Climate-smart management of biodiversity
Christopher P. Nadeau, Angela K. Fuller, Daniel L. Rosenblatt
2015, Ecosphere (6)
Determining where biodiversity is likely to be most vulnerable to climate change and methods to reduce that vulnerability are necessary first steps to incorporate climate change into biodiversity management plans. Here, we use a spatial climate change vulnerability assessment to (1) map the potential vulnerability of terrestrial biodiversity to climate...
Bees: An up-close look at pollinators around the world
Sam Droege, Laurence Packer
2015, Book
While we eat, work, and sleep, bees are busy around the world. More than 20,000 species are in constant motion! They pollinate plants of all types and keep our natural world intact. In Bees, you'll find a new way to appreciate these tiny wonders. Sam Droege and Laurence Packer present...
Assessing the geologic and climatic forcing of biodiversity and evolution surrounding the Gulf of California
Greer Dolby, Scott E.K. Bennett, Andres Lira-Noriega, Benjamin T. Wilder, Adrian Munguia-Vega
2015, Journal of the Southwest (57) 391-455
For almost a century the Baja California peninsula (Peninsula), Gulf of California (Gulf), and broader Sonoran Desert region (figure 1) have drawn geologists and biologists alike to study its unique physical and evolutionary processes (e.g., Wittich 1920; Darton 1921; Nelson 1921; Johnston 1924; Beal 1948; Durham and Allison 1960). The...
Accelerating advances in continental domain hydrologic modeling
Stacey A. Archfield, Martyn Clark, Berit Arheimer, Lauren E. Hay, Hilary McMillan, Julie E. Kiang, Jan Seibert, Kirsti Hakala, Andrew R. Bock, Thorsten Wagener, William H. Farmer, Vazken Andreassian, Sabine Attinger, Alberto Viglione, Rodney Knight, Steven L. Markstrom, Thomas M. Over
2015, Water Resources Research (51) 10078-10091
In the past, hydrologic modeling of surface water resources has mainly focused on simulating the hydrologic cycle at local to regional catchment modeling domains. There now exists a level of maturity among the catchment, global water security, and land surface modeling communities such that these communities are converging toward continental...
Factors influencing capture of invasive sea lamprey in traps baited with a synthesized sex pheromone component
Nicholas S. Johnson, Michael J. Siefkes, C. Michael Wagner, Gale Bravener, Todd Steeves, Michael Twohey, Weiming Li
2015, Journal of Chemical Ecology (41) 913-923
The sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, is emerging as a model organism for understanding how pheromones can be used for manipulating vertebrate behavior in an integrated pest management program. In a previous study, a synthetic sex pheromone component 7α,12α, 24-trihydroxy-5α-cholan-3-one 24-sulfate (3kPZS) was applied to sea lamprey traps in eight...
Using time-varying asymptotic length and body condition of top piscivores to indicate ecosystem regime shift in the main basin of Lake Huron: a Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach
Ji X. He, James R. Bence, Edward F. Roseman, David G. Fielder, Mark P. Ebener
2015, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (73) 1092-1103
We evaluated the ecosystem regime shift in the main basin of Lake Huron that was indicated by the 2003 collapse of alewives, and dramatic declines in Chinook salmon abundance thereafter. We found that the period of 1995-2002 should be considered as the early phase of the final regime shift. We...
Functional role of an endophytic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens in enhancing growth and disease protection of invasive English ivy (Hedera helix L.)
Marcos Antonio Soares, Jai-Yan Li, Marshall Bergen, Joaquim Manoel da Silva, Kurt P. Kowalski, James Francis White
2015, Plant and Soil (405) 107-123
BackgroundWe hypothesize that invasive English ivy (Hedera helix) harbors endophytic microbes that promote plant growth and survival. To evaluate this hypothesis, we examined endophytic bacteria in English ivy and evaluated effects on the host plant.MethodsEndophytic bacteria were isolated...
Towards forecasting the retreat of California’s coastal cliffs during the 21st century
Patrick W. Limber, Patrick L. Barnard, Cheryl Hapke
2015, Conference Paper, The proceedings of the coastal sediments 2015
In California, sea-level rise during the 21st century threatens to accelerate coastal cliff recession rates. To forecast such changes for managers and policymakers, models must play a key role. In this paper, we extend a ~70-year long dataset of measured historic sea cliff retreat rates in Southern California into the 21st century...
