Expression and mechanisms of behavioral plasticity in large mammals
Rebecca R. Thomas-Kuzilik, Justine A. Becker, Jeffrey L. Beck, Justin G. Clapp, Alyson B. Courtemanch, Gary L. Fralick, Chris Geremia, L. Embere Hall, Matthew Kauffman, Blake Lowrey, Matthew C. Metz, Hollie M. Miyasaki, Kevin L. Monteith, Anna C. Ortega, Hall Sawyer, Douglas W. Smith, Erin E. Stahler, Daniel R. Stahler, Tana L. Verzuh, Jerod A. Merkle
2025, Ecosphere (16)
Behavioral plasticity, the alteration of behavior in response to stimuli, is becoming increasingly important in the context of human-induced rapid environmental change. Theoretical and empirical studies suggest that the expression and magnitude of behavioral plasticity are likely facilitated or constrained primarily by two factors: environmental variation and endogenous traits such...
Beaver dams and their effects on urban streams in the Tualatin River Basin, northwestern Oregon
Krista L. Jones, Cassandra D. Smith, James S. White, Stewart A. Rounds, Micelis C. Doyle, Erin K. Leahy
2025, Fact Sheet 2025-3022
Introduction In response to growing interest in beaver-assisted restoration in the Tualatin River Basin of northwestern Oregon, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in partnership with Clean Water Services, collected data from 2016–17 and completed a series of studies to: (1) inventory known locations of beaver dams and activity in the Tualatin...
Effects of beaver dams and ponds on water quality in urban streams of the Tualatin River Basin, northwestern Oregon
Cassandra D. Smith, Erin K. Leahy, Krista L. Jones, Stewart A. Rounds
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5039-D
Significant Findings American beavers (Castor canadensis) are native to the Pacific Northwest, and their populations have increased in many locations after being nearly removed by historical trapping. Beaver dams have well-documented effects on water quality in forested streams, but their effects on water quality in urban streams have not been well...
Effects of beaver dams and ponds on the transport and deposition of suspended sediment in urban streams of the Tualatin River Basin, northwestern Oregon
Micelis C. Doyle, Cassandra D. Smith, Krista L. Jones, Alexandria E. Costello
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5039-C
Significant Findings This study investigated the effects of natural beaver dams and ponds on sediment transport and deposition in two urban beaver-affected reaches in the Tualatin River Basin, northwestern Oregon. Data were collected during 2016–17 from Fanno Creek at Greenway Park (between SW Hall Boulevard and SW Pearson Court) and Bronson...
Stream network capacity to support beaver dams in the Tualatin River Basin, northwestern Oregon
James S. White, Cassandra D. Smith, Krista L. Jones, Stewart A. Rounds
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5039-A
Significant Findings Beaver dams can help streams connect to their floodplains. These floodplain connections can expand the range of available aquatic habitats and aid in the restoration of stream and floodplain function and processes. American beavers (Castor canadensis) occupy a wide variety of aquatic habitats; however, their ability to build dams,...
Beavers in the Tualatin River Basin, northwestern Oregon
Krista L. Jones, Cassandra D. Smith, editor(s)
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5039
Growing interest in beaver-assisted restoration in the Tualatin River Basin of northwestern Oregon motivated a series of studies by the U.S. Geological Survey to assess the capacity of the stream network to support beaver dams and to evaluate the effects of beaver dams and ponds on urban streams. This multichapter...
Origin of the high Pd/Pt ratio of the J-M Reef, Stillwater Complex Montana USA
Michael Jenkins, William D. Smith
2025, Conference Paper
The J-M Reef of the Stillwater Complex exhibits a high and consistent Pd/Pt ratio (~3.8). This ratio results from the equilibration of an immiscible sulfide liquid with a relatively high Pd/Pt silicate melt rather than an unusually Pd- and Pt-enriched parental melt. Numerical modeling suggests that the original silicate melt...
