Microbial disease and the coral holobiont
David G. Bourne, Mary E. Garren, Thierry M. Work, Eugene Rosenberg, Garriet W. Smith, C. Drew Harvell
2009, Trends in Microbiology (17) 554-562
Tropical coral reefs harbour a reservoir of enormous biodiversity that is increasingly threatened by direct human activities and indirect global climate shifts. Emerging coral diseases are one serious threat implicated in extensive reef deterioration through disruption of the integrity of the coral holobiont – a complex symbiosis between the coral...
Does variation in cranial morphology of Myotis occultus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) reflect a greater reliance on certain prey types?
Ernest W. Valdez, Michael A. Bogan
2009, Acta Chiropterologica (11) 443-450
Few studies have investigated the relationship between morphological variation and local feeding habits of bats in the United States. We used discriminant function analysis (DFA) to compare cranial morphology of Myotis occultus from southern Colorado, and central, and southern New Mexico. We analyzed guano collected from maternity colonies in southern Colorado and...
Adaptive management: The U.S. Department of the Interior technical guide
B K Williams, Robert C. Szaro, Carl D. Shapiro
2009, Report
The purpose of this technical guide is to present an operational definition of adaptive management, identify the conditions in which adaptive management should be considered, and describe the process of using adaptive management for managing natural resources. The guide is not an exhaustive discussion of adaptive management, nor does it...
Assessment of Local Recharge Area Characteristics of Four Caves in Northern Arkansas and Northeastern Oklahoma, 2004-07
Jonathan A. Gillip, Joel M. Galloway, Rheannon M. Hart
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5118
A study was conducted from 2004 to 2007 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to assess the characteristics of the local recharge areas of four caves in northern Arkansas and northeastern Oklahoma that provide habitat for a number of unique organisms. Characterization...
Tritium concentrations in environmental samples and transpiration rates from the vicinity of Mary's Branch Creek and background areas, Barnwell, South Carolina, 2007-2009
Don A. Vroblesky, Judy L. Canova, Paul M. Bradley, James Landmeyer
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5245
Tritium in groundwater from a low-level radioactive waste disposal facility near Barnwell, South Carolina, is discharging to Mary's Branch Creek. The U.S. Geological Survey conducted an investigation from 2007 to 2009 to examine the tritium concentration in trees and air samples near the creek and in background areas, in groundwater...
Algal and Water-Quality Data for the Yellowstone River and Tributaries, Montana and Wyoming, 1999-2000
David A. Peterson
2009, Data Series 484
Streams of the Yellowstone River Basin in Montana and Wyoming were sampled as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Algal communities were sampled in 1999 in conjunction with other ecological sampling and in 2000 during synoptic sampling. Water-quality measurements related to the algal sampling included light...
Sediment Characteristics and Transport in the Kootenai River White Sturgeon Critical Habitat near Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Ryan L. Fosness, Marshall L. Williams
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5228
Recovery efforts for the endangered Kootenai River population of white sturgeon require an understanding of the characteristics and transport of suspended and bedload sediment in the critical habitat reach of the river. In 2007 and 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, conducted suspended-...
Effects of roads, topography, and land use on forest cover dynamics in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Simone R. Freitas, Todd Hawbaker, Jean Paul Metzger
2009, Forest Ecology and Management (259) 410-417
Roads and topography can determine patterns of land use and distribution of forest cover, particularly in tropical regions. We evaluated how road density, land use, and topography affected forest fragmentation, deforestation and forest regrowth in a Brazilian Atlantic Forest region near the city...
Mapping irrigated lands across the United States using MODIS satellite imagery
J.F. Brown, S.K. Maxwell, Md Shahriar Pervez
Prasad S. Thenkabail, Chandrashekhar M. Biradar, Hugh Turral, John G. Lyon, editor(s)
2009, Book chapter, Remote sensing of global croplands for food security
This book opens a new pathway for global mapping that is focused on a specific land use theme, such as irrigated or rain-fed croplands and classes within these themes. Since croplands use most of the water consumed by humans, specific knowledge of irrigated and rain-fed croplands will be critical for...
Status of `Akiapola`au at Kapapala, Hawaii
T.K. Pratt, E.J. Tweed, S. Fretz
2009, 'Elepaio (69)
No abstract available....
Diverse elevational diversity gradients in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U.S.A.: Chapter 10
Nathan J. Sanders, Robert R. Dunn, Matthew C. Fitzpatrick, Christopher E. Carlton, Michael R. Pogue, Charles R. Parker, Theodore R. Simons
2009, Book chapter, Data mining for global trends in mountain biodiversity
Why does the number of species vary geographically? The earliest naturalists puzzled over this question, as do many biogeographers and macroecologists today. Over the last 200-plus years, the most striking geographic pattern in species richness – the decline in species richness with increasing latitude – has received the most attention....
Potentiometric Surface of the Upper Floridan Aquifer, West-Central Florida, September 2008
Anita G. Ortiz
2009, Scientific Investigations Map 3071
The Floridan aquifer system consists of the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers separated by the middle confining unit. The middle confining unit and the Lower Floridan aquifer in west-central Florida generally contain highly mineralized water. The water-bearing units containing fresh water are herein referred to as the Upper Floridan aquifer....
DayCent-Chem simulations of ecological and biogeochemical processes of eight mountain ecosystems in the United States
Melannie D. Hartman, Jill S. Baron, David W. Clow, Irena F. Creed, Charles T. Driscoll, Holly A. Ewing, Bruce D. Haines, Jennifer Knoepp, Kate Lajtha, Dennis S. Ojima, William J. Parton, Jim Renfro, R. Bruce Robinson, Helga Van Miegroet, Kathleen C. Weathers, Mark W. Williams
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5150
Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) cause complex responses in ecosystems, from fertilization to forest ecosystem decline, freshwater eutrophication to acidification, loss of soil base cations, and alterations of disturbance regimes. DayCent-Chem, an ecosystem simulation model that combines ecosystem nutrient cycling and plant dynamics with aqueous geochemical equilibrium...
