Columbia Plateau Ecoregion: Chapter 22 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000
Benjamin M. Sleeter
2012, Professional Paper 1794-A-22
Located in eastern Washington and northern Oregon, the Columbia Plateau Ecoregion is characterized by sagebrush steppe and grasslands with extensive areas of dryland farming and irrigated agriculture. The ecoregion, which is approximately 90,059 km2 (34,772 mi2), is surrounded on all sides by mountainous ecoregions: to the west, the North Cascades...
High shrew diversity on Alaska's Seward Peninsula: Community assembly and environmental change
Andrew G. Hope
2012, Northwestern Naturalist (93) 101-110
In September 2010, 6 species of shrews (genus: Sorex) were collected at a single locality on the Seward Peninsula of Alaska. Such high sympatric diversity within a single mammalian genus is seldom realized. This phenomenon at high latitudes highlights complex Arctic community dynamics that reflect significant turnover through time as...
Molecular detection of hematozoa infections in tundra swans relative to migration patterns and ecological conditions at breeding grounds
Andrew M. Ramey, Craig R. Ely, Joel A. Schmutz, John M. Pearce, Darryl J. Heard
2012, PLoS ONE (7)
Tundra swans (Cygnus columbianus) are broadly distributed in North America, use a wide variety of habitats, and exhibit diverse migration strategies. We investigated patterns of hematozoa infection in three populations of tundra swans that breed in Alaska using satellite tracking to infer host movement and molecular techniques to assess the...
Rapid movement of frozen debris-lobes: implications for permafrost degradation and slope instability in the south-central Brooks Range, Alaska
R.P. Daanen, G. Grosse, M.M. Darrow, T. D. Hamilton, Benjamin M. Jones
2012, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences (12) 1521-1537
We present the results of a reconnaissance investigation of unusual debris mass-movement features on permafrost slopes that pose a potential infrastructure hazard in the south-central Brooks Range, Alaska. For the purpose of this paper, we describe these features as frozen debris-lobes. We focus on the characterisation of frozen debris-lobes as...
Chronic hydrocarbon exposure of harlequin ducks in areas affected by the Selendang Ayu oil spill at Unalaska Island, Alaska
Paul L. Flint, J.L. Schamber, K.A. Trust, A.K. Miles, J.D. Henderson, B.W. Wilson
2012, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (31) 2828-2831
We evaluated chronic exposure of harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) to hydrocarbons associated with the 2004 M/V Selendang Ayu oil spill at Unalaska Island, Alaska. We measured levels of hepatic 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity (EROD) in liver biopsy samples as an indicator of hydrocarbon exposure in three oiled bays and one reference bay in...
Structure of marine predator and prey communities along environmental gradients in a glaciated fjord
Martin Renner, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, John F. Piatt
2012, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (69) 2029-2045
Spatial patterns of marine predator communities are influenced to varying degrees by prey distribution and environmental gradients. We examined physical and biological attributes of an estuarine fjord with strong glacier influence to determine the factors that most influence the structure of predator and prey communities. Our results suggest that some...
Moderating Argos location errors in animal tracking data
David C. Douglas, Rolf Weinziert, Sarah C. Davidson, Roland Kays, Martin Wikelski, Gil Bohrer
2012, Methods in Ecology and Evolution (3) 999-1007
1. The Argos System is used worldwide to satellite-track free-ranging animals, but location errors can range from tens of metres to hundreds of kilometres. Low-quality locations (Argos classes A, 0, B and Z) dominate animal tracking data. Standard-quality animal tracking locations (Argos classes 3, 2 and 1) have larger errors...
Carbon dioxide and methane emissions from the Yukon River system
Robert G. Striegl, Mark M. Dornblaser, Cory P. McDonald, Jennifer R. Rover, Edward G. Stets
2012, Global Biogeochemical Cycles (26)
Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions are important, but poorly quantified, components of riverine carbon (C) budgets. This is largely because the data needed for gas flux calculations are sparse and are spatially and temporally variable. Additionally, the importance of C gas emissions relative to lateral C exports is...
