What is in a contour map? A region-based logical formalization of contour semantics
E. Lynn Usery, Torsten Hahmann
2015, Book chapter, Spatial information theory: 12th International Conference, COSIT 2015 Santa Fe, NM, USA, October 12–16, 2015, proceedings
Contours maps (such as topographic maps) compress the information of a function over a two-dimensional area into a discrete set of closed lines that connect points of equal value (isolines), striking a fine balance between expressiveness and cognitive simplicity. They allow humans to perform many common sense reasoning tasks...
Assessment and Mmanagement of North American horseshoe crab populations, with emphasis on a multispecies framework for Delaware Bay, U.S.A. populations: Chapter 24
Michael J. Millard, John A. Sweka, Conor P. McGowan, David R. Smith
2015, Book chapter, Changing Global Perspectives on Horseshoe Crab Biology, Conservation and Management
The horseshoe crab fishery on the US Atlantic coast represents a compelling fishery management story for many reasons, including ecological complexity, health and human safety ramifications, and socio-economic conflicts. Knowledge of stock status and assessment and monitoring capabilities for the species have increased greatly in the last 15 years and...
Biofilm formation of Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis
Esteban Soto, Iona Halliday-Wimmonds, Stewart Francis, Michael T. Kearney, John D. Hansen
2015, Veterinary Microbiology (181) 313-317
Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis (Fno) is an emergent fish pathogen in both marine and fresh water environments. The bacterium is suspected to persist in the environment even without the presence of a suitable fish host. In the present study, the influence of different abiotic factors such as salinity and temperature were used to...
Streambed scour evaluations and conditions at selected bridge sites in Alaska, 2012
Robin A. Beebee, Paul V. Schauer
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5154
Streambed scour potential was evaluated at 18 river- and stream-spanning bridges in Alaska that have unknown foundation details or a lack of existing scour analysis. All sites were evaluated for stream stability and long-term scour potential. Contraction scour and abutment scour were calculated for 17 bridges, and pier scour was...
Piscine reovirus: Genomic and molecular phylogenetic analysis from farmed and wild salmonids collected on the Canada/US Pacific Coast
Ahmed Siah, Diane B. Morrison, Elena Fringuelli, Paul S. Savage, Zina Richmond, Maureen K. Purcell, Robert Johns, Stewart C. Johnson, Sonja M. Sakasida
2015, PLoS ONE (10)
Piscine reovirus (PRV) is a double stranded non-enveloped RNA virus detected in farmed and wild salmonids. This study examined the phylogenetic relationships among different PRV sequence types present in samples from salmonids in Western Canada and the US, including Alaska (US), British Columbia (Canada) and Washington State (US). Tissues testing...
Estimating occupancy dynamics for large-scale monitoring networks: amphibian breeding occupancy across protected areas in the northeast United States
David A.W. Miller, Evan H. Campbell Grant
2015, Ecology and Evolution (5) 4735-4746
Regional monitoring strategies frequently employ a nested sampling design where a finite set of study areas from throughout a region are selected within which intensive sub-sampling occurs. This sampling protocol naturally lends itself to a hierarchical analysis to account for dependence among sub-samples. Implementing such an analysis within a classic...
Evidence of population resistance to extreme low flows in a fluvial-dependent fish species
Rachel A. Katz, Mary Freeman
2015, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (11) 1776-1787
Extreme low streamflows are natural disturbances to aquatic populations. Species in naturally intermittent streams display adaptations that enhance persistence during extreme events; however, the fate of populations in perennial streams during unprecedented low-flow periods is not well-understood. Biota requiring swift-flowing habitats may be especially vulnerable to flow reductions. We estimated...
Determining habitat quality for species that demonstrate dynamic habitat selection
James M. Beerens, Peter C Frederick, Erik G Noonburg, Dale E. Gawlik
2015, Ecology and Evolution (5) 5685-5697
Determining habitat quality for wildlife populations requires relating a species' habitat to its survival and reproduction. Within a season, species occurrence and density can be disconnected from measures of habitat quality when resources are highly seasonal, unpredictable over time, and patchy. Here we establish an explicit link among dynamic selection...
Record-high specific conductance and temperature in San Francisco Bay during water year 2014
Maureen A. Downing-Kunz, Paul Work, Gregory Shellenbarger
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1213
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has operated a water-quality monitoring network in San Francisco Bay since the late 1980s (Buchanan and others, 2015). This network includes 19 stations in the bay; currently, 8 stations are in operation (fig. 1). All eight stations are equipped with specific conductance (which can be...
