Prairie Monitoring Protocol Development: North Coast and Cascades Network
Allen McCoy, Craig Dalby
2009, Open-File Report 2008-1168
The purpose of the project was to conduct research that will guide development of a standard approach to monitoring several components of prairies within the North Coast and Cascades Network (NCCN) parks. Prairies are an important element of the natural environment at many parks, including San Juan Island National Historical...
The crowbar chronicles and other tales
Susan E. Hough
2009, Seismological Research Letters (80) 615-616
The analysis of historical earthquakes often relies heavily on archival accounts describing the effects of shaking on structures and people. Newspaper articles are among the most common, useful, and easily found sources of information. Dramatic earthquake effects are almost certain to have made the news during historic times; the challenge...
Performance of spread spectrum Global Positioning System collars on grizzly and black bears
Charles C. Schwartz, Shannon Podruzny, Steven L. Cain, Steve Cherry
2009, Journal of Wildlife Management (73) 1174-1183
Global Positioning System (GPS) telemetry is a prevalent tool now used in the study of large mammals. Global Positioning Systems either store the data on board the collar or contain a remote-transfer system that allows for data recovery at more frequent intervals. Spread spectrum (S–S) technology is a new mode...
Review of the geologic history of the Pontchartrain Basin, northern Gulf of Mexico
James G Flocks, Mark Kulp, Jackie L Smith, S. Jeffress Williams
2009, Journal of Coastal Research (2009) 12-22
The Pontchartrain Basin extends over 44,000 km² from northern Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico and includes one of the largest and most important estuarine systems in the United States. The basin supports a variety of environments, from woodlands in the north to wetlands in the south, and a growing...
Survival rates and lifetime reproduction of breeding male Cooper’s Hawks in Wisconsin, 1980-2005
Robert N. Rosenfield, John Bielefeldt, Laura J. Rosenfield, Travis L. Booms, Michael A. Bozek
2009, Wilson Journal of Ornithology (121) 610-617
There are few published data on annual survival and no reports of lifetime reproduction for breeding Cooper's Hawks (Accipiter cooperii). Breeding males (n = 105) in central and southeastern Wisconsin had an annual mortality rate of 19%, or a survival rate of 81% for birds ≤10 years of age. We did...
Low prevalence of Trichomonas gallinae in urban and migratory Cooper's Hawks in northcentral North America
Robert N. Rosenfield, Stephen J. Taft, William E. Stout, Timothy G. Driscoll, David L. Evans, Michael A. Bozek
2009, Wilson Journal of Ornithology (121) 641-644
Trichomoniasis is a digestive tract disease caused by ingestion of the protozoan Trichomonas gallinae. This disease can be a significant source of mortality. No deaths of nestlings could be attributed to trichomoniasis in Cooper's Hawks (Accipiter cooperii) breeding in urban and rural environs in Wisconsin, North Dakota, and British Columbia. We...
Twelve Years of Monitoring Phosphorus and Suspended-Solids Concentrations and Yields in the North Fork Ninnescah River above Cheney Reservoir, South-Central Kansas 1997-2008
Mandy L. Stone, Jennifer L. Graham, Andrew C. Ziegler
2009, Fact Sheet 2009-3073
Cheney Reservoir, located on the North Fork Ninnescah River in south-central Kansas, is the primary water supply for the city of Wichita and an important recreational resource. Concerns about taste-and-odor occurrences in Cheney Reservoir have drawn attention to potential pollutants, including total phosphorus (TP) and total suspended solids (TSS). July...
Emergent insect production in post-harvest flooded agricultural fields used by waterbirds
Richard C. Moss, Steven C. Blumenshine, Julie Yee, Joseph P. Fleskes
2009, Wetlands (29) 875-883
California’s Tulare Lake Basin (TLB) is one of the most important waterbird areas in North America even though most wetlands there have been converted to cropland. To guide management programs promoting waterbird beneficial agriculture, which includes flooding fields between growing periods, we measured emergence rates of insects, an important waterbird...