Release rates of solutes from phosphatic shales in southeast Idaho, USA
Michael C. Amacher, Lisa L. Stillings
H. Magdi Selim, editor(s)
2012, Book chapter
No abstract available....
Groundwater depletion and sustainability of irrigation in the US High Plains and Central Valley
Bridget R. Scanlon, Claudia C. Faunt, Laurent Longuevergne, Robert C. Reedy, William M. Alley, Virginia L. McGuire, Peter B. McMahon
2012, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (109) 9320-9325
Aquifer overexploitation could significantly impact crop production in the United States because 60% of irrigation relies on groundwater. Groundwater depletion in the irrigated High Plains and California Central Valley accounts for ∼50% of groundwater depletion in the United States since 1900. A newly developed High Plains recharge map shows that...
Central California Valley Ecoregion: Chapter 17 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000
Benjamin M. Sleeter
2012, Professional Paper 1794-A-17
The Central California Valley Ecoregion, which covers approximately 45,983 km2 (17,754 mi2), is an elongated basin extending approximately 650 km north to south through central California (fig. 1) (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997). The ecoregion is surrounded entirely by the Southern and Central California Chaparral and Oak Woodlands...
Individual condition and stream temperature influence early maturation of rainbow and steelhead trout, ncorhynchus mykiss
John R. McMillan, Jason B. Dunham, Gordon H. Reeves, Justin S. Mills, Chris E. Jordan
2012, Environmental Biology of Fishes (93) 343-355
Alternative male phenotypes in salmonine fishes arise from individuals that mature as larger and older anadromous marine-migrants or as smaller and younger freshwater residents. To better understand the processes influencing the expression of these phenotypes we examined the influences of growth in length (fork length) and whole body lipid content...
Southern and Central California Chaparral and Oak Woodlands Ecoregion: Chapter 19 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000
Darrell E. Napton
2012, Professional Paper 1794-A-19
The Southern and Central California Chaparral and Oak Woodlands Ecoregion, which covers approximately 102,110 km2 (39,425 mi2), is characterized by a Mediterranean climate with cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997). Natural vegetation includes chaparral (for example, manzanita, Arctostaphylos spp.) and oak (Quercus...
Wasatch and Uinta Mountains Ecoregion: Chapter 9 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000
Mark S. Brooks
2012, Professional Paper 1794-A-9
The Wasatch and Uinta Mountains Ecoregion covers approximately 44,176 km2 (17, 057 mi2) (fig. 1) (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997). With the exception of a small part of the ecoregion extending into southern Wyoming and southern Idaho, the vast majority of the ecoregion is located along the eastern...
Southern California Mountains Ecoregion: Chapter 18 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000
Christopher E. Soulard, Christian G. Raumann, Tamara S. Wilson
2012, Professional Paper 1794-A-18
This chapter has been modified from original material published in Soulard and others (2007), entitled “Land-cover trends of the Southern California Mountains ecoregion” (U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5235). The Southern California Mountains Ecoregion (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997) encompasses approximately 17,871 km² (6,900 mi²) of land...
Arizona/New Mexico Mountains Ecoregion: Chapter 10 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000
Jana Ruhlman, Leila Gass, Barry Middleton
2012, Professional Paper 1794-A-10
As the name suggests, the Arizona/New Mexico Mountains Ecoregion includes much of the mountainous regions of these two states, plus a very small part in the Guadalupe Mountains of northwestern Texas. Several isolated areas of higher terrain in Arizona and New Mexico are also included in the ecoregion, which occupies...
Colorado Plateaus Ecoregion: Chapter 21 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000
Michael P. Stier
2012, Professional Paper 1794-A-21
The Colorado Plateaus Ecoregion covers approximately 129,617 km2 (50,045 mi2) within southern and eastern Utah, western Colorado, and the extreme northern part of Arizona (fig. 1). The terrain of this ecoregion is characterized by broad plateaus, ancient volcanoes, and deeply dissected canyons (Booth and others, 1999; fig. 2). The ecoregion...
