Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus): Spreading by fire
Noel B. Pavlovic, Stacey A. Leicht-Young, Ralph Grundel
2016, Forest Ecology and Management (364) 183-194
In many forest ecosystems, fire is critical in maintaining indigenous plant communities, but can either promote or arrest the spread of invasive species depending on their regeneration niche and resprouting ability. We examined the effects of cutting and burning treatments on the vegetative response (cover, stem density) and root resources...
Characterization of available light for seagrass and patch reef productivity in Sugarloaf Key, Lower Florida Keys
Gerardo Toro-Farmer, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Maria Vega-Rodriguez, Nelson Melo, Kimberly K. Yates, Elizabeth Johns, Sergio Cerdeira-Estrada, Stan R. Herwitz
2016, Remote Sensing (8) 1-20
Light availability is an important factor driving primary productivity in benthic ecosystems, but in situ and remote sensing measurements of light quality are limited for coral reefs and seagrass beds. We evaluated the productivity responses of a patch reef and a seagrass site in the Lower Florida Keys to ambient...
Land uses, fire, and invasion: Exotic annual Bromus and human dimensions
David A. Pyke, Jeanne C. Chambers, Jeffrey L. Beck, Matthew L. Brooks, Brian A. Mealor
2016, Book chapter, Exotic brome-grasses in arid and semiarid ecosystems of the western US
Human land uses are the primary cause of the introduction and spread of exotic annual Bromus species. Initial introductions were likely linked to contaminated seeds used by homesteading farmers in the late 1880s and early 1900s. Transportation routes aided their spread. Unrestricted livestock grazing from the 1800s through...
Soil moisture and biogeochemical factors influence the distribution of annual Bromus species
Jayne Belnap, John Thomas Stark, Benjamin Rau, Edith B. Allen, Susan L. Phillips
2016, Book chapter, Exotic brome-grasses in arid and semiarid ecosystems of the western US
Abiotic factors have a strong influence on where annual Bromus species are found. At the large regional scale, temperature and precipitation extremes determine the boundaries of Bromus occurrence. At the more local scale, soil characteristics and climate influence distribution, cover, and performance. In hot, dry, summer-rainfall-dominated...
Introduction: Exotic annual Bromus in the western USA
Matthew J. Germino, Jeanne C. Chambers, Cynthia S. Brown
2016, Book chapter, Exotic brome-grasses in arid and semiarid ecosystems of the western US
The spread and impacts of exotic species are unambiguous, global threats to many ecosystems. A prominent example is the suite of annual grasses in the Bromus genus (Bromus hereafter) that originate from Europe and Eurasia but have invaded or are invading large areas of the Western USA. This book...
Plant community resistance to invasion by Bromus species: The roles of community attributes, Bromus interactions with plant communities, and Bromus traits
Jeanne Chambers, Matthew J. Germino, Jayne Belnap, Cynthia Brown, Eugene W. Schupp, Samuel B St. Clair
2016, Book chapter, Exotic brome-grasses in arid and semiarid ecosystems of the western US
The factors that determine plant community resistance to exotic annual Bromus species (Bromus hereafter) are diverse and context specific. They are influenced by the environmental characteristics and attributes of the community, the traits of Bromus species, and the direct and indirect interactions of <i...
Ecosystem impacts of exotic annual invaders in the genus Bromus
Matthew J. Germino, Jayne Belnap, John M. Stark, Edith B. Allen, Benjamin M. Rau
2016, Book chapter, Exotic brome-grasses in arid and semiarid ecosystems of the western US
An understanding of the impacts of exotic plant species on ecosystems is necessary to justify and guide efforts to limit their spread, restore natives, and plan for conservation. Invasive annual grasses such as Bromus tectorum, B. rubens, B. hordeaceus, and B. diandrus (hereafter collectively referred to as <i...
Long period seismicity and very long period infrasound driven by shallow magmatic degassing at Mount Pagan, Mariana Islands
John J. Lyons, Matthew M. Haney, Cynthia A. Werner, Peter J. Kelly, Matthew R. Patrick, Christoph Kern, Frank A. Trusdell
2016, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (121) 188-209
Long period (LP) seismicity and very long period infrasound (iVLP) were recorded during continuous degassing from Mount Pagan, Mariana Islands, in July 2013 to January 2014. The frequency content of the LP and iVLP events and delay times between the two arrivals were remarkably stable and indicate nearly co-located sources....
