Developing a shared understanding of the Upper Mississippi River: the foundation of an ecological resilience assessment
Kristen L. Bouska, Jeffrey N. Houser, Nathan R. De Jager, Jon S. Hendrickson
2018, Ecology and Society (23) 1-6
The Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) is a large and complex floodplain river ecosystem that spans the jurisdictions of multiple state and federal agencies. In support of ongoing ecosystem restoration and management by this broad partnership, we are undertaking a resilience assessment of the UMRS. We describe the UMRS in...
Reexamining the frequency range of hearing in silver (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead (H. nobilis) carp
Brooke J. Vetter, Marybeth K. Brey, Allen F. Meninger
2018, PLoS ONE (13) 1-15
Silver (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead (H. nobilis) carp (collectively bigheaded carp) are invasive fish that threaten aquatic ecosystems in the upper Midwest United States and the Laurentian Great Lakes. Controlling bigheaded carp is a priority of fisheries managers and one area of focus involves developing acoustic deterrents to prevent upstream migration....
Tundra landform and vegetation productivity trend maps for the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska
Mark J. Lara, Ingmar Nitze, Guido Grosse, A. David McGuire
2018, Scientific Data (5) 1-10
Arctic tundra landscapes are composed of a complex mosaic of patterned ground features, varying in soil moisture, vegetation composition, and surface hydrology over small spatial scales (10–100 m). The importance of microtopography and associated geomorphic landforms in influencing ecosystem structure and function is well founded, however, spatial data products describing local...
Incorporating an approach to aid river and reservoir fisheries in an altered landscape
Shannon K. Brewer, Daniel E. Shoup, John Dattillo
2018, Cooperator Science Series 129-2018
Reservoir construction for human-use services alters connected riverine flow patterns and influences fish production. We sampled two pelagic fishes from two rivers and two reservoirs and related seasonal and annual hydrology patterns to the recruitment and growth of each species. River and reservoir populations of Freshwater Drum Aplodinotus grunniens reached...
Associating sex-biased and seasonal behaviour with contact patterns and transmission risk in Gopherus agassizii
Christina M. Aiello, Todd Esque, K. E. Nussear, P. G. Emblidge, Peter J. Hudson
2018, Behaviour (155) 585-619
Interactions between wildlife hosts act as transmission routes for directly transmitted pathogens and vary in ways that affect transmission efficiency. Identifying drivers of contact variation can allow both contact inference and estimation of transmission dynamics despite limited data. In desert tortoises, mating strategy, burrow use and seasonal change influence numerous...
Juvenile Chinook Salmon mortality in a Snake River Reservoir: Smallmouth Bass predation revisited
John M. Erhardt, Kenneth F. Tiffan, William P. Connor
2018, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (147) 316-328
Predation by nonnative fishes has been identified as a contributing factor in the decline of juvenile salmonids in the Columbia River basin. We examined the diet composition of Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu and estimated the consumption and predation loss of juvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in Lower Granite Reservoir on the Snake River. We...
2018 one‐year seismic hazard forecast for the central and eastern United States from induced and natural earthquakes
Mark D. Petersen, Charles Mueller, Morgan P. Moschetti, Susan M. Hoover, Kenneth S. Rukstales, Daniel E. McNamara, Robert A. Williams, Allison Shumway, Peter M. Powers, Paul S. Earle, Andrea L. Llenos, Andrew J. Michael, Justin L. Rubinstein, Jack Norbeck, Elizabeth S. Cochran
2018, Seismological Research Letters (89) 1049-1061
This article describes the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 2018 one‐year probabilistic seismic hazard forecast for the central and eastern United States from induced and natural earthquakes. For consistency, the updated 2018 forecast is developed using the same probabilistic seismicity‐based methodology as applied in the two previous forecasts. Rates of earthquakes...
Genome-wide SNP data and morphology support the distinction of two new species of Kovarikia Soleglad, Fet & Graham, 2014 endemic to California (Scorpiones, Vaejovidae)
Robert W. Bryson Jr., Dustin A. Wood, Matthew R. Graham, Michael E. Soleglad, John E. McCormack
2018, ZooKeys (739) 79-106
Morphologically conserved taxa such as scorpions represent a challenge to delimit. We recently discovered populations of scorpions in the genus Kovarikia Soleglad, Fet & Graham, 2014 on two isolated mountain ranges in southern California. We generated genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism data and used Bayes factors species delimitation to compare...
