Bleaching, disease and recovery in the threatened scleractinian coral Acropora palmata in St. John, US Virgin Islands: 2003-2010
C.S. Rogers, E. M. Muller
2012, Coral Reefs (31) 807-819
A long-term study of the scleractinian coral Acropora palmata in the US Virgin Islands (USVI) showed that diseases, particularly white pox, are limiting the recovery of this threatened species. Colonies of A. palmata in Haulover Bay, within Virgin Islands National Park, St. John, were examined monthly in situ for signs...
Diet and conservation implications of an invasive chameleon, Chamaeleo jacksonii (Squamata: Chamaeleonidae) in Hawaii
Fred Kraus, Arthur Medeiros, David Preston, Catherine S. Jarnevich, Gordon H. Rodda
2012, Biological Invasions (14) 579-593
We summarize information on current distribution of the invasive lizard Chamaeleo jacksonii and predict its potential distribution in the Hawaiian Islands. Potential distribution maps are based on climate models developed from known localities in its native range and its Hawaiian range. We also present results of analysis of stomach contents...
Preliminary geologic map of the Stanardsville 7.5' quadrangle, Greene and Madison Counties, Virginia
William C. Burton, Christopher M. Bailey, E. Allen Crider
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1190
The Stanardsville 7.5-minute quadrangle is located about 30 kilometers north of Charlottesville, Virginia, in the eastern foothills of the Blue Ridge and within the Blue Ridge physiographic province. The quadrangle contains a small part of the eastern margin of Shenandoah National Park along Saddleback Mountain just north of Swift...
Ecology and conservation biology of avian malaria
Dennis A. LaPointe, Carter T. Atkinson, Michael D. Samuel
2012, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (1249) 211-226
Avian malaria is a worldwide mosquito-borne disease caused by Plasmodium parasites. These parasites occur in many avian species but primarily affect passerine birds that have not evolved with the parasite. Host pathogenicity, fitness, and population impacts are poorly understood. In contrast to continental species, introduced avian malaria poses a substantial...
Eastern mosquitofish resists invasion by nonindigenous poeciliids through agonistic behaviors
Kevin A. Thompson, Jeffrey E. Hill, Leo G. Nico
2012, Biological Invasions (14) 1515-1529
Florida is a hotspot for nonindigenous fishes with over 30 species established, although few of these are small-bodied species. One hypothesis for this pattern is that biotic resistance of native species is reducing the success of small-bodied, introduced fishes. The eastern mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki is common in many freshwater habitats...
Birds in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park: Summary of the 2010 inventory and monitoring program survey
Richard J. Camp, Seth W. Judge, Patrick J. Hart, Greg Kudray, Jacqueline M. Gaudioso, Bobby H. Hsu
2012, 'Elepaio (72) 1-5
The National Park Service (NPS) created the Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program in 1998 to establish baseline information and assess long-term trends in "vital signs" or key abiotic and biotic elements of National Parks (Fancy et al. 2009). The Pacific Island Network of the I&M Program developed a Landbirds Monitoring...
Feeding habitats of the Gulf sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi, in the Suwannee and Yellow rivers, Florida, as identified by multiple stable isotope analyses
Kenneth J. Sulak, James J. Berg, Michael T. Randall
2012, Environmental Biology of Fishes (95) 237-258
Stable 13C, 15N, and 34S isotopes were analyzed to define the feeding habitats of Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi in the Suwannee and Yellow River populations. For the majority (93.9%) of Suwannee subadults and adults, 13C and 34S signatures indicate use of nearshore marine waters as primary winter feeding habitat, probably due...
Dendrochemistry of multiple releases of chlorinated solvents at a former industrial site
Jean Christophe Balouet, Joel G. Burken, Frank Karg, Don Vroblesky, Kevin T. Smith, Hakan Grudd, Anders Rindby, Francois Beaujard, Michel Chalot
2012, Environmental Science & Technology (46) 9541-9547
Trees can take up and assimilate contaminants from the soil, subsurface, and groundwater. Contaminants in the transpiration stream can become bound or incorporated into the annual rings formed in trees of the temperate zones. The chemical analysis of precisely dated tree rings, called dendrochemistry, can be used to interpret past...
