Kansas....
Brad postcard
U.S. Geological Survey
2020, General Information Product 204
Brad is a hydrologist in the Surface Water Investigation Unit. He received his bachelor of science degree in natural sciences from Concordia University in Wisconsin and his master’s degree in freshwater sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee....
Hydrologic technician postcard
U.S. Geological Survey
2020, General Information Product 203
Hydrologic technicians collect water data related to water quantity, quality, availability, and movement in surface-water and groundwater environments.For more information, visit https://www.usajobs.gov....
Chantelle postcard
U.S. Geological Survey
2020, General Information Product 202
Chantelle is a hydrologist in the Surface Water Investigation Unit. She received her bachelor of science degree in environmental geology from the University of Kansas....
Hydrologist postcard
U.S. Geological Survey
2020, General Information Product 201
Hydrologists study the properties, distribution, and effects of water on the Earth’s surface, in the soil and underlying rocks, and in the atmosphere.For more information, visit https://www.usajobs.gov....
Chemist postcard
U.S. Geological Survey
2020, General Information Product 200
Chemists design analytical methods, analyze samples, and review instrument results to ensure high-quality, defensible data are provided to our Nation’s decision makers.For more information, visit https://www.usajobs.gov....
Michaelah postcard
U.S. Geological Survey
2020, General Information Product 199
Michaelah is an environmental chemist in the Organic Geochemistry Research Unit. She received her bachelor of science degree in environmental chemistry from the University of Kansas and her master’s degree in biomimicry from Arizona State University....
Influence of soil microbiota on Taxodium distichum seedling performance during extreme flooding events
Lorena Torres-Martinez, Mareli Sanchez-Julia, Elizabeth Kimbrough, Trey Hendrix, Miranda Hendrix, Richard H. Day, Ken W. Krauss, Sunshine A Van Bael
2020, Plant Ecology (221) 773-793
Plant associations with soil microbiota can modulate tree seedling growth and survival via mutualistic or antagonistic interactions. It is uncertain, however, whether soil microbiota influence seedling growth of coastal trees when exposed to extreme flooding regimes. We evaluated the role of soil microbes in promoting baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) seedling performance...
The field trip that changed the course of my career
Karen L. McKee
2020, Book chapter, History of Wetland Science: Perspectives from Wetland Leaders
After gobbling down a breakfast of sliced papaya, scrambled eggs, refried beans, and soft flour tacos, we gathered our gear and loaded it into the red zodiac that the station manager had assigned to us. My colleagues and I were headed to a pair of islands off the coast of...
Rediscovery of the horseshoe shrimp Lightiella serendipita Jones, 1961 (Cephalocarida: Hutchinsoniellidae) in San Francisco Bay, California, USA, with a key to the worldwide species of Cephalocarida
Crystal Garcia, Isa Woo, D. Christopher Rogers, Alison M Flanagan, Susan E.W. De La Cruz
2020, Journal of Crustacean Biology (40) 600-606
Lightiella serendipitaJones, 1961 was first discovered in San Francisco Bay, California in 1953, but it had not been observed since 1988. In 2017, a total of 13 adult L. serendipita specimens were found as part of a study in central San Francisco Bay, nearly doubling the...
Breeding biology of the Mountain Wren-Babbler (Gypsophila crassus)
Morgan C. Slevin, Enroe E. Bin Soudi, Thomas E. Martin
2020, Wilson Journal of Ornithology (132) 124-133
Life history theory in ornithology has been mostly based on temperate birds in part because a relative paucity of biological data has been described for tropical species. Expanding our knowledge about life histories of tropical birds can help us to better understand global trends in...
Bellwether sites for evaluating changes in landslide frequency and magnitude in cryospheric mountainous terrain: A call for systematic, long-term observations to decipher the impact of climate change
Jeffrey A. Coe
2020, Landslides (17) 2483-2501
Permafrost and glaciers are being degraded by the warming effects of climate change. The impact that this degradation has on slope stability in mountainous terrain is the subject of ongoing research efforts. The relatively new availability of high-resolution (≤ 10 m) imagery with worldwide coverage and short (≤ 30 days) repeat acquisition times, as...
