Usurpation and brooding of Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) chicks by Common Terns (Sterna hirundo)
Jeffery D. Sullivan, Jonathan Irons, Anna Treadway, Ayla McDonough, Alyssa Lee, Amy O’Donnell, Carl R. Callahan, Peter C. McGowan, Diann Prosser
2024, Diversity (16)
While nest usurpation and subsequent incubation of eggs and even brooding of chicks from other species has been reported for Common Terns (Sterna hirundo), such behavior is considered rare. We report an observation of a Common Tern pair usurping the Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) nest and brooding...
The USGS 2023 Conterminous U.S. time‐independent earthquake rupture forecast
Edward H. Field, Kevin R. Milner, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Peter M. Powers, Frederick Pollitz, Andrea L. Llenos, Yuehua Zeng, Kaj M. Johnson, Bruce E. Shaw, Devin McPhillips, Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, Allison Shumway, Andrew J. Michael, Zheng-Kang Shen, Eileen L. Evans, Elizabeth H. Hearn, Charles Mueller, Arthur D. Frankel, Mark D. Petersen, Christopher DuRoss, Richard W. Briggs, Morgan T. Page, Justin Rubinstein, Julie A. Herrick
2024, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (114) 523-571
We present the 2023 U.S. Geological Survey time‐independent earthquake rupture forecast for the conterminous United States, which gives authoritative estimates of the magnitude, location, and time‐averaged frequency of potentially damaging earthquakes throughout the region. In addition to updating virtually all model components, a...
Divergent physiological responses of hydric and mesic riparian plant species to a Colorado River experimental flow
Bradley J. Butterfield, Emily C. Palmquist
2024, Plant Ecology (225) 125-133
Riparian plant species can differ in their responses to streamflow variation in ways that strongly influence the composition and functioning of riparian plant communities. Quantifying these differences and the potential asymmetry of responses to low- versus high-flow phases of stream fluctuations is important for predicting and...
A comprehensive fault system inversion approach: Methods and application to NSHM23
Kevin R. Milner, Edward H. Field
2024, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (114) 486-522
We present updated inversion‐based fault‐system solutions for the 2023 update to the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM23), standardizing earthquake rate model calculations on crustal faults across the western United States. We build upon the inversion methodology used in the Third Uniform California Earthquake...
Alaska's climate sensitive Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta supports seven million Arctic-breeding shorebirds, including the majority of six North American populations
James E. Lyons, Stephen C. Brown, Sarah T. Saalfeld, James A. Johnson, Brad A. Andres, Kristine M. Sowl, Robert E. Gill, Brian J. McCaffery, Lindall Kidd, Metta McGarvey, Brad Winn, H. River Gates, Diane A. Granfors, Richard B. Lanctot
2024, Ornithological Applications (126)
Baseline information about declining North American shorebird populations is essential to determine the effects of global warming at low-lying coastal areas of the Arctic and subarctic, where numerous taxa breed, and to assess population recovery throughout their range. We estimated population sizes on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in western Alaska...
Trophic ecology of juvenile lean and siscowet lake charr (Salvelinus namaycush) in Lake Superior: Assessing for potential competition
Brandon S. Gerig, Shawn P. Sitar, Will F Otte, Daniel L. Yule, Heidi K. Swanson, Charles R. Bronte, Dray Carl, Joshua Blankenheim
2024, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (81) 115-128
We investigated the spatial overlap, diet, isotopic niche, and growth of juvenile lean and siscowet lake charr (Salvelinus namaycush) in Lake Superior to address concerns of potential competition with implications to the study of resource polymorphism. Catch data revealed the greatest levels of sympatry in waters from...
Prospects of pollinator community surveillance using terrestrial environmental DNA metagenetics
Grace Avalos, Regina Trott, John Ballas, Chia Hua Lin, Clayton D. Raines, Deborah D. Iwanowicz, Karen Goodell, Rodney T. Richardson
2024, Environmental DNA (6)
Current pollinator survey methods exhibit bias, require highly-trained practitioners, and are difficult to scale to large sample sizes. High-throughput sequencing of terrestrial eDNA could provide a complementary tool for studying pollinator communities, but eDNA methods have not been extensively evaluated. We conducted metagenetic analysis...
Do topographic changes tell us about variability in aeolian sediment transport and dune mobility? Analysis of monthly to decadal surface changes in a partially vegetated and biocrust covered dunefield
Joshua Caster, Joel B. Sankey, Temuulen Ts. Sankey, Alan Kasprak, Matthew A. Bowker, Taylor Joyal
2024, Geomorphology (447)
Vegetation and biological soil crust (biocrust) cover can have a stabilizing effect on dunes by fixing sediment in-place and increasing surface roughness, thus limiting dune mobility, sediment transport, and erosion. These biological effects influence rates of aeolian activity and thus surficial changes, though variability in wind and sediment supply may...