The influence of human presence and footprint on animal space use in US national parks
Kaitlyn M. Gaynor, Forest Hayes, Kezia R. Manlove, Nathan L. Galloway, John F. Benson, Michael J. Cherry, Clinton W. Epps, Robert J. Fletcher Jr., John L. Orrock, Justine A. Smith, Christina M. Aiello, Jerrold L. Belant, Joel Berger, Mark Biel, Jill Bright, Joseph K. Bump, Michael Burchett, Carson Butler, Jennifer Carlson, Eric K. Cole, Neal Darby, Erin DeGutis, Sarah Dewey, Pete Figura, Tom Gable, Jeff Gagnon, Danielle M. Glass, Jennifer R. Green, Kerry A. Gunther, Mark Haroldson, Kent Hersey, Brandon Holton, Austin T. Homkes, Sarah R. Hoy, Debra Hughson, Kyle Joly, Ryan Leahy, Caitlin Lee-Roney, Rob Lester, Daniel MacNulty, Michael Magnuson, Daniel J. Martin, Rachel Mazur, Seth A. Moore, Elizabeth K. Orning, Katie Patrick, Rolf O. Peterson, Lynette Potvin, Paige Prentice, Seth P.D. Riley, Mark C. Romanski, Annette Roug, Jeff A. Sikich, Nova Simpson, William B. Sloan, Douglas W. Smith, Mathew Sorum, Scott Sprague, Daniel Stahler, John A. Stephenson, Thomas R. Stephenson, Janice Stroud-Settles, Frank T. van Manen, John A. Vucetich, Kate Wilmot, Steve K. Windels, Tiffany Wolf, Paul C. Cross
2025, Proceedings of the Royal Society B (292)
Given the importance of protected areas for biodiversity, the growth of visitation to many areas has raised concerns about the effects of humans on wildlife. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to temporary closure of national parks in the United States, offering a pseudonatural experiment to tease apart the effects...
Comparing SMART and ELECTRE methods for multi-criteria decision analysis: A case study evaluating conservation strategies
David M. Martin, David R. Smith
2025, Environmental and Sustainability Indicators (27)
Tradeoffs are part of the inherent challenge of making decisions. Defaulting to a prevalent method can mask methodological variation and potential improvement in decision quality. We applied and compared methods for multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) in real-world environmental planning. Decision makers at a global conservation organization formed teams to review...
Assimilation of reduced carbon triggers platinum alloy saturation in mafic and ultramafic magmas
Ying Zhou Li, William D. Smith, Michael Jenkins, Zhuosen Yao, James E. Mungall
2025, Economic Geology (120) 1025-1036
It is generally observed that magmatic sulfide ores have higher ratios of Pd/Pt than the mantle-like values of their parental magmas. This discrepancy has defied simple explanation because the partitioning behavior of both elements between sulfide and silicate liquids is very similar. Assimilation of sulfur- and carbon-rich country rocks by...
Managing water for birds—A tool for the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, southeastern Oregon
Cassandra D. Smith
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5024
The “Water for Birds Tool” is a spreadsheet-based tool (using Microsoft Excel) designed to help resource managers assess the spatial extent and types of bird habitats in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, southeastern Oregon. The tool quantifies the areas of open water, partial water, and water depths on a monthly...
C4 photosynthesis, trait spectra, and the fast-efficient phenotype
Russell K. Monson, Shuai Li, Elizabeth A. Ainsworth, Yuzhen Fan, John G. Hodge, Alan K. Knapp, Andrew D.B. Leakey, Danica Lombardozzi, Sasha C. Reed, Rowan F. Sage, Melinda D. Smith, Nicholas G. Smith, Christopher J. Still, Danielle A. Way
2025, New Phytologist (246) 879-893
It has been 60 years since the discovery of C4 photosynthesis, an event that rewrote our understanding of plant adaptation, ecosystem responses to global change, and global food security. Despite six decades of research, one aspect of C4 photosynthesis that remains poorly understood is how the pathway fits into the broader context of...
