Exploring the impacts of seagrass on coupled marsh-tidal flat morphodynamics
Joel A. Carr, Giulio Mariotti, Sergio Fahgerazzi, Karen McGlathery, Patricia Wiberg
2018, Frontiers in Environmental Science (6) 1-16
Intertidal coastal environments are prone to changes induced by sea level rise, increases in storminess, temperature, and anthropogenic disturbances. It is unclear how changes in external drivers may affect the dynamics of low energy coastal environments because their response is non-linear, and characterized by many thresholds and discontinuities. As such,...
Ice-sheet modulation of deglacial North American monsoon intensification
Tripti Bhattacharya, Jessica E. Tierney, Jason A. Addison, James W. Murray
2018, Nature Geoscience (11) 848-852
The North American monsoon, the dominant source of rainfall for much of the arid US Southwest, remains one of the least understood monsoon systems. The late Pleistocene evolution of this monsoon is poorly constrained, largely because glacial changes in winter rainfall obscure summer monsoon signatures in...
Arctic and boreal carbon
Ted Schuur, A. David McGuire, Vladimir E. Romanovsky, Christina Schadel, Michelle Mack
2018, Book chapter, Review of the draft second state of the carbon cycle report (SOCCR2)
This chapter summarizes the current knowledge in high-latitude (mostly permafrost) carbon storage and dynamics. Arctic and boreal regions contain large carbon stock, especially in permafrost soils. The factors that control carbon storage have been changing rapidly over the last several decades. As a result, this large carbon pool is highly...
Interstate water management of a “hidden” resource - Physical principles of groundwater hydrology
Paul M. Barlow
2018, Conference Paper
Groundwater systems are dynamic geologic environments in which water continuously flows from recharge areas to discharge areas at streams, springs, wetlands, coastal waters, and wells. Natural, predevelopment conditions within groundwater systems are changed by the introduction of wells and other human stresses that modify existing groundwater levels, flow paths, and...
Key morphological features favor the success of nonnative fish species under reduced turbidity conditions in the lower Colorado River Basin
Clinton J. Moran, David L. Ward, Alice C. Gibb
2018, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (147) 948-958
As a result of anthropomorphic alterations to the lower Colorado River basin and other southwestern rivers, water turbidity has been greatly reduced and introduced, nonnative fishes thrive in these waterways. To quantify key morphological features that may allow nonnative fishes to displace native fishes, we compared eye diameter (a proxy...
Geologic map of the Timberville quadrangle, Virginia
Matthew J. Heller, Randall C. Orndorff, David A. Hubbard, Eugene K. Rader
2018, Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy Publication 186
This map of the Timberville 7.5-minute quadrangle in Rockingham and Shenandoah counties, Virginia shows the distribution of Paleozoic-age sedimentary rocks in map and cross-section. Surficial deposits including alluvium and colluvium are also shown. The characteristics of each map unit are described and a brief report discusses the stratigraphy,...
Burrowing owls: Happy urbanite or disgruntled tenant?
Courtney J. Conway
Clint W. Boal, Cheryl R. Dykstra, editor(s)
2018, Book chapter, Urban raptors: Ecology and conservation of birds of prey in cities
No abstract available....
Evidence that climate sets the lower elevation range limit in a high‐elevation endemic salamander
Evan H. Campbell Grant, Adrianne B. Brand, Stephan F. J. De Wekker, Temple R. Lee, John E. B. Wofford
2018, Ecology and Evolution (8) 7553-7562
A frequent assumption in ecology is that biotic interactions are more important than abiotic factors in determining lower elevational range limits (i.e., the “warm edge” of a species distribution). However, for species with narrow environmental tolerances, theory suggests the presence of a strong environmental gradient can lead to persistence, even...
Thresholds and relations for soil‐hydraulic and soil‐physical properties as a function of burn severity 4 years after the 2011 Las Conchas Fire, New Mexico, USA
Brian A. Ebel, Orlando C. Romero, Deborah A. Martin
2018, Hydrological Processes (32) 2263-2278
Wildfire effects on soil‐physical and ‐hydraulic properties as a function of burn severity are poorly characterized, especially several years after wildfire. A stratified random sampling approach was used in 2015 to sample seven sites representing a spectrum of remotely sensed burn severity in the area impacted by the 2011 Las...