Coupled downscaled climate models and ecophysiological metrics forecast habitat compression for an endangered estuarine fish
Larry R. Brown, Lisa M Komoroske, R Wayne Wagner, Tara Morgan-King, Jason T. May, Richard E Connon, Nann A. Fangue
2016, PLoS ONE
Climate change is driving rapid changes in environmental conditions and affecting population and species’ persistence across spatial and temporal scales. Integrating climate change assessments into biological resource management, such as conserving endangered species, is a substantial challenge, partly due to a mismatch between global climate forecasts and local or regional...
Delineation of the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley groundwater basin, Nevada
Joseph M. Fenelon, Keith J. Halford, Michael T. Moreo
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5175
This report delineates the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley (PMOV) groundwater basin, where recharge occurs, moves downgradient, and discharges to Oasis Valley, Nevada. About 5,900 acre-feet of water discharges annually from Oasis Valley, an area of springs and seeps near the town of Beatty in southern Nevada. Radionuclides in groundwater beneath Pahute...
Life history variation among four lake trout morphs at Isle Royale, Lake Superior
Michael J. Hansen, Nancy A. Nate, Andrew M. Muir, Charles R. Bronte, Mara S. Zimmerman, Charles C. Krueger
2016, Journal of Great Lakes Research (42) 421-432
Life history traits were compared among four morphs of lake trout at Isle Royale, Lake Superior. Of 738 lake trout caught at Isle Royale, 701 were assigned to a morph (119 humpers, 160 leans, 85 redfins, and 337 siscowets) using a combination of statistical analysis of head and body shape...
A plan for study of hexavalent chromium, CR(VI) in groundwater near a mapped plume, Hinkley, California, 2016
John A. Izbicki, Krishangi D. Groover
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1004
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) Hinkley compressor station, in the Mojave Desert 80 miles northeast of Los Angeles, is used to compress natural gas as it is transported through a pipeline from Texas to California. Between 1952 and 1964, cooling water used at the compressor station was treated...
Stratigraphic revision of the Cooper Group and the Chandler and Edisto Formations in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina
Robert E. Weems, Barry Albright, Laurel M. Bybell, David J. Cicimurri, Lucy E. Edwards, W. Burleigh Harris, William C. Lewis, Jason E. Osborne, Albert E. Sanders, Jean Self-Trail
2016, South Carolina Geology (49) 1-24
No abstract available. ...
Mercury concentrations in eggs of red-winged blackbirds and tree swallows breeding in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
Robin W. Tyser, Kristofer R. Rolfhus, James G. Wiener, Steve K. Windels, Thomas W. Custer, Paul M. Dummer
2016, Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (71) 16-25
Most investigations of the environmental effects of mercury (Hg) have focused on aquatic food webs that include piscivorous fish or wildlife. However, recent investigations have shown that other species, including passerine songbirds, may also be at risk from exposure to methylmercury (MeHg). We quantified Hg concentrations in eggs of two...
Differences in energy expenditures and growth dilution explain higher PCB concentrations in male summer flounder
Charles P. Madenjian, Olaf P. Jensen, Richard R. Rediske, James P. O'Keefe, Anthony R. Vastano, Steven A. Pothoven
2016, PLoS ONE (11) 1-20
Comparison of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations between the sexes of mature fish may reveal important behavioral and physiological differences between the sexes. We determined whole-fish PCB concentrations in 23 female summer flounder Paralichthys dentatusand 27 male summer flounder from New Jersey coastal waters. To investigate the potential for differences in diet...
Volatile-organic molecular characterization of shale-oil produced water from the Permian Basin
Naima A. Khan, Mark A. Engle, Barry Dungan, F. Omar Holguin, Pei Xu, Kenneth C. Carroll
2016, Chemosphere (148) 126-136
Growth in unconventional oil and gas has spurred concerns on environmental impact and interest in beneficial uses of produced water (PW), especially in arid regions such as the Permian Basin, the largest U.S. tight-oil producer. To evaluate environmental impact, treatment, and reuse potential, there is a need to characterize the...
Fish assemblage composition and mapped mesohabitat features over a range of streamflows in the Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico, winter 2011-12, summer 2012
Daniel K. Pearson, Christopher L. Braun, J. Bruce Moring
2016, Scientific Investigations Map 3350
This report documents differences in the mapped spatial extents and physical characteristics of in-channel fish habitat evaluated at the mesohabitat scale during winter 2011–12 (moderate streamflow) and summer 2012 (low streamflow) at 15 sites on the Middle Rio Grande in New Mexico starting about 3 kilometers downstream from Cochiti Dam...
Development of working hypotheses linking management of the Missouri River to population dynamics of Scaphirhynchus albus (pallid sturgeon)
Robert B. Jacobson, Michael J. Parsley, Mandy L. Annis, Michael E. Colvin, Timothy L. Welker, Daniel A. James
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1236
This report documents a process of filtering of hypotheses that relate Missouri River Scaphirhynchus albus (pallid sturgeon) population dynamics to management actions including flow alterations, channel reconfigurations, and pallid sturgeon population augmentation. The filtering process was a partnership among U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Fish...