Presettlement and modern disturbance regimes in coast redwood forests: Implications for the conservation of old-growth stands
Craig G. Lorimer, Daniel J. Porter, Mary Ann Madej, John D. Stuart, Stephen D. Veirs Jr., Steven P. Norman, Kevin L. O’Hara, William J. Libby
2009, Forest Ecology and Management (258) 1038-1054
Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), a western North American conifer of ancient lineage, has a paradoxical combination of late-successional characteristics and strong adaptations to disturbance. Despite its shade tolerance and heavy dominance of the canopy on many sites, redwood saplings are uncommon in upland old-growth stands. Information needed to ensure the...
Prey preferences and prey acceptance in juvenile Brown Treesnakes (Boiga irregularis)
Bjorn Lardner, Julie A. Savidge, Gordon H. Rodda, Robert N. Reed
2009, Herpetological Conservation and Biology (4) 313-323
On the Pacific island of Guam, control of the invasive Brown Treesnake (Boiga irregularis) relies largely on methods that use mice as bait. Juvenile B. irregularis feed primarily on lizards and their eggs, but little is known about their prey preference. We conducted an experiment to investigate preferences for, and...
A mosaic of diverse ideas: The ecological legacy of J. Frederick Grassle
Paul Snelgrove, Rose Petrecca, Karen I. Stocks, Cindy L. Van Dover, Cheryl A. Zimmer
2009, Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography (56) 1571-1576
During the 40 years (and counting) of his scientific career, J. Frederick Grassle has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of marine ecosystems from coral reefs to deep-sea sediments. His advocacy and passion for marine biodiversity in the form of myriad groundbreaking studies and influential reviews, his generosity of ideas...
Seismic monitoring to assess performance of structures in near-real time: Recent progress
Mehmet Celebi
2009, Book chapter, Seismic risk assessment and retrofitting: With special emphasis on existing low rise structures
Earlier papers have described how observed data from classical accelerometers deployed in structures or from differential GPS with high sampling ratios deployed at roofs of tall buildings can be configured to establish seismic health monitoring of structures. In these configurations, drift ratios are the main parametric indicator of damage condition...
Estimation of fuel conditions for fire danger assessment
Emilio Chuvieco, Jan W. Van Wagtendonk, David Riano, Marta Yebra, Susan L. Ustin
Emilio Chuvieco, editor(s)
2009, Book chapter, Earth observation of wildland fires in Mediterranean ecosystems
A review of physical and chemical properties of fuels relevant for fire ignition and propagation is presented, along with different methods to estimate those properties, with special emphasis on satellite imagery. The discussion is more extended on estimating fuel moisture trends and fuel geometrical properties....
Fires and landscape conservation in mediterranean ecosystems
Jan W. Van Wagtendonk
2009, Book chapter, Earth Observation of Wildland Fires in Mediterranean Ecosystems
Protected areas are some of the last remaining areas on Earth where fire can play its natural role at a landscape-scale. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has developed a system for categorizing protected areas. The role fire can play in the various categories depends on the management...
Methods of analysis: Determination of pyrethroid insecticides in water and sediment using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry
Michelle Hladik, Kelly L. Smalling, Kathryn Kuivila
2009, Techniques and Methods 5-C2
A method for the determination of 14 pyrethroid insecticides in environmental water and sediment samples is described. The method was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in response to increasing concern over the effects of pyrethroids on aquatic organisms. The pyrethroids included in this method are ones that are applied...
Investigation of Contaminated Groundwater at Solid Waste Management Unit 12, Naval Weapons Station Charleston, North Charleston, South Carolina, 2008
Don A. Vroblesky, Matthew D. Petkewich
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5166
The U.S. Geological Survey and the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast investigated natural and engineered remediation of chlorinated volatile organic compound (VOC) groundwater contamination at Solid Waste Management Unit 12 at the Naval Weapons Station Charleston, North Charleston, South Carolina, beginning in 2000. The primary contaminants of interest in the...