Field and laboratory hydraulic characterization of landslide-prone soils in the Oregon Coast Range and implications for hydrologic simulation
Brian A. Ebel, Jonathan W. Godt, Ning Lu, Jeffrey A. Coe, Joel B. Smith, Rex L. Baum
2018, Vadose Zone Journal (17)
Unsaturated zone flow processes are an important focus of landslide hazard estimation. Differences in soil hydraulic behavior between wetting and drying conditions (i.e., hydraulic hysteresis) may be important in landslide triggering. Hydraulic hysteresis can complicate soil hydraulic parameter estimates and impact prediction capability. This investigation focused on hydraulic property estimation...
The relationship between invader abundance and impact
Helen Sofaer, Catherine S. Jarnevich, Ian S. Pearse
2018, Ecosphere (9) 1-13
The impacts of invasive species generally increase with their abundance, but the form of invader abundance–impact relationships remain poorly described. We highlight the utility of abundance–impact curves for three questions. First, abundance–impact relationships can clarify whether prevention and management should focus on the species likely to become abundant or those...
Resilience and resistance in sagebrush ecosystems are associated with seasonal soil temperature and water availability
Bruce A. Roundy, Jeanne C. Chambers, David A. Pyke, Richard F. Miller, Robin J. Tausch, Eugene W. Schupp, Benjamin Rau, Trevor Gruell
2018, Ecosphere (9) 1-27
Invasion and dominance of exotic grasses and increased fire frequency threaten native ecosystems worldwide. In the Great Basin region of the western United States, woody and herbaceous fuel treatments are implemented to decrease the effects of wildfire and increase sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem resilience to disturbance and resistance to exotic annual...
Standard operating procedure 1.2.16 wadeable stream reach-scale field data collection—version 1.0
J. M McDonald, E. N. Starkey, Mark B. Gregory, Jeffrey W. Riley
2018, Southeast Coast Network Standard Operating Procedure NPS/SECN/SOP—1.2.16
The following standard operation procedure (SOP) outlines the procedure for collecting physical habitat data from previously selected and benchmarked wadeable streams. The purpose of this SOP is to ensure that data are collected using methods that are consistent between reaches and years. Using the methods described in this SOP will...
Induced earthquake families reveal distinctive evolutionary patterns near disposal wells
Elizabeth S. Cochran, Zachary E. Ross, Rebecca M. Harrington, Sara L. Dougherty, Justin L. Rubinstein
2018, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (123) 8045-8055
The timing of events in seismic sequences can provide insights into the physical processes controlling fault slip. In southern Kansas, the rate of earthquakes rose rapidly starting in 2013 following expansion of energy production into the area, demanding the disposal of large volumes of wastewater into deep wells. Seismicity catalogs...
Standard Operating Procedure 1.2.14 Wadeable Stream Reach Selection and Location of Sampling Points—Version 1.0
Jacob M. McDonald, E. N. Starkey, Jeffrey W. Riley, Mark B. Gregory
2018, Southeast Coast Network Standard Operating Procedure NPS/SECN/SOP—1.2.14
The following standard operating procedure (SOP) outlines the procedure for selecting stream reaches to be used in Monitoring Wadeable Stream Habitat Conditions in Southeast Coast Network Parks: Protocol Narrative (McDonald et al. 2018a). The techniques and procedures outlined in this SOP are based on methods used by the U.S. Environmental...
Setting up and configuring a total station: Version 1.0: Southeast coast network standard operating procedure 1.2.17
Jacob M. McDonald, Mark B. Gregory, Jeffrey W. Riley, E. N. Starkey
2018, Southeast Coast Network Standard Operating Procedure NPS/SECN/SOP—1.2.17
The following standard operating procedure (SOP) outlines the process for setting up and configuring a total station to collect accurate x, y, and z coordinate data. Total stations allow accurate spatial data to be collected and tied to a permanent benchmark. These data can be used to detect small geomorphic...
State‐space modelling of the flight behaviour of a soaring bird provides new insights to migratory strategies
Enrico Pirotta, Todd E. Katzner, Tricia A. Miller, Adam E. Duerr, Melissa A. Braham, Leslie New
2018, Functional Ecology (32) 2205-2215
Characterising the spatiotemporal variation of animal behaviour can elucidate the way individuals interact with their environment and allocate energy. Increasing sophistication of tracking technologies paired with novel analytical approaches allows the characterisation of movement dynamics even when an individual is not directly observable.In this study, high‐resolution movement data collected...