Habitat edges have weak effects on duck nest survival at local spatial scales
Amelia J Raquel, Kevin M. Ringelman, Joshua T. Ackerman, John M. Eadie
2015, Ardea (103) 155-162
Edge effects on nesting success have been documented in breeding birds in a variety of contexts, but there is still uncertainty in how edge type and spatial scale determine the magnitude and detectability of edge effects. Habitat edges are often viewed as predator corridors that surround or penetrate core habitat...
Adapting the U.S. National Hydrography Dataset to linked open data
Dalia E. Varanka, E. Lynn Usery, David M. Mattli
2015, Conference Paper, Cartography -- maps connecting the world: 27th International Cartographic Conference 2015 - ICC2015
A controlled vocabulary for the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) of the United States was developed as Linked Open Data (LOD). The vocabulary has two main parts: a glossary and a set of triples reflecting the NHD data model as it is organized in geographic information systems (GIS). The glossary consists...
Mechanics of sediment suspension and transport within a fringing reef
A. W. M. Pomeroy, R. J. Lowe, M. Ghisalberti, Curt D. Storlazzi, M. Cutter, G. Symonds
2015, Conference Paper, The proceedings of the coastal sediments 2015
Large bottom roughness is a characteristic of most coral reef environments and this has been shown to have a substantial impact on hydrodynamic processes in these environments. In this paper, we evaluate suspended sediment concentration (SSC) data as well detailed hydrodynamic data over a coral reef flat in Ningaloo Reef,...
Groundwater and surface-water interaction and effects of pumping in a complex glacial-sediment aquifer, phase 2, east-central Massachusetts
Jack R. Eggleston, Phillip J. Zarriello, Carl S. Carlson
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5174
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Town of Framingham, Massachusetts, has investigated the potential of proposed groundwater withdrawals at the Birch Road well site to affect nearby surface water bodies and wetlands, including Lake Cochituate, the Sudbury River, and the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in east-central Massachusetts....
Use of historic Persian water system data in groundwater models: Examples from Afghanistan and Emirates
Thomas J. Mack, Jack R. Eggleston
2015, Conference Paper, MODLFOW and more 2015, modeling a complex world proceedings
Obtaining calibration data for models depicting conditions during pre-development periods can be challenging as such periods are characteristically data poor. This study presents two examples where simulation of historic water conveyance structures were used to help characterize historic, or pre-modern, conditions in calibration of groundwater flow models. Persian water...
Science foundation Chapter 5 Appendix 5.1: Case study shore birds: Western sandpipers (Calidris mauri) and American avocets (Recurvirostra Americana)
Cheryl Strong, Joshua T. Ackerman
2015, Report, The baylands and climate change what we can do: Baylands ecosystem habitat goals science update 2015
Western sandpipers (Calidris mauri) are small (22-35 g) sexually dimorphic sandpipers, with males typically smaller than females. Western sandpipers frequently occur in mixed species flocks along with other Calidris species, including least sandpipers (Calidris minutilla) and dunlin (Calidris alpina), in the San Francisco Bay Estuary (SFBE) and are the most...
Great Lakes prey fish populations: A cross-basin Overview of status and trends based on bottom trawl surveys, 1978-2014
Owen T. Gorman, Brian Weidel
2015, Report, Compiled reports to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission of the Annual Bottom Trawl and Acoustics Surveys, 2014
The assessment of Great Lakes prey fish stocks have been conducted annually with bottom trawls since the 1970s by the Great Lakes Science Center, sometimes assisted by partner agencies. These stock assessments provide data on the status and trends of prey fish that are consumed by important commercial and recreational...
Science foundation Chapter 5 Appendix 5.1: Case study diving ducks
John Y. Takekawa, Susan De La Cruz, Joshua T. Ackerman, Gregory S. Yarris
2015, Report, The baylands and climate change what we can do: Baylands ecosystem habitat goals science update 2015
Diving ducks are the most abundant group of waterfowl that overwinter in the open bays and ponds of San Francisco Bay (SFB). Species within this group are primarily benthivores that dive to obtain their macroinvertebrate prey in bottom sediments, although at times they may eat plant matter or forage in...
Gunnison Sage-Grouse Centrocercus minimus
Jessica R. Young, Clait E. Braun, Sara J. Oyler-McCance, Cameron L. Aldridge, Patrick Magee, Michael A. Schroeder
2015, Book chapter
No abstract available...