New plant records from Hawai'i Island
Linda W. Pratt, Keali’i F. Bio
2012, Bishop Museum Occasional Papers (113) 75-80
The following plant records from the island of Hawai'i include 2 new state records, 6 new island records, 3 new records of naturalized species previously known to be present on the island, and 1 range extension of an orchid recently reported as naturalized. All cited voucher specimens are deposited at...
Discovery of South American suckermouth armored catfishes (Loricariidae, Pterygoplichthys spp.) in the Santa Fe River drainage, Suwannee River basin, USA
Leo G. Nico, Peter L. Butt, Gerald R. Johnston, Howard L. Jelks, Matthew Kail, Stephen J. Walsh
2012, BioInvasions Records (1) 179-200
We report on the occurrence of South American suckermouth armored catfishes (Loricariidae) in the Suwannee River basin, southeastern USA. Over the past few years (2009-2012), loricariid catfishes have been observed at various sites in the Santa Fe River drainage, a major tributary of the Suwannee in the state of Florida....
Estimating pesticide sampling rates by the polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) in the presence of natural organic matter and varying hydrodynamic conditions
Lucner Charlestra, Aria Amirbahman, David L. Courtemanch, David A. Alvarez, Howard Patterson
2012, Environmental Pollution (169) 98-104
The polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) was calibrated to monitor pesticides in water under controlled laboratory conditions. The effect of natural organic matter (NOM) on the sampling rates (Rs) was evaluated in microcosms containing -1 of total organic carbon (TOC). The effect of hydrodynamics was studied by...
Influence of space use on fitness and the reintroduction success of the Laysan teal
M.H. Reynolds, Jeff S. Hatfield, L.P. Laniawe, M.S. Vekasy, J.L. Klavitter, P. Berkowitz, L.H. Crampton, J. R. Walters
2012, Animal Conservation (15) 305-317
Translocation is an important tool for wildlife conservation and biodiversity restoration, but an inefficient one because of the unpredictability of success. Predictors of success such as habitat quality of the release site and number of individuals released have been identified, but the dynamics of successful translocations remain poorly understood. In...
Passive thermal refugia provided warm water for Florida manatees during the severe winter of 2009-2010
B.M. Stith, D. H. Slone, M. de Wit, H.H. Edwards, C.A. Langtimm, E.D. Swain, L.E. Soderqvist, J.P. Reid
2012, Marine Ecology Progress Series (462) 287-301
Haloclines induced by freshwater inflow over tidal water have been identified as an important mechanism for maintaining warm water in passive thermal refugia (PTR) used by Florida manatees Trichechus manatus latirostris during winter in extreme southwestern Florida. Record-setting cold during winter 2009–2010 resulted in an unprecedented number of manatee deaths,...
The driving forces of land change in the Northern Piedmont of the United States
Roger F. Auch, Darrell E. Napton, Steven Kambly, Thomas R. Moreland Jr., Kristi L. Sayler
2012, Geographical Review (102) 53-75
Driving forces facilitate or inhibit land-use/land-cover change. Human driving forces include political, economic, cultural, and social attributes that often change across time and space. Remotely sensed imagery provides regional land-change data for the Northern Piedmont, an ecoregion of the United States that continued to urbanize after 1970 through conversion of...
Polyplacophora (Mollusca) from the San Diego Formation: A remarkable assemblage of fossil chitons from the Pliocene of southern Califoria
Michael J. Vendrasco, Douglas J. Eernisse, Charles L. Powell II, Christine Z. Fernandez
2012, Contributions in Science (520) 15-72
A rich chiton assemblage consisting of more than 15,000 valves (shell plates) was collected by George P. Kanakoff (1897–1973) from Pliocene exposures of the San Diego Formation just north of the U.S./Mexican border. The assemblage includes 16 extant species, three extinct species (Callistochiton sphaerae n. sp., Lepidozona kanakoffi n. sp.,...
Summary of bird-survey and banding results at W.L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge, 1998-2008
Joan Hagar
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1223
With some of the best remaining examples of oak habitats in the Willamette Valley, the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex (WVNWRC) has been implementing restoration efforts to reverse the successional trend towards Douglas-fir and maple that is threatening existing oak woodlands. The restoration work has been considered a model...
