Yellowstone River fish bypass channel physical and hydraulic monitoring, Montana
J. Brooks Stephens, Jason S. Alexander, Seth A. Siefken
2024, Data Report 1189
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, began monitoring the Yellowstone River fish bypass channel according to the specifications of the Lower Yellowstone Adaptive Management and Monitoring Plan. The fish bypass channel was constructed to provide upstream migrating fish with a route around a diversion dam....
Parasites alter food-web topology of a subarctic lake food web and its pelagic and benthic compartments
Shannon E. Moore, Anna Siwertsson, Kevin D. Lafferty, Armand M. Kuris, Miroslava Soldanova, Dana N. Morton, Raul Primicerio, Per-Arne Amundsen
2024, Oecologia (204) 257-277
We compared three sets of highly resolved food webs with and without parasites for a subarctic lake system corresponding to its pelagic and benthic compartments and the whole-lake food web. Key topological food-web metrics were calculated for each set of compartments to explore the role parasites...
Driophlox, a new genus of cardinalid (Aves: Passeriformes: Cardinalidae)
Ben F Scott, R. Terry Chesser, Philip Unitt, Kevin J Burns
2024, Zootaxa (5406) 497-500
No abstract available....
Using stochastic point pattern analysis to track regional orientations of magmatism during the transition to cenozoic extension and Rio Grande rifting, Southern Rocky Mountains
Joshua Mark Rosera, Sean P. Gaynor, Alexey Ulianov, Urs Schaltegger
2024, Tectonics (43)
The southern Rocky Mountains in Colorado and northern New Mexico hosted intracontinental magmatism that developed during a tectonic transition from shortening (Laramide orogeny, ca. 75 to 40 Ma) through extension and rifting. We present a novel approach that uses stochastic weighted bootstrap simulations of a large set of...
Detection probability and bias in machine-learning-based unoccupied aerial system non-breeding waterfowl surveys
Reid Viegut, Elisabeth B. Webb, Andrew Raedeke, Zhicheng Tang, Yang Zhang, Zhenduo Zhai, Zhiguang Liu, Shiqi Wang, Jiuyi Zheng, Yi Shang
2024, Drones (8)
Unoccupied aerial systems (UASs) may provide cheaper, safer, and more accurate and precise alternatives to traditional waterfowl survey techniques while also reducing disturbance to waterfowl. We evaluated availability and perception bias based on machine-learning-based non-breeding waterfowl count estimates derived from aerial imagery collected using a DJI Mavic Pro 2 on...
An update of hydrologic conditions and distribution of selected constituents in water, eastern Snake River aquifer and perched groundwater zones, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, emphasis 2019–21
Kerri C. Treinen, Allison R. Trcka, Jason C. Fisher
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2023-5128
Since 1952, wastewater discharged to infiltration ponds (also called “percolation ponds”) and disposal wells at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has affected water quality in the eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) aquifer and perched groundwater zones underlying the INL. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department...
Upstream experience and experimental translocation of invasive bigheaded carps results in increased upstream passage success at a navigation lock in a large river
Andrea K. Fritts, Daniel Gibson-Reinemer, Brent Knights, Amanda S. Milde, Jessica C. Stanton, Marybeth K. Brey, Douglas Appel, Aaron R. Cupp, Sarah Tripp, James T. Lamer, Mark W. Fritts
2024, River Research and Applications (40) 575-586
Fish movements in regulated rivers can be challenging to study because anthropogenic modifications, such as locks and dams, can influence animal behavior. Upper Mississippi River Lock and Dam 19 (LD 19), for example, is an invasive carp movement bottleneck due to an impassable dam....
Deep structure of Siletzia in the Puget Lowland: Imaging an obducted plateau and accretionary thrust belt with potential fields
Megan L. Anderson, Richard J. Blakely, Ray Wells, Joseph D. Dragovich
2024, Tectonics (43)
Detailed understanding of crustal components and tectonic history of forearcs is important due to their geological complexity and high seismic hazard. The principal component of the Cascadia forearc is Siletzia, a composite basaltic terrane of oceanic origin. Much is known about the lithology and age of the...
Life-history connections to long-term fish population trends in a species-rich temperate river
Andrew J. Nagy, Mary Freeman, Brian J. Irwin, Seth J. Wenger
2024, Ecology of Freshwater Fish (33)
Fishes exhibit a diverse range of traits encompassing life-history strategies, feeding behaviours and spawning behaviours. These traits mediate fish population responses to changing environmental conditions such as those caused by anthropogenic stressors. The Conasauga River, located in northwestern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee, USA, hosts a...