Bat activity following restoration prescribed burning in the central Appalachian Upland and riparian habitats
Lauren V. Austin, Alexander Silvis, W. Mark Ford, Michael Muthersbaugh, Karen E. Powers
2018, Natural Areas Journal (38) 183-195
After decades of fire suppression in eastern North America, land managers now are prioritizing prescribed fire as a management tool to restore or maintain fire-adapted vegetation communities. However, in long—fire-suppressed landscapes, such as the central and southern Appalachians, it is unknown how bats will respond to prescribed fire in both...
Plasticity in physiological condition of female brown bears across diverse ecosystems
Grant V. Hilderbrand, David Gustine, Buck A. Mangipane, Kyle Joly, William Leacock, Lindsey Mangipane, Joy Erlenbach, Mathew Sorum, Matthew Cameron, Jerrold L. Belant, Troy Cambier
2018, Polar Biology (41) 773-780
Variation in life history strategies facilitates the near global distribution of mammals by expanding realized niche width. We investigated physiological plasticity in the spring body composition of adult female brown bears (Ursus arctos) across 4 diverse Alaskan ecosystems. Brown bears are a highly intelligent omnivore with a historic...
Monogenetic origin of Ubehebe Crater maar volcano, Death Valley, California: Paleomagnetic and stratigraphic evidence
Duane E. Champion, Andrew J. Cyr, Judith Fierstein, Edward Hildreth
2018, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (354) 67-73
Paleomagnetic data for samples collected from outcrops of basaltic spatter at the Ubehebe Crater cluster, Death Valley National Park, California, record a single direction of remanent magnetization indicating that these materials were emplaced during a short duration, monogenetic eruption sequence ~ 2100 years ago. This conclusion is supported by geochemical data encompassing a narrow...
Estimating the effects of wetland conservation practices in croplands: Approaches for modeling in CEAP–Cropland Assessment
Diane De Steven, David Mushet
2018, Report
Quantifying the current and potential benefits of conservation practices can be a valuable tool for encouraging greater practice adoption on agricultural lands. A goal of the CEAP-Cropland Assessment is to estimate the environmental effects of conservation practices that reduce losses (exports) of soil, nutrients, and pesticides from farmlands to streams...
Efficacy of using data from angler-caught Burbot to estimate population rate functions
Tucker A. Brauer, Darren T. Rhea, John D. Walrath, Michael C. Quist
2018, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (38) 346-354
The effective management of a fish population depends on the collection of accurate demographic data from that population. Since demographic data are often expensive and difficult to obtain, developing cost‐effective and efficient collection methods is a high priority. This research evaluates the efficacy of using angler‐supplied data to monitor a...
River flow and riparian vegetation dynamics - implications for management of the Yampa River through Dinosaur National Monument
Michael L. Scott, Jonathan M. Friedman
2018, Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/WRD/NRR—2018/1619
This report addresses the relation between flow of the Yampa River and occurrence of herbaceous and woody riparian vegetation in Dinosaur National Monument (DINO) with the goal of informing management decisions related to potential future water development. The Yampa River in DINO flows through diverse valley settings, from the relatively...
Habitat mosaics and path analysis can improve biological conservation of aquatic biodiversity in ecosystems with low-head dams
Sean M. Hitchman, Martha E. Mather, Joseph M. Smith, Jane S. Fencl
2018, Science of the Total Environment (619-620) 221-231
Conserving native biodiversity depends on restoring functional habitats in the face of human-induced disturbances. Low-head dams are a ubiquitous human impact that degrades aquatic ecosystems worldwide. To improve our understanding of how low-head dams impact habitat and associated biodiversity, our research examined complex interactions among three spheres of the total environment. i.e.,...
High pressure size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) determination of dissolved organic matter molecular weight revisited: Accounting for changes in stationary phases, analytical standards, and isolation methods
Brandon C. McAdams, George R. Aiken, Diane M. McKnight, William A. Arnold, Yu-Ping Chin
2018, Environmental Science & Technology (52) 722-730
We reassessed the molecular weight of dissolved organic matter (DOM) determined by high pressure size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) using measurements made with different columns and various generations of polystyrenesulfonate (PSS) molecular weight standards. Molecular weight measurements made with a newer generation HPSEC column and PSS standards from more recent lots...
Increased scientific rigor will improve reliability of research and effectiveness of management
Sarah N. Sells, Sarah B. Bassing, Kristin J. Barker, Shannon C. Forshee, Allison Keever, James W. Goerz, Michael S. Mitchell
2018, Journal of Wildlife Management (82) 485-494
Rigorous science that produces reliable knowledge is critical to wildlife management because it increases accurate understanding of the natural world and informs management decisions effectively. Application of a rigorous scientific method based on hypothesis testing minimizes unreliable knowledge produced by research. To evaluate the prevalence of scientific rigor in wildlife...