Geotechnical effects of the 2015 magnitude 7.8 Gorkha, Nepal, earthquake and aftershocks
Robb E. S. Moss, Eric M. Thompson, D Scott Kieffer, Binod Tiwari, Youssef M A Hashash, Indra Acharya, Basanta Adhikari, Domniki Asimaki, Kevin B. Clahan, Brian D. Collins, Sachindra Dahal, Randall W. Jibson, Diwakar Khadka, Amy Macdonald, Chris L M Madugo, H Benjamin Mason, Menzer Pehlivan, Deepak Rayamajhi, Sital Uprety
2015, Seismological Research Letters (86) 1514-1523
This article summarizes the geotechnical effects of the 25 April 2015 M 7.8 Gorkha, Nepal, earthquake and aftershocks, as documented by a reconnaissance team that undertook a broad engineering and scientific assessment of the damage and collected perishable data for future analysis. Brief descriptions are provided of ground shaking, surface fault rupture,...
Summary of hydrologic modeling for the Delaware River Basin using the Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER)
Tanja N. Williamson, Jeremiah G. Lant, Peter R. Claggett, Elizabeth A. Nystrom, Paul C.D. Milly, Hugh L. Nelson, Scott A. Hoffman, Susan J. Colarullo, Jeffrey M. Fischer
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5143
The Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER) is a decision support system for the nontidal part of the Delaware River Basin that provides a consistent and objective method of simulating streamflow under historical, forecasted, and managed conditions. In order to quantify the uncertainty associated with these simulations, however, streamflow...
User manuals for the Delaware River Basin Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (DRB–WATER) and associated WATER application utilities
Tanja N. Williamson, Jeremiah G. Lant
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1196
The Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER) is a decision support system (DSS) for the nontidal part of the Delaware River Basin (DRB) that provides a consistent and objective method of simulating streamflow under historical, forecasted, and managed conditions. WATER integrates geospatial sampling of landscape characteristics, including topographic and...
Topographic and Hydrographic GIS Datasets for the Afghanistan Geological Survey and U.S. Geological Survey 2014 Mineral Areas of Interest
Jessica D. DeWitt, Peter G. Chirico, Katherine C. Malpeli
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1181
Mineral extraction and associated industries play an important role in the Afghan economy, particularly in the “transitional era” of declining foreign aid and withdrawal of foreign troops post 2014. In addition to providing a substantial source of government revenue, other potential benefits of natural resource development include boosted exports, employment...
Winter habitat associations of blackbirds and starlings wintering in the south-central United States
Matthew Strassburg, Shawn M. Crimmins, Patrick C. McKann, Wayne E. Thogmartin
2015, Human-Wildlife Interactions (9) 171-179
Birds can cause extensive crop damage in the United States. In some regions, depredating species comprise a substantial portion of the total avian population, emphasizing their importance both economically and ecologically. We used the National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count data from the south-central United States and mixed-effects models to...
Mapping physiological suitability limits for malaria in Africa under climate change
Sadie J. Ryan, Amy McNally, Leah R. Johnson, Erin A. Mordecai, Tal Ben-Horin, Krijn P. Paaijmans, Kevin D. Lafferty
2015, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases (15) 718-725
We mapped current and future temperature suitability for malaria transmission in Africa using a published model that incorporates nonlinear physiological responses to temperature of the mosquito vector Anopheles gambiae and the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. We found that a larger area of Africa currently experiences the ideal temperature for transmission than previously supposed....
Porphyry copper assessment of the Tethys region of western and southern Asia: Chapter V in Global mineral resource assessment
Lukas Zürcher, Arthur A. Bookstrom, Jane M. Hammarstrom, John C. Mars, Stephen Ludington, Michael L. Zientek, Pamela Dunlap, John C. Wallis, Lawrence J. Drew, David M. Sutphin, Byron R. Berger, Richard J. Herrington, Mario Billa, Ilkay Kuscu, Charles J. Moon, Jeremy P. Richards
Michael L. Zientek, Jane M. Hammarstrom, Kathleen M. Johnson, editor(s)
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5090-V
A probabilistic mineral resource assessment of undiscovered resources in porphyry copper deposits in the Tethys region of western and southern Asia was carried out as part of a global mineral resource assessment led by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The purpose of the study was to delineate geographic areas as...