Science foundation Chapter 5 Appendix 5.1: Case study Forester's tern (Sterna forsteri) and California least tern (Sternula antillarum browni)
Joshua T. Ackerman, C. Alex Hartman, Cheryl Strong
2015, Report, The baylands and climate change what we can do: Baylands ecosystem habitat goals science update 2015
This case study considers two tern species that breed within the San Francisco Bay Estuary, Forster’s Terns (Sterna forsteri) and California Least Terns (Sternula antillarum browni). Forster’s Terns are medium-sized (140 g) terns that breed in coastal and interior marshes of North America. Forster’s Terns can exploit ephemeral habitats, and...
The evolution of mapping habitat for northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina): A comparison of photo-interpreted, Landsat-based, and lidar-based habitat maps
Steven H. Ackers, Raymond J. Davis, K. Olsen, Katie M. Dugger
2015, Remote Sensing of Environment (156) 361-373
Wildlife habitat mapping has evolved at a rapid pace over the last few decades. Beginning with simple, often subjective, hand-drawn maps, habitat mapping now involves complex species distribution models (SDMs) using mapped predictor variables derived from remotely sensed data. For species that inhabit large geographic areas, remote sensing technology...
Underpressure in Mesozoic and Paleozoic rock units in the Midcontinent of the United States
Philip H. Nelson, Nicholas J. Gianoutsos, Ronald M. Drake II
2015, AAPG Bulletin (99) 1861-1892
Potentiometric surfaces for Paleozoic strata, based on water well levels and selected drill-stem tests, reveal the control on hydraulic head exerted by outcrops in eastern Kansas and Oklahoma. From outcrop in the east, the westward climb of hydraulic head is much less than that of the land surface, with heads...
Combining split-beam and dual-frequency identification sonars to estimate abundance of anadromous fishes in the Roanoke River, North Carolina
Jacob B. Hughes, Joseph E. Hightower
2015, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (35) 229-240
Riverine hydroacoustic techniques are an effective method for evaluating abundance of upstream migrating anadromous fishes. To use these methods in the Roanoke River, North Carolina, at a wide site with uneven bottom topography, we used a combination of split-beam sonar and dual-frequency identification sonar (DIDSON) deployments. We aimed a split-beam...
Artificial reefs and reef restoration in the Laurentian Great Lakes
Matthew W. McLean, Edward F. Roseman, Jeremy J. Pritt, Gregory W. Kennedy, Bruce A. Manny
2015, Journal of Great Lakes Research (41) 1-8
We reviewed the published literature to provide an inventory of Laurentian Great Lakes artificial reef projects and their purposes. We also sought to characterize physical and biological monitoring for artificial reef projects in the Great Lakes and determine the success of artificial reefs in meeting project objectives. We found records...
A comparative study of surface waves inversion techniques at strong motion recording sites in Greece
Panagiotis C. Pelekis, Alexandros Savvaidis, Robert E. Kayen, Vasileios S. Vlachakis, George A. Athanasopoulos
2015, Conference Paper, Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems 2015
Surface wave method was used for the estimation of Vs vs depth profile at 10 strong motion stations in Greece. The dispersion data were obtained by SASW method, utilizing a pair of electromechanical harmonic-wave source (shakers) or a random source (drop weight). In this study, three inversion techniques were used...
Spatiotemporal analysis of gene flow in Chesapeake Bay Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin)
Paul E. Converse, Shawn R Kuchta, Willem R Roosenburg, Paula F. P. Henry, G. Michael Haramis, Tim L. King
2015, Molecular Ecology (24) 5864-5876
There is widespread concern regarding the impacts of anthropogenic activities on connectivity among populations of plants and animals, and understanding how contemporary and historical processes shape metapopulation dynamics is crucial for setting appropriate conservation targets. We used genetic data to identify population clusters and quantify gene flow over historical and...
Prey use and provisioning rates of urban-nesting Mississippi Kites in west Texas
Brandi C. Welch, Clint W. Boal
2015, Journal of Raptor Research (49) 141-151
Urban ecosystems are attractive to several raptor species, including the Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis). To better understand the niche filled by urban-nesting Mississippi Kites, we observed nesting kites at 10 nests for a total of 269 hr during the breeding seasons of 2010 and 2011. We assessed prey delivery rates...