ShakeAlert® version 3: Expected performance in large earthquakes
Jeffrey J. McGuire, Carl W. Ulberg, Angela I. Lux, Maren Bose, J.R. Andrews, Deborah Smith, B. Crowell, Jessica R. Murray, I. Henson, R. Hartog, C. Felizardo, Minh Huynh, M. Aranha, Grace Alexandra Parker, Annemarie S. Baltay Sundstrom, Mark Hunter Murray, Glenn Biasi, Stephen Guiwits, Jessie K. Saunders, Andrew D. Good, V. Marcelo Santillan, C.W. Scrivener, Walter M. Szeliga, Timothy I. Melbourne, Victor Kress, Robert M. de Groot, Sara K. McBride, Douglas D. Given, Richard Allen, Thomas H. Heaton, Allen L. Husker, Valerie Thomas, Harold Tobin, Sumant Jha, Julian Bunn
2025, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (115) 533-561
The ShakeAlert earthquake early warning (EEW) system partners along with U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) licensed operators deliver EEW alerts to the public and trigger automated systems when a significant earthquake is expected to impact California, Oregon, or Washington. ShakeAlert’s primary goal is to provide usable warning times before the arrival...
Recovering the American horseshoe crab through a commitment to collaboration
David R. Smith, Mark Botton, Paul Shin
2025, Fisheries (50) 255-267
American horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus populations are recovering because of cooperation among diverse stakeholders and data-driven collective action. Limulus polyphemus is one of four extant species facing common threats, and conservation successes and limitations hold lessons applicable to all the species. We review the advancement in management and monitoring over recent decades, discuss the...
Predictability and behavior of water transfers across basin boundaries
Ken Eng, Laura Medalie, Kenneth D. Skinner, Tamara Ivahnenko, Julian A. Heilman, Jared David Smith
2025, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (61)
Inter-basin water transfers (IBTs) are important components of water balances of basins, and they can have substantial impact on regional water availability. Flow information is often not available at locations with known IBTs, which is a drawback in several published IBT databases. Few, if any, studies examine whether IBT flow...
Evaluation of a carbon dioxide fish barrier through numerical modelling
Marcela Politano, Aaron R. Cupp, David Smith, Avery Schemmel, P. Ryan Jackson, Jeff Zuercher
2025, Meccanica (60) 1545-1560
The Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) is a potential route for the migration of aquatic invasive species from the Mississippi River Basin into the Great Lakes. Electric dispersal barriers were installed in the Chicago Sanitary Ship Canal, within CAWS, to prevent invasive fish from reaching the Great Lakes. Despite the...
Estimating recruitment rate and population dynamics at a migratory stopover site using an integrated population model
Anna Maureen Tucker, Conor P. McGowan, Bryan L. Nuse, James E. Lyons, Clinton T. Moore, David R. Smith, John A. Sweka, Kristen A. Anstead, Audrey DeRose-Wilson, Nigel A. Clark
2025, Ecosphere (14)
Consideration of the full annual cycle population dynamics can provide useful insight for conservation efforts, but collecting data needed to estimate demographic parameters is often logistically difficult. For species that breed in remote areas, monitoring is often conducted during migratory stopover or at nonbreeding sites, and the recruitment rate of...
Layered intrusions in the Precambrian: Observations and perspectives
William D. Smith, Michael Jenkins, Claudia T. Augustin, Ville J. Virtanen, Zoja Vukmanovic, Brian O’Driscoll
2024, Precambrian Research (415)
Layered intrusions are plutonic bodies of cumulates that form by the crystallization of mantle-derived melts. These intrusions are characterized by igneous layering distinguishable by shifts in mineralogy, texture, or composition. Layered intrusions have been fundamental to our understanding of igneous petrology; however, it is their status as important repositories of...
Predictive understanding of stream salinization in a developed watershed using machine learning
Jared David Smith, Lauren Elizabeth Koenig, Margaux Jeanne Sleckman, Alison P. Appling, Jeffrey M Sadler, Vincent T. DePaul, Zoltan Szabo
2024, Environmental Science and Technology (58) 18833
Stream salinization is a global issue, yet few models can provide reliable salinity estimates for unmonitored locations at the time scales required for ecological exposure assessments. Machine learning approaches are presented that use spatially limited high-frequency monitoring and spatially distributed discrete samples to estimate the daily...