Environmental DNA as a tool for better understanding the distribution, abundance, and health of Atlantic and Pacific salmon
Andrew M. Ramey, Cherie Marie Mckeeman, Eleni Leto Petrou, Damian M. Menning, Ora L. Russ, Andres Lopez
2024, Fisheries Magazine (49) 169-180
The development and application of approaches to detect and quantify environmental DNA (eDNA) have potential to improve our understanding of the distribution, abundance, and health of Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar and Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. Here, we review 61 articles focusing on eDNA applications pertaining to salmon occupying natural...
Habitat and dissolved organic carbon modulate variation in the biogeochemical drivers of mercury bioaccumulation in dragonfly larvae at the national scale
Sarah J. Nelson, James Willacker, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Colleen M Flanagan Pritz, Celia Y. Chen, Amanda J Klemmer, David P. Krabbenhoft
2024, Science of the Total Environment (912)
We paired mercury (Hg) concentrations in dragonfly larvae with water chemistry in 29 U.S. national parks to highlight how ecological and biogeochemical context (habitat, dissolved organic carbon [DOC]) influence drivers of Hg bioaccumulation. Although prior studies have defined influences of biogeochemical variables on Hg production and bioaccumulation, it has been...
Assessing microplastics contamination in unviable loggerhead sea turtle eggs
Lindsay F. Curl, Samantha A. Hurst, Christopher M. Pomory, Margaret Lamont, Alexis M. Janosik
2024, Science of the Total Environment (912)
Sea turtles, in comparison with marine mammals, sea birds, and fishes, are the most affected by microplastics in terms of number of individuals impacted and concentration within each organism. The ubiquitous nature and persistence of microplastics in the environment further compromises sea turtles as many species are currently vulnerable, endangered,...
Using an open-source tool to develop a three-dimensional hydrogeologic framework of the Kobo Valley, Ethiopia
Sisay Simachew Mekonen, Scott E. Boyce, Abdella K. Mohammed, Markus Disse
2024, Geosciences (14)
Groundwater resource management requires understanding the groundwater basin’s hydrogeology and would be improved with the development of a three-dimensional hydrogeologic framework model (HFM). A wide range of methods and software exist to quantify the extent, structure, and properties of geologic systems. However, most geologic software is proprietary and cost-prohibitive for...
Mapping development preferences on the perceived value of ecosystem services and land use conflict and compatibility in Greater Kuala Lumpur
Karen T. Lourdes, Chris N. Gibbins, Benson C. Sherrouse, Darius J. Semmens, Perrine Hamel, Ruzana Sanusi, Badrul Azhar, Jay Diffendorfer, Alex M. Lechner
2024, Urban Forestry & Urban Greening (92)
Rapid and unplanned development can diminish the social values for ecosystem services associated with urban landscapes. Tropical Global South cities, such as Greater Kuala Lumpur (GKL), Malaysia, that are highly biodiverse, are particularly vulnerable to the fragmentation and loss of natural ecosystems. This study investigates the social values for ecosystem...
The magmatic origin of the Columbia River Gorge, USA
Nathaniel Klema, Leif Karlstrom, Charles M. Cannon, Chengxin Jiang, Jim E. O'Connor, Ray Wells, Brandon Schmandt
2024, Science Advances (9)
Along subduction zones, high-relief topography is associated with sustained volcanism parallel to the plate margin. However, the relationship between magmatism and mountain building in arcs is poorly understood. Here, we study patterns of surface deformation and correlated fluvial knickpoints in the Columbia River Gorge to link long-term magmatism to the...
Precursors to a continental-arc ignimbrite flare-up: Early central volcanoes of the San Juan Mountains, Colorado, USA
Peter W. Lipman, Matthew J. Zimmerer, Amy K. Gilmer
2024, Geosphere (20) 23-73
Our newly acquired and recently published map, geochronologic, and compositional data for early intermediate-composition central volcanoes in the northeastern San Juan Mountains provide insights about the broad magmatic precursors to the large continental-arc ignimbrite flare-up in the mid-Cenozoic Southern Rocky Mountain volcanic field (SRMVF). Initial volcanism migrated from central Colorado...
Legacy sediment as a potential source of orthophosphate: Preliminary conceptual and geochemical models for the Susquehanna River, Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA
Charles A. Cravotta III, Travis L. Tasker, Peter M. Smyntek, Joel D. Blomquist, John W. Clune, Qian Zhang, Noah Schmadel, Natalie Katrina Schmer
2024, Science of the Total Environment (912)
Nutrient pollution from agriculture and urban areas plus acid mine drainage (AMD) from legacy coal mines are primary causes of water-quality impairment in the Susquehanna River, which is the predominant source of freshwater and nutrients entering the Chesapeake Bay. Recent increases in the delivery of dissolved orthophosphate (PO4)...