Flood of June 26-29, 2006, Mohawk, Delaware, and Susquehanna River Basins, New York
Thomas P. Suro, Gary D. Firda, Carolyn O. Szabo
2009, Open-File Report 2009-1063
A stalled frontal system caused tropical moisture to be funneled northward into New York, causing severe flooding in the Mohawk, Delaware, and Susquehanna River basins during June 26-29, 2006. Rainfall totals for this multi-day event ranged from 2 to 3 inches to greater than 13 inches in southern New York....
Use of StreamStats in the Upper French Broad River Basin, North Carolina: A Pilot Water-Resources Web Application
Chad R. Wagner, Kirsten C. Tighe, Silvia Terziotti
2009, Fact Sheet 2009-3088
StreamStats is a Web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) application that was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) to provide access to an assortment of analytical tools that are useful for water-resources planning and management. StreamStats allows users to easily obtain...
Simulations of Groundwater Flow and Particle Tracking Analysis in the Area Contributing Recharge to a Public-Supply Well near Tampa, Florida, 2002-05
Christy A. Crandall, Leon J. Kauffman, Brian G. Katz, Patricia A. Metz, W. Scott McBride, Marian P. Berndt
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5231
Shallow ground water in the north-central Tampa Bay region, Florida, is affected by elevated nitrate concentrations, the presence of volatile organic compounds, and pesticides as a result of groundwater development and intensive urban land use. The region relies primarily on groundwater for drinking-water supplies. Sustainability of groundwater quality for public...
Ecological assessment of wadeable streams on O`ahu, Hawai'i, 2006-2007: A pilot study
Reuben H. Wolff, Linda A. Koch
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5229
In 2006–07, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Pacific Islands Water Science Center (PIWSC), in cooperation with the Hawai‘i Department of Health (HDOH), conducted a pilot study as a participant in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) Wadeable Streams Assessment (WSA) program. Forty randomly selected sites on perennial streams on O‘ahu,...
Application of the Hydroecological Integrity Assessment Process for Missouri Streams
Jonathan G. Kennen, James A. Henriksen, John Heasley, Brian S. Cade, James W. Terrell
2009, Open-File Report 2009-1138
Natural flow regime concepts and theories have established the justification for maintaining or restoring the range of natural hydrologic variability so that physiochemical processes, native biodiversity, and the evolutionary potential of aquatic and riparian assemblages can be sustained. A synthesis of recent research advances in hydroecology, coupled with stream classification...
Greater Platte River Basins - Science to sustain ecosystems and communities
June M. Thormodsgard
2009, Fact Sheet 2009-3097
The Greater Platte River Basins (GPRB), located in the heartland of the United States, provides a collaborative opportunity for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and its partners to understand the sustainability of natural and managed ecosystems under changing climate and resource requirements.The Greater Platte River Basins, an area of about...
Web application to access U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works and Restoration Projects information for the Rio Grande Basin, southern Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas
Christy-Ann M. Archuleta, Deanna R. Eames
2009, Fact Sheet 2009-3104
The Rio Grande Civil Works and Restoration Projects Web Application, developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Albuquerque District, is designed to provide publicly available information through the Internet about civil works and restoration projects in the Rio Grande Basin. Since...
History of the topographic branch (division)
Richard T. Evans, Helen M. Frye
2009, Circular 1341
From a very early period of the world's existence, man has endeavored to represent the earth's surface in a graphic form for the information of his fellow men, realizing that no oral or written description is capable of setting forth topographic facts so vividly and so clearly as a map. Mapping...
Assessment of fire behavior and management options in subalpine vegetation on Mauna Kea, Hawai'i
Jarrod M. Thaxton, James D. Jacobi
2009, Report
Fire is a major threat to habitat for the endangered Palila (Loxioides bailleui) within subalpine vegetation on Mauna Kea volcano, Hawai‘i. The presence of large amounts of fine fuel from grasses, dry climate, and human ignition sources produces a significant risk of wildfire in this area year-round. The purpose of...
Groundwater-quality data in the Madera-Chowchilla study unit, 2008: Results from the California GAMA Program
Jennifer L. Shelton, Miranda S. Fram, Kenneth Belitz
2009, Data Series 455
Groundwater quality in the approximately 860-square-mile Madera–Chowchilla study unit (MADCHOW) was investigated in April and May 2008 as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Priority Basin Project was developed in response to the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001...
Survey of ungulate abundance on Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California, March 2009
Paul C. Griffin, Kate A. Schoenecker, Peter J. Gogan, Bruce C. Lubow
2009, Open-File Report 2009-1243
Reliable estimates of elk (Cervus elaphus) and deer (Odocoileus hemionus) abundance on Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California, are required to assess the success of management actions directed at these species. We conducted a double-observer aerial survey of elk on a large portion of Santa Rosa Island on...
Assessment of contaminant exposure and effects on ospreys nesting along the Lower Duwamish River, Washington, 2006-07
Branden L. Johnson, Charles J. Henny, James L. Kaiser, Jay W. Davis, Edmund P. Schulz
2009, Open-File Report 2009-1255
We evaluated the effects of contaminants on osprey (Pandion haliaetus) nesting along the lower Duwamish River (LDR), Washington, and used the upper reach of the Willamette River (WR), Oregon, as a reference site. Osprey eggs and nestling blood (plasma) were collected at nests along the LDR (11 eggs, 7 plasmas)...