Middle Pleistocene infill of Hinkley Valley by Mojave River sediment and associated lake sediment: Depositional architecture and deformation by strike-slip faults
David M. Miller, Elizabeth Haddon, Victoria E. Langenheim, Andrew J. Cyr, Elmira Wan, Laura Walkup, Scott W. Starratt
2018, Conference Paper, Against the current: Mojave River from sink to source; 2018 Desert Symposium Field Guide and Proceedings
Hinkley Valley in the Mojave Desert, near Barstow about 140 km northeast of Los Angeles and midway between Victorville Valley and the Lake Manix basin, contains a thick sedimentary sequence delivered by the Mojave River. Our study of sediment cores drilled in the valley indicates that Hinkley Valley was probably...
Springs as hydrologic refugia in a changing climate? A remote sensing approach
Jennifer M. Cartwright, Henry M. Johnson
2018, Ecosphere (9) 1-22
Spring‐fed wetlands are ecologically important habitats in arid and semi‐arid regions. Springs have been suggested as possible hydrologic refugia from droughts and climate change; however, springs that depend on recent precipitation or snowmelt for recharge may be vulnerable to warming and drought intensification. Springs that are expected to maintain their...
Improving near‐real‐time coseismic landslide models: Lessons learned from the 2016 Kaikōura, New Zealand, earthquake
Kate E. Allstadt, Randall W. Jibson, Eric M. Thompson, Chris Massey, David J. Wald, Jonathan W. Godt, Francis K. Rengers
2018, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (108) 1649-1664
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is developing near‐real‐time global earthquake‐triggered‐landslide products to augment the USGS Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) system. The 14 November 2016 Mw">MwMw 7.8 Kaikōura, New Zealand,...
Multiple drivers, scales, and interactions influence southern Appalachian stream salamander occupancy
Kristen K. Cecala, John C. Maerz, Brian J. Halstead, John R. Frisch, Ted L. Gragson, Jeffrey Hepinstall-Cymerman, David S. Leigh, C. Rhett Jackson, James T. Peterson, Catherine M. Pringle
2018, Ecosphere (9) 1-19
Understanding how factors that vary in spatial scale relate to population abundance is vital to forecasting species responses to environmental change. Stream and river ecosystems are inherently hierarchical, potentially resulting in organismal responses to fine‐scale changes in patch characteristics that are conditional on the watershed context. Here, we address how...
The bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of Louisiana: an updated, annotated checklist
Brittany E. Owens, Larry K. Allain, Eric C. VanGorder, Janice L. Bossart, Christopher E. Carlton
2018, Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington (120) 272-307
An annotated checklist is provided for 243 species and subspecies of bees collected from or thought to occur in the state of Louisiana, where 163 are confirmed records, 46 are probable records, and 34 are possible records. We also list twelve records considered to be “dubious” because of the absence...
Evaluating the conservation potential of tributaries for native fishes in the Upper Colorado River Basin
Brian G. Laub, Gary P. Thiede, William W. Macfarlane, Phaedra E. Budy
2018, Fisheries Magazine (43) 194-206
We explored the conservation potential of tributaries in the upper Colorado River basin by modeling native fish species richness as a function of river discharge, temperature, barrier‐free length, and distance to nearest free‐flowing main‐stem section. We investigated a historic period prior to large‐scale water development and a contemporary period. In...
A multistate open robust design: population dynamics, reproductive effort, and phenology of sea turtles from tagging data
William L. Kendall, Seth Stapleton, Gary C. White, James I. Richardson, Kristen N. Pearson, Peri Mason
2018, Ecological Monographs (89)
Understanding population dynamics, and how it is influenced by exogenous and endogenous factors, is important to the study and conservation of species. Moreover, for migratory species, the phenology and duration of use of a given location can also influence population structure and dynamics. For many species, breeding abundance, survival, and...
Size, growth, and size‐selective mortality of subyearling Chinook Salmon during early marine residence in Puget Sound
Madilyn M. Gamble, Kristin A. Connelly, Jennifer R. Gardner, Joshua W. Chamberlin, Kenneth I. Warheit, David A. Beauchamp
2018, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (147) 370-289
In marine ecosystems, survival can be heavily influenced by size‐selective mortality during juvenile life stages. Understanding how and when size‐selective mortality operates on a population can reveal underlying growth dynamics and size‐selective ecological processes affecting the population and thus can be used to guide conservation efforts. For subyearling Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus...