Rapid population decline in McKay's Bunting, an Alaskan endemic, highlights the species’ current status relative to international standards for vulnerable species
Rachel M. Richardson, Courtney L. Amundson, James A. Johnson, Marc D. Romano, Audrey R. Taylor, Michael D. Fleming, Steven M. Matsuoka
2024, Ornithological Applications (126)
The McKay’s Bunting (Plectrophenax hyperboreus) is endemic to Alaska, breeds solely on the remote and uninhabited St. Matthew and Hall islands (332 km2) in the central Bering Sea, and is designated as a species of high conservation concern due to its small population size and restricted range. A previous...
The 2022 Chaos Canyon landslide in Colorado: Insights revealed by seismic analysis, field investigations, and remote sensing
Kate E. Allstadt, Jeffrey A. Coe, Elaine Collins, Francis K. Rengers, Anne Mangeney, Scott M. Esser, Jana Pursley, William L. Yeck, John Bellini, Lance R. Brady
2024, Landslides (21) 309-325
An unusual, high-alpine, rapid debris slide originating in ice-rich debris occurred on June 28, 2022, at 16:33:16 MDT at the head of Chaos Canyon, a formerly glacier-covered valley in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, USA. In this study, we integrate eyewitness videos and seismic records of...
Non-native Rhizophora mangle as sinks for coastal contamination on Moloka'i, Hawai'i
Geoffrey Szafranski, Elise F. Granek, Michelle L. Hladik, Mia Hackett
2024, Environmental Advances (15)
Coastal mangrove forests provide a suite of environmental services, including sequestration of anthropogenic contamination. Yet, research lags on the environmental fate and potential human health risks of mangrove-sequestered contaminants in the context of mangrove removal for development and range shifts due to climate...
Exploring the uncertainty of machine learning models and geostatistical mapping of rare earth element potential in Indiana coals, USA
Snehamoy Chatterjee, C. Ozgen Karacan, Maria Mastalerz
2024, International Journal of Coal Geology (282)
Rare earth elements and yttrium (REEs) have a wide range of applications in high- and low-carbon technologies. The strategic significance of REEs has grown due to their expanding applications in manufacturing industries and the constrained availability of these essential resources. This research explores the...
Tagger effects in aquatic telemetry: Short-term and delayed impacts of surgery in Atlantic salmon smolts
Kurt C. Heim, Jonah L. Withers, Theodore Castro-Santos
2024, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (44) 262-275
ObjectiveAn assumption of biotelemetry is that animal performance is unaffected by the tagging process and tag burden, yet this assumption is often untested or not thoroughly explored. Our objective was to explore how transmitter implantation procedures influenced Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar smolt survival and migratory performance.MethodsWe...
Forecasting water levels using machine (deep) learning to complement numerical modelling in the southern Everglades, USA
Courtney S Forde, Biswa Bhattacharya, Dimitri Solomatine, Eric Swain, Nicholas Aumen
Gerald A. Corzo Perez, Dimitri Solomatine, editor(s)
2024, Book chapter, Advanced hydroinformatics: Machine learning and optimization for water resources
Water level is an important guide for water resource management and wetland ecosystems, defining one of the most basic processes in hydrology. This research seeks to investigate the possibility of complementing numerical modeling with a Machine Learning (ML) model to forecast daily water levels in the southern Everglades in Florida,...
The effects of vegetative feedbacks on flood shape, sediment transport, and geomorphic change in a dryland river: Moenkopi Wash, AZ
David J. Dean, David J. Topping
2024, Geomorphology (447)
Since the 1950s, Moenkopi Wash, in Arizona, United States, has been transformed from a relatively wide river with little riparian vegetation, to a narrow, heavily vegetated river that is less than half of its former width. We analyzed a ∼95-years-long instantaneous-discharge record, an extensive sediment-transport record, oblique and aerial photographs,...
Numbers of wildlife fatalities at renewable energy facilities in a targeted development region
Tara Conkling, Amy L. Fesnock, Todd E. Katzner
2024, PLoS ONE (18)
Increased interest in renewable energy has fostered development of wind and solar energy facilities globally. However, energy development sometimes has negative environmental impacts, such as wildlife fatalities. Efforts by regional land managers to balance energy potential while minimizing fatality risk currently rely on datasets that are aggregated at continental, but...
A new method for bioassessment of ecosystems with complex communities and environmental gradients
Donald Schoolmaster, Valerie A. Partridge
2024, Ecological Indicators (158)
Bioassessment of complex and heterogeneous ecosystems is a challenge when there are multiple, strong, natural environmental gradients; unknown, or spatially varying, mixtures of stressors; and large numbers of taxa with unknown responses to both the environmental gradients and the stressors. Current...