Ecological requirements for pallid sturgeon reproduction and recruitment in the Missouri River—Annual report 2013
Aaron J. Delonay, Robert B. Jacobson, Kimberly A. Chojnacki, Patrick J. Braaten, Kevin J. Buhl, Brandon L Eder, Caroline M. Elliott, Susannah O. Erwin, David B. Fuller, Tyler M. Haddix, Hallie L.A. Ladd, Gerald E. Mestl, Diana M. Papoulias, Jason C. Rhoten, Christopher J. Wesolek, Mark L. Wildhaber
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1197
The Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project is a multiyear, multiagency collaborative research framework developed to provide information to support pallid sturgeon recovery and Missouri River management decisions. The project strategy integrates field and laboratory studies of pallid sturgeon reproductive ecology, early life history, habitat requirements, and physiology. The project scope of...
Bivalve effects on the food web supporting delta smelt - A long-term study of bivalve recruitment, biomass, and grazing rate patterns with varying freshwater outflow
Jeff S. Crauder, Janet K. Thompson, Francis Parchaso, Rosa I. Anduaga, Sarah A. Pearson, Karen Gehrts, Heather Fuller, Elizabeth Wells
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1005
Executive Summary Phytoplankton is an important and limiting food source in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (the Delta) and San Francisco Bay; the decline of phytoplankton biomass is one possible factor in the pelagic organism decline and specifically in the decline of the protected delta smelt. The bivalves Corbicula fluminea andPotamocorbula amurensis...
Ecological requirements for pallid sturgeon reproduction and recruitment in the Missouri River—A synthesis of science, 2005 to 2012
Aaron J. Delonay, Kimberly A. Chojnacki, Robert B. Jacobson, Janice L. Albers, Patrick J. Braaten, Edward A. Bulliner, Caroline M. Elliott, Susannah O. Erwin, David B Fuller, Justin D. Haas, Hallie L.A. Ladd, Gerald E. Mestl, Diana M. Papoulias, Mark L. Wildhaber
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5145
This report is intended to synthesize the state of the scientific understanding of pallid sturgeon ecological requirements to provide recommendations for future science directions and context for Missouri River restoration and management decisions. Recruitment of pallid sturgeon has been low to non-existent throughout its range. Emerging understanding of the genetic...
Occurrence and trends in the concentrations of fecal-indicator bacteria and the relation to field water-quality parameters in the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers and selected tributaries, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 2001–09
John W. Fulton, Edward H. Koerkle, Jamie L. McCoy, Linda F. Zarr
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5136
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department and Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, collected surface-water samples from the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers and selected tributaries during the period 2001–09 to assess the occurrence and trends in the concentrations of fecal-indicator bacteria during both wet-...
Modeled streamflow metrics on small, ungaged stream reaches in the Upper Colorado River Basin
Lindsay V. Reynolds, Patrick B. Shafroth
2016, Data Series 974
Modeling streamflow is an important approach for understanding landscape-scale drivers of flow and estimating flows where there are no streamgage records. In this study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with Colorado State University, the objectives were to model streamflow metrics on small, ungaged streams in the Upper...
Interacting effects of latitude, mass, age, and sex on winter survival of Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata): Implications for differential migration
Brian D. Uher-Koch, Daniel Esler, Samuel A. Iverson, David H. Ward, Sean Boyd, Molly Kirk, Tyler L. Lewis, Corey S. VanStratt, Katherine M. Brodhead, Jerry W. Hupp, Joel A. Schmutz
2016, Canadian Journal of Zoology (94) 233-241
We quantified variation in winter survival of Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata (L., 1758)) across nearly 30° of latitude on the Pacific coast of North America to evaluate potential effects on winter distributions, including observed differential distributions of age and sex classes. We monitored fates of 297 radio-marked Surf...
Can pore-clogging by ash explain post-fire runoff?
Cathelijne R. Stoof, Anouk I. Gevaert, Christine Baver, Bahareh Hassanpour, Veronica L. Morales, Wei Zhang, Deborah A. Martin, Shree K. Giri, Tammo S. Steenhuis
2016, International Journal of Wildland Fire (25) 294-305
Ash plays an important role in controlling runoff and erosion processes after wildfire and has frequently been hypothesised to clog soil pores and reduce infiltration. Yet evidence for clogging is incomplete, as research has focussed on identifying the presence of ash in soil; the actual flow processes remain unknown. We...