Stress-driven recurrence and precursory moment-rate surge in caldera collapse earthquakes
Paul Segall, Mark V. Matthews, David R. Shelly, Taiyi Wang, Kyle R. Anderson
2024, Nature Geoscience (17) 264-269
Predicting the recurrence times of earthquakes and understanding the physical processes that immediately precede them are two outstanding problems in seismology. Although geodetic measurements record elastic strain accumulation, most faults have recurrence intervals longer than available measurements. Foreshocks provide the principal observations of processes before mainshocks,...
A global assessment of environmental and climate influences on wetland macroinvertebrate community structure and function
Luis B. Epele, Emilio A. Williams-Subiza, Matthew S. Bird, Aurelie Boissezon, Dani Boix, Elaine Demierre, Conor Fair, Patricia Garcia, Stephanie Gascon, Marta G. Grech, Hamish S. Greig, Michael Jeffries, Jamie M. Kneitel, Olga Loskutova, Leonardo Maltchik, Luz M. Manzo, Gabriela Mataloni, Kyle McLean, Musa C. Mlambo, Beat Oertli, Mateus M. Pires, Jordi Sala, Erica E. Scheibler, Cristina Stenert, Haitao Wu, Scott A Wissinger, Darold P. Batzer
2024, Global Change Biology (30)
Estimating organisms' responses to environmental variables and taxon associations across broad spatial scales is vital for predicting their responses to climate change. Macroinvertebrates play a major role in wetland processes, but studies simultaneously exploring both community structure and community trait responses to environmental gradients are still lacking. We compiled a...
Hydrology and water quality of a dune-and-swale wetland adjacent to the Grand Calumet River, Indiana, 2019–22
Shawn Naylor, Amy M. Gahala
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2023-5122
Adverse ecological and water-quality effects associated with industrial land-use changes are common for littoral wetlands connected to river mouth ecosystems in the Grand Calumet River-Indiana Harbor Canal Area of Concern. These effects can be exacerbated by recent high Lake Michigan water levels that are problematic for wetland restoration. Wetlands in...
Chemical composition of leachates from hydraulic fracturing proppants from surficial releases in southeastern New Mexico
Matthew S. Varonka, Terry G. Gregston, Michael Villalobos, Jacqueline Benefield, William H. Orem
2024, Environmental Science & Technology Letters (11) 243-249
Resin-coated proppants (RCPs) are used in hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas wells to improve well performance; however, these proppants could be a cause for environmental concern if they are disposed of improperly. In this study, we investigate the water-leachable organic and...
Precision of four calcified structures for age estimation of Black Carp
Patrick Kroboth, Anne Marie Herndon, Cortney Cox, Jesse Robert Fischer
2024, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (44) 235-243
ObjectiveBlack Carp Mylopharyngodon piceus is an emerging invasive species in North America with an expanding population in the Mississippi River basin. Current aging methods use a suite of structures for age estimation, and a single structure is needed to minimize processing time, to maximize consistency of age and growth...
Local and systemic replicative fitness for viruses in specialist, generalist, and non-specialist interactions with salmonid hosts
David James Paez, Gael Kurath, Rachel L. Powers, Kerry A. Naish, Maureen K. Purcell
2024, Journal of General Virology (105)
Host tissues represent diverse resources or barriers for pathogen replicative fitness. We tested whether viruses in specialist, generalist, and non-specialist interactions replicate differently in local entry tissue (fin), and systemic target tissue (kidney) using infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) and three salmonid fish hosts. Virus tissue replication was...
Establishing quantitative benchmarks for soil erosion and ecological monitoring, assessment, and management
Nicholas P. Webb, Brandon L. Edwards, Alexandra Heller, Sarah E. McCord, Jeremy W. Schallner, Ronald S. Treminio, Brandi E. Wheeler, Nelson G. Stauffer, Sheri Spiegal, Michael C. Duniway, Alexander C.E. Traynor, Emily Kachergis, Carrie-Ann Houdeshell
2024, Ecological Indicators (159)
Soil erosion can have a multitude of negative impacts on agroecosystems and society and there remains an urgent need for tools to support its management. Quantitative benchmarks based on holistic understanding of erosion processes, ecosystem function, and land use objectives can be...
Pesticides in small volume plasma samples: Method development and application to smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) from the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA
Michael S. Gross, Vicki S. Blazer, Michelle L. Hladik
2024, Chemosphere (352)
Nontarget organisms are exposed to pesticides following applications in agricultural and urban settings, potentially resulting in deleterious effects. Direct measurements of pesticides in biological tissues may aid in characterizing exposure, accumulation, and potential toxicity versus analyses in environmental media alone (e.g., water, soil, and air)....
Variability in weather and site properties affect fuel and fire behavior following fuel treatments in semiarid sagebrush-steppe.