Land-Cover Change in the East Central Texas Plains, 1973-2000
Krista A. Karstensen
2009, Open-File Report 2009-1164
Project Background: The Geographic Analysis and Monitoring (GAM) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Land Cover Trends project is focused on understanding the rates, trends, causes, and consequences of contemporary U.S. land-use and land-cover change. The objectives of the study are to: (1) develop a comprehensive methodology for using...
NBII-SAIN Data Management Toolkit
Thomas E. Burley, John D. Peine
2009, Open-File Report 2009-1170
The Strategic Plan for the U.S. Geological Survey Biological Informatics Program (2005-2009) recognizes the need for effective data management: Though the Federal government invests more than $600 million per year in biological data collection, it is difficult to address these issues because of limited accessibility and lack of standards for data...
Channel morphology and bed sediment characteristics before and after habitat enhancement activities in the Uridil Property, Platte River, Nebraska, water-years 2005-2008
Paul J. Kinzel
2009, Open-File Report 2009-1147
Fluvial geomorphic data were collected by the United States Geological Survey from July 2005 to June 2008 (a time period within water years 2005 to 2008) to monitor the effects of habitat enhancement activities conducted in the Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust’s Uridil Property, located along the Platte River,...
USGS Water Data for Washington
Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey
2009, Fact Sheet 2009-3082
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been investigating the water resources of Washington State since the latter part of the 19th century. During this time, demand for water has evolved from primarily domestic and stock needs to the current complex requirements for public-water supplies, irrigation, power generation, navigation, ecological needs,...
Simulation of Groundwater Flow in the Coastal Plain Aquifer System of Virginia
Charles E. Heywood, Jason P. Pope
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5039
The groundwater model documented in this report simulates the transient evolution of water levels in the aquifers and confining units of the Virginia Coastal Plain and adjacent portions of Maryland and North Carolina since 1890. Groundwater withdrawals have lowered water levels in Virginia Coastal Plain aquifers and have resulted in...
Surveillance plan for the early detection of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in migratory birds in the United States: surveillance year 2009
Christopher J. Brand
2009, General Information Product 92
Executive Summary: This Surveillance Plan (Plan) describes plans for conducting surveillance of wild birds in the United States and its Territories and Freely-Associated States to provide for early detection of the introduction of the H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) subtype of the influenza A virus by migratory birds during...
An initial investigation of multidimensional flow and transverse mixing characteristics of the Ohio River near Cincinnati, Ohio
David J. Holtschlag
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5107
Two-dimensional hydrodynamic and transport models were applied to a 34-mile reach of the Ohio River from Cincinnati, Ohio, upstream to Meldahl Dam near Neville, Ohio. The hydrodynamic model was based on the generalized finite-element hydrodynamic code RMA2 to simulate depth-averaged velocities and flow depths. The generalized water-quality transport code RMA4...
Groundwater-flow model of the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system, northwestern Arkansas, southeastern Kansas, southwestern Missouri, and northeastern Oklahoma
John B. Czarnecki, Jonathan A. Gillip, Perry M. Jones, Daniel S. Yeatts
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5148
To assess the effect that increased water use is having on the long-term availability of groundwater within the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system, a groundwater-flow model was developed using MODFLOW 2000 for a model area covering 7,340 square miles for parts of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Vertically the model is...
Evaluation of Structural Best Management Practices for Highway Runoff in Beaufort and Colleton Counties, South Carolina, 2005-2006
Kevin Conlon, Celeste Journey
2009, Fact Sheet 2009-3001
As part of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program mandated in the Clean Water Act, the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is required to address the quality of stormwater runoff from state-maintained roadways. From 2005 to 2006, the SCDOT and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) worked...