Aridity drives the response of soil total and particulate organic carbon to drought in temperate grasslands and shrublands
Baoku Shi, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Alan K. Knapp, Melinda D. Smith, Sasha C. Reed, Brooke B. Osborne, Yolima Carrillo, Fernando T. Maestre, Yu Zhu, Anping Chen, Kate D Wilkins, Martin C. Holdrege, Andrew Kulmatiski, Catherine Picon-Cochard, Christiane Roscher, Sally A. Power, Kerry M. Byrne, Amber C. Churchill, Anke Jentsch, Hugh A. L. Henry, Karen H. Beard, Max A. Schuchardt, Nico Eisenhauer, Rafael Otfinowski, Yann Hautier, Huitao Shen, Yonghui Wang, Zhongwu Wang, Chengliang Wang, Daniela Francis Cusack, Alessandro Petraglia, Michele Carbognani, T'ai G.W. Forte, S. Luke Flory, Pengli Hou, Tao Zhang, Weifeng Gao, Wei Sun
2024, Science Advances (10)
The increasing prevalence of drought events in grasslands and shrublands worldwide potentially has impacts on soil organic carbon (SOC). We leveraged the International Drought Experiment to study how SOC, including particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) concentrations, responds to extreme drought treatments (1-in-100-year) for 1 to 5...
Feeding habits and ecological implications of the invasive Flathead Catfish in the Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania
Sydney Stark, Megan K. Schall, Geoffrey D. Smith, Aaron Maloy, Jason A. Coombs, Tyler Wagner, Julian Avery
2024, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (153) 591-610
ObjectiveFlathead Catfish Pylodictis olivaris are a widespread aquatic invasive species within the United States and a recent invader in the Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania. Flathead Catfish are piscivores known to consume native and recreationally important fish species. In the mid-Atlantic United States, it is unknown how this invader is...
Status and performance of the ShakeAlert® earthquake early warning system: 2019-2023
A.I. Lux, Deborah Smith, M. Böse, Jeffrey J. McGuire, Jessie K. Saunders, Minh Huynh, I. Stubailo, Jennifer R Andrews, G. Lotto, B. Crowell, S. Crane, R. M. Allen, Douglas D. Given, R. Hartog, T. Heaton, A. Husker, J. Marty, Leland O'Driscoll, H. Tobin, Sara K. McBride, D. Toomey
2024, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (114) 3041-3062
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)‐operated ShakeAlert® system is the United States West Coast earthquake early warning system (Given et al., 2018). In this study we detail ShakeAlert’s performance during some of the largest events seen by the system thus far. Statewide public alerting using ShakeAlert messages was authorized...
Population genetic structure and demographic history reconstruction of introduced flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) in two US Mid-Atlantic rivers
Justin Waraniak, Michael S. Eackles, Jason Keagy, Geoffrey D. Smith, Megan Schall, Sydney Stark, Shannon L. White, David C. Kazyak, Tyler Wagner
2024, Journal of Fish Biology
Population genetic analysis of invasive populations can provide valuable insights into the source of introductions, pathways for expansion, and their demographic histories. Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) are a prolific invasive species with high fecundity, long-distance dispersal, and piscivorous feeding habits that can lead to declines in native fish populations. In...
Post-fire sediment yield from a central California watershed: Field measurements and validation of the WEPP model
Amy E. East, Joshua B. Logan, Helen Willemien Dow, Douglas P. Smith, Pat Iampietro, Jonathan A. Warrick, Thomas Lorenson, Leticia Hallas, Benjamin Kozlowicz
2024, Earth and Space Science (11)
In a warming climate, an intensifying fire regime and higher likelihood of extreme rain are expected to increase watershed sediment yield in many regions. Understanding regional variability in landscape response to fire and post-fire rainfall is essential for managing water resources and infrastructure. We measured sediment yield...
Framework for implementing damping scaling factors in U.S. Geological Survey National Seismic Hazard Models
Andrew James Makdisi, Dallin Smith, Sanaz Rezaeian, Peter M. Powers, Kyle Withers
2024, Conference Paper
Traditionally, probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) has focused on calculating ground motion hazard curves for elastic, 5%-damped pseudo spectral accelerations, Sa(T,5%), which are used as the basis for engineering design parameters and targets for ground motion selection and modification. However, structures and geotechnical systems can exhibit a wide range of...