Stable isotope comparison between mantle and foot tissues of two freshwater unionids: Implications for food web studies
Toben LaFrancois, Andrea K. Fritts, Brent C. Knights, Byron Karns
2018, Freshwater Mollusk Biology and Conservation (21) 28-35
Unionid mussels are a key taxon for stable isotope studies of aquatic food webs, often serving as the primary integrator of the pelagic baseline. Past isotope studies with mussels have commonly used either foot tissue or mantle tissue, but no study has yet to quantify the relation of both carbon...
Assessing historical and projected carbon balance of Alaska: A synthesis of results and policy/management implications
A. David McGuire, Hélène Genet, Zhou Lyu, Neal J. Pastick, Sarah M. Stackpoole, Richard Birdsey, David D'Amore, Yujie He, T. Scott Rupp, Robert G. Striegl, Bruce K. Wylie, Xiaoping Zhou, Qianlai Zhuang, Zhiliang Zhu
2018, Ecological Applications (28) 1396-1412
We summarize the results of a recent interagency assessment of land carbon dynamics in Alaska, in which carbon dynamics were estimated for all major terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems for the historical period (1950–2009) and a projection period (2010–2099). Between 1950 and 2009, upland and wetland (i.e., terrestrial) ecosystems of the...
Carotenoid-based skin ornaments reflect foraging propensity in a seabird, Sula leucogaster
Nathan P. Michael, Roxana Torres, Andreanna J. Welch, Josh Adams, Mario Erandi Bonillas-Monge, Jonathan J. Felis, Laura Lopez-Marquez, Alejandro Martinez-Flores, Anne E. Wiley
2018, Biology Letters (14) 1-4
Carotenoid-based ornaments are common signalling features in animals. It has long been proposed that such ornaments communicate information about foraging abilities to potential mates. However, evidence linking foraging with ornamentation is largely missing from unmanipulated, free-ranging populations. To investigate this relationship, we studied a coastal population of brown booby (Sula...
Fitness consequences of interspecific nesting associations among cavity-nesting birds
James C. Mouton, Thomas E. Martin
2018, The American Naturalist (192) 389-396
Interspecific aggregations of prey may provide benefits by mitigating predation risk, but they can also create costs if they increase competition for resources or are more easily detectable by predators. Variation in predation risk and resource availability may influence the occurrence and fitness effects of aggregating in nature. Yet tests...
Linking otolith microchemistry and surface water contamination from natural gas mining
David H. Keller, Paula M. Zelanko, Joel E. Gagnon, Richard J. Horwitz, Heather S. Galbraith, David J. Velinsky
2018, Environmental Pollution (240) 457-465
Unconventional natural gas drilling and the use of hydraulic fracturing technology have expanded rapidly in North America. This expansion has raised concerns of surface water contamination by way of spills and leaks, which may be sporadic, small, and therefore difficult to detect. Here we explore the use of otolith microchemistry as a...
Brook Floater rapid assessment monitoring protocol
Sean Sterrett, Allison H. Roy, Peter Hazelton, Brian Watson, Beth Swartz, T. R. Russ, Lisa Holst, Mike Marchand, Jason Wisniewski, Matt Ashton, Barry Wicklow
2018, Cooperator Science Series 132-2018
The Brook Floater (Alasmidonta varicosa) is a small (<100 mm), stream dwelling freshwater mussel (Family: Unionidae) from Atlantic Slope drainages in the eastern U.S. (Nedeau 2008). Brook Floater have dramatically contracted in distribution over recent decades, and there is limited evidence of recruitment in most locations, despite minimal effort to...
Sediment transport and deposition
Joel B. Sankey, Amy E. East, Jason R. Kreitler, Christina (Naomi) Tague
2018, Book chapter, Central Coast Summary Report. California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment
Sediment transport and deposition (sedimentation) occurs from natural and anthropogenic sources in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Substantial changes in sediment transport (such as a major increase or decrease in sediment supply) can impact aquatic ecosystems that depend on a particular sediment quantity and particle size, for example, through altering stream-channel...
Hybridization and genetic structure of Neosho Smallmouth Bass in the Ozark Highlands
A. T. Taylor, James M. Long, M. R. Schwemm, Shannon K. Brewer
2018, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (38) 1226-1240
The Neosho Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu velox is endemic to Arkansas River tributaries originating in the Ozark Highlands and Boston Mountains. Although morphologically and genetically distinct from other populations of Smallmouth Bass M. dolomieu, the conservation‐genetic status of Neosho Smallmouth Bass is largely unknown. To assist in filling this data gap, we quantified...