Samuel J. Price, Matthew J. Germino
2024, Journal of Environmental Management (353)
Fuel-treatments targeting shrubs and fire-prone exotic annual grasses (EAGs) are increasingly used to mitigate increased wildfire risks in arid and semiarid environments, and understanding their response to natural factors is needed for effective landscape management. Using field-data collected over four years from fuel-break treatments in semiarid sagebrush-steppe, we asked 1)...
Generalized potentiometric maps of the Fort Union, Hell Creek, and Fox Hills aquifers within the Standing Rock Reservation
Todd M. Anderson, Robert F. Lundgren
2024, Scientific Investigations Map 3516
Generalized potentiometric surfaces of the Fort Union, Hell Creek, and Fox Hills aquifers were constructed to assess the groundwater resources of the Standing Rock Reservation. Additionally, this information can provide water managers with tools and data to effectively manage water resources in the future. Previous studies that mapped the geology...
Non-native plant invasion after fire in western USA varies by functional type and with climate
Janet S. Prevey, Catherine S. Jarnevich, Ian S. Pearse, Seth M. Munson, Jens T. Stevens, Kevin Barrett, Jonathon D. Coop, Michelle Day, David Firmage, Paula J. Fornwalt, Katharine Haynes, James B. Johnston , Becky Kerns, Meg A. Krawchuk, Becky Miller, Ty Nietupski, Jacquilyn Roque, Judith Diane Springer, Camille S. Stevens-Rumann, Micheal T. Stoddard, Claire Tortorelli
2024, Biological Invasions (26) 1157-1179
Invasions by non-native plant species after fire can negatively affect important ecosystem services and lead to invasion-fire cycles that further degrade ecosystems. The relationship between fire and plant invasion is complex, and the risk of invasion varies greatly between functional types and across geographic scales. Here, we examined patterns and...
Evaluating the reliability of environmental concentration data to characterize exposure in environmental risk assessments
Michelle Hladik, Arjen Markus, Dennis R. Helsel, Lisa H. Nowell, Stefano Polesello, Heinz Rudel, Drew Szabo, Iain Wilson
2024, Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management (20) 981-1003
Environmental risk assessments often rely on measured concentrations in environmental matrices to characterize exposure of the population of interest—typically, humans, aquatic biota, or other wildlife. Yet, there is limited guidance available on how to report and evaluate exposure datasets for reliability and relevance, despite...
Chronic wasting disease: State of the science
Jason Bartz, Rebeca Benavente, Byron Caughey, Sonja Christensen, Allen Jeffrey Herbst, Ed Hoover, Candace K Mathiason, Debbie I. McKenzie, Rodrigo Morales, Marc D. Schwabenlander, Daniel P. Walsh, NC1209: North American interdisciplinary chronic wasting disease research consortium members
2024, Pathogens (13)
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting cervid species, both free-ranging and captive populations. As the geographic range continues to expand and disease prevalence continues to increase, CWD will have an impact on cervid populations, local economies, and ecosystem health. Mitigation of this “wicked” disease will require...
Unlearning Racism in Geoscience (URGE): Summary of U.S. Geological Survey URGE pod deliverables
Matthew C. Morriss, Eleanour Snow, Jennifer L. Miselis, William F. Waite, Katherine R. Barnhart, Andria P. Ellis, Liv M. Herdman, Seth C. Moran, Annie L. Putman, Nadine G. Reitman, Wendy K. Stovall, Meagan J. Eagle, Stephen C. Phillips
2024, Circular 1515
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is in a unique position to be a leader in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the Earth sciences. As one of the largest geoscience employers, the USGS wields significant community influence and has a responsibility to adopt and implement robust, unbiased policies so that...
Contrasting migratory chronology and routes of Lesser Scaup: Implications of different migration strategies in a broadly distributed species
Laurie Anne Hall, Christopher J. Latty, Jeffrey M. Warren, John Y. Takekawa, Susan E.W. De La Cruz
2024, Journal of Field Ornithology (95)
Migration allows birds to improve fitness by exploiting seasonal resource peaks and avoiding limitations. Migration strategies may differ among individuals within a species, but for all strategies, the benefit of increased fitness should outweigh the costs of migration. These costs can include increased mortality risk, time constraints in the annual...
Insights into magma storage depths and eruption controls at Kīlauea Volcano during explosive and effusive periods of the past 500 years based on melt and fluid inclusions
Allan Lerner, D. Matthew Sublett, Paul J. Wallace, Christina Cauley, Robert J. Bodnar
2024, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (628)
Kīlauea Volcano experiences centuries-long cycles of explosive and effusive eruptive behavior, but the relation, if any, between these eruptive styles and changing conditions in the magma plumbing system remains poorly known. We analyze olivine-hosted melt and fluid inclusions to determine magma storage...