Fat, weather, and date affect migratory songbirds’ departure decisions, routes, and time it takes to cross the Gulf of Mexico
Jill L. Deppe, Michael P. Ward, Rachel T. Bolus, Robert H. Diehl, A. Celis-Murillo, Theodore J. Zenzal, Frank R. Moore, Thomas J. Benson, Jaclyn A. Smolinsky, Lynn N. Schofield, David A. Enstrom, Eben H. Paxton, Gil Bohrer, Tara A. Beveroth, Arlo Raim, Renee L. Obringer, David Delaney, William W. Cochran
2015, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (112) E6331-E6338
Approximately two thirds of migratory songbirds in eastern North America negotiate the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), where inclement weather coupled with no refueling or resting opportunities can be lethal. However, decisions made when navigating such features and their consequences remain largely unknown due to technological limitations of tracking small animals...
Genetic variation underlying resistance to infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus in a steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) population
Marine S. O. Brieuc, Maureen K. Purcell, Alexander D. Palmer, Kerry A. Naish
2015, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms (117) 77-83
Understanding the mechanisms of host resistance to pathogens will allow insights into the response of wild populations to the emergence of new pathogens. Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is endemic to the Pacific Northwest and infectious to Pacific salmon and trout (Oncorhynchus spp.). Emergence of the M genogroup of IHNV in...
Simulating range-wide population and breeding habitat dynamics for an endangered woodland warbler in the face of uncertainty
Adam Duarte, Jeffrey Hatfield, Todd M. Swannack, Michael R. J. Forstner, M. Clay Green, Floyd W. Weckerly
2015, Ecological Modelling (320) 52-61
Population viability analyses provide a quantitative approach that seeks to predict the possible future status of a species of interest under different scenarios and, therefore, can be important components of large-scale species’ conservation programs. We created a model and simulated range-wide population and breeding habitat dynamics for an endangered woodland...
Web based visualization of large climate data sets
Jay R. Alder, Steven W. Hostetler
2015, Environmental Modelling and Software (68) 175-180
We have implemented the USGS National Climate Change Viewer (NCCV), which is an easy-to-use web application that displays future projections from global climate models over the United States at the state, county and watershed scales. We incorporate the NASA NEX-DCP30 statistically downscaled temperature and precipitation for 30 global climate models...
Ecotoxicoparasitology: Understanding mercury concentrations in gut contents, intestinal helminths and host tissues of Alaskan gray wolves (Canis lupus)
Ashley K. McGrew, Todd M. O'Hara, Craig A. Stricker, Margaret Castellini, Kimberlee B. Beckmen, Mo D. Salman, Lora R. Ballweber
2015, Science of the Total Environment (536) 866-871
Some gastrointestinal helminths acquire nutrients from the lumen contents in which they live; thus, they may be exposed to non-essential elements, such as mercury (Hg), during feeding. The objectives of this study were: 1) determine the total mercury concentrations ([THg]) in Gray wolves (Canis lupus) and their parasites, and 2)...
Dynamic response of desert wetlands to abrupt climate change
Kathleen B. Springer, Craig R. Manker, Jeffrey S. Pigati
2015, PNAS (112) 14522-14526
Desert wetlands are keystone ecosystems in arid environments and are preserved in the geologic record as groundwater discharge (GWD) deposits. GWD deposits are inherently discontinuous and stratigraphically complex, which has limited our understanding of how desert wetlands responded to past episodes of rapid climate change. Previous studies have shown that...
Anaerobic chemolithotrophic growth of the haloalkaliphilic bacterium strain MLMS‑1 by disproportionation of monothioarsenate
B. Planer-Friedrich, C. Hartig, R. Lohmayer, E. Suess, Shelley McCann, Ronald S. Oremland
2015, Environmental Science & Technology (49) 6554-6563
A novel chemolithotrophic metabolism based on a mixed arsenic−sulfur species has been discovered for the anaerobic deltaproteobacterium, strain MLMS-1, a haloalkaliphile isolated from Mono Lake, California, U.S. Strain MLMS‑1 is the first reported obligate arsenate-respiring chemoautotroph which grows by coupling arsenate reduction to arsenite with the oxidation of sulfide to...
Storage in California’s reservoirs and snowpack in this time of drought
Michael D. Dettinger, Michael L. Anderson
2015, San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science (13)
The San Francisco Bay and Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Delta) are the recipients of inflows from a watershed that spans much of California and that has ties to nearly the entire state. Historically, California has buffered its water supplies and flood risks both within—and beyond—the Delta’s catchment by developing many reservoirs, large and small, high and low. Most...
Karst mapping in the United States: Past, present and future
David J. Weary, Daniel H. Doctor
2015, GSA Special Papers (516) 177-211
The earliest known comprehensive karst map of the entire USA was published by Stringfield and LeGrand (1969), based on compilations of William E. Davies of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Various versions of essentially the same map have been published since. The USGS recently published new digital maps and databases...