Surficial Geologic Map of Mesa Verde National Park, Montezuma County, Colorado
Paul E. Carrara
2012, Scientific Investigations Map 3224
Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado was established in 1906 to preserve and protect the artifacts and dwelling sites, including the famous cliff dwellings, of the Ancestral Puebloan people who lived in the area from about A.D. 550 to A.D. 1300. In 1978, the United Nations designated the park...
A climate trend analysis of Senegal
Christopher C. Funk, Jim Rowland, Alkhalil Adoum, Gary Eilerts, James Verdin, Libby White
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3123
This brief report, drawing from a multi-year effort by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), identifies modest declines in rainfall, accompanied by increases in air temperatures. These analyses are based on quality-controlled station observations. Conclusions: * Summer rains have remained steady in...
Atmospheric deposition, water-quality, and sediment data for selected lakes in Mount Rainer, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks, Washington, 2008-10
Rich W. Sheibley, James R. Foreman, Patrick W. Moran, Peter W. Swarzenski
2012, Data Series 721
To evaluate the potential effect from atmospheric deposition of nitrogen to high-elevation lakes, the U.S. Geological Survey partnered with the National Park Service to develop a "critical load" of nitrogen for sediment diatoms. A critical load is defined as the level of a given pollutant (in this case, nitrogen) at...
A review of the key genetic tools to assist imperiled species conservation: analyzing West Indian manatee populations
Robert K. Bonde, Peter M. McGuire, Margaret E. Hunter
2012, Journal of Marine Animals and Their Ecology (5) 8-19
Managers faced with decisions on threatened and endangered wildlife populations often are lacking detailed information about the species of concern. Integration of genetic applications will provide management teams with a better ability to assess and monitor recovery efforts on imperiled species. The field of molecular biology continues to progress...
Changes in water budgets and sediment yields from a hypothetical agricultural field as a function of landscape and management characteristics--A unit field modeling approach
Jason L. Roth, Paul D. Capel
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5203
Crop agriculture occupies 13 percent of the conterminous United States. Agricultural management practices, such as crop and tillage types, affect the hydrologic flow paths through the landscape. Some agricultural practices, such as drainage and irrigation, create entirely new hydrologic flow paths upon the landscapes where they are implemented. These hydrologic...
Urban habitat fragmentation and genetic population structure of bobcats in coastal southern California
E.W. Ruell, S.P.D. Riley, M.R. Douglas, M.F. Antolin, J.R. Pollinger, J.A. Tracey, L.M. Lyren, E. E. Boydston, Robert N. Fisher, K.R. Crooks
2012, American Midland Naturalist (168) 265-280
Although habitat fragmentation is recognized as a primary threat to biodiversity, the effects of urban development on genetic population structure vary among species and landscapes and are not yet well understood. Here we use non-invasive genetic sampling to compare the effects of fragmentation by major roads and urban development on...
A preliminary study of effects of feral pig density on native Hawaiian montane rainforest vegetation
Pamela Y. Scheffler, Linda Pratt, David Foote, Karl Magnacca
2012, Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit Technical Report 1-43
This study aimed to examine the effects of different levels of pig density on native Hawaiian forest vegetation. Pig sign was measured across four pig management units in the 'Öla'a Forest from 1998 through 2004 and pig density estimated based upon pig activity. Six paired vegetation monitoring plots were established...
Effects of a drawdown on plant communities in a freshwater impoundment at Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana
Rebecca J. Howard, Larry Allain
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5221
Disturbance is an important natural process in the creation and maintenance of wetlands. Water depth manipulation and prescribed fire are two types of disturbance commonly used by humans to influence vegetation succession and composition in wetlands with the intention of improving wildlife habitat value. A 6,475-hectare (ha) impoundment was constructed...
A two-phase sampling design for increasing detections of rare species in occupancy surveys
Krishna Pacifici, Robert M. Dorazio, Michael J. Dorazio
2012, Methods in Ecology and Evolution (3) 721-730
1. Occupancy estimation is a commonly used tool in ecological studies owing to the ease at which data can be collected and the large spatial extent that can be covered. One major obstacle to using an occupancy-based approach is the complications associated with designing and implementing an efficient survey. These...