Extreme weather and experience influence reproduction in an endangered bird
Brian E. Reichert, Christopher E. Cattau, Robert J. Fletcher Jr., William L. Kendall, Wiley M. Kitchens
2012, Ecology (93) 2580-2589
Extreme weather events, such as droughts and heat waves, are expected to become more severe and more frequent in the coming years, and understanding their impacts on demographic rates is of increasing interest to both evolutionary ecologists and conservation practitioners. An individual's breeding probability can be a sensitive indicator...
Cascades Ecoregion: Chapter 11 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000
Daniel G. Sorenson
2012, Professional Paper 1794-A-11
The Cascades Ecoregion (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997) covers approximately 46,787 km2 (18,064 mi2) in Washington, Oregon, and California (fig. 1). The main body of the ecoregion extends from Snoqualmie Pass, Washington, in the north, to Hayden Mountain, near State Highway 66 in southern Oregon. Also included in...
Central Basin and Range Ecoregion: Chapter 20 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000
Christopher E. Soulard
2012, Professional Paper 1794-A-20
This chapter has been modified from original material published in Soulard (2006), entitled “Land-cover trends of the Central Basin and Range Ecoregion” (U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5288). The Central Basin and Range Ecoregion (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997) encompasses approximately 343,169 km² (132,498 mi2) of land...
Seismic velocity model of the central United States (Version 1): Description and simulation of the 18 April 2008 Mt. Carmel, Illinois, Earthquake
Leonardo Ramírez‐Guzmán, Oliver S. Boyd, Stephen H. Hartzell, Robert A. Williams
2012, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (102) 2622-2645
We have developed a new three‐dimensional seismic velocity model of the central United States (CUSVM) that includes the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) and covers parts of Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The model represents a compilation of decades of crustal research consisting of seismic, aeromagnetic, and...
Estimating landscape carrying capacity through maximum clique analysis
Therese Donovan, Greg Warrington, W. Scott Schwenk, Jeffrey H. Dinitz
2012, Ecological Applications (22) 2265-2276
Habitat suitability (HS) maps are widely used tools in wildlife science and establish a link between wildlife populations and landscape pattern. Although HS maps spatially depict the distribution of optimal resources for a species, they do not reveal the population size a landscape is capable of supporting--information that is often...
Spatial and temporal patterns of surface water quality and ichthyotoxicity in urban and rural river basins in Texas
Matthew M. VanLandeghem, Matthew D. Meyer, Stephen B. Cox, Bibek Sharma, Reynaldo Patino
2012, Water Research (20) 6638-6651
The Double Mountain Fork Brazos River (Texas, USA) consists of North (NF) and South Forks (SF). The NF receives urban runoff and twice-reclaimed wastewater effluent, whereas the SF flows through primarily rural areas. The objective of this study was to determine and compare associations between standard water quality variables and...
The past as prelude to the future for understanding 21st-century climate effects on Rocky Mountain Trout
Daniel J. Isaak, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Andrew S. Todd, Robert Al-chokhachy, James Roberts, Jeffrey L. Kershner, Kurt D. Fausch, Steven W. Hostetler
2012, Fisheries (37) 542-556
Bioclimatic models predict large reductions in native trout across the Rocky Mountains in the 21st century but lack details about how changes will occur. Through five case histories across the region, we explore how a changing climate has been affecting streams and the potential consequences for trout. Monitoring records show...
Age, Growth and Reproduction of the Eastern Mudminnow (Umbra pygmaea) at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, New Jersey.
Frank Panek, Judith S. Weis
2012, Northeastern Naturalist (19) 217-228
Umbra pygmaea DeKay (Eastern Mudminnow) is one of four species of Umbridae in North America. There is little published life-history information on the species within its native range, particularly on age, growth, and reproduction. This study focuses on these aspects of the life history of this fish at the Great...
