Can we prove that an undetected species is absent? Evaluating whether brown treesnakes are established on the island of Saipan using surveillance and expert opinion
Amy A. Yackel Adams, Patrick D Barnhart, Gordon H. Rodda, Eric T. Hileman, Melia Gail Nafus, Robert Reed
2021, Management of Biological Invasions (12) 901-926
Detection of invasive species and decisions centered around early detection and rapid response (EDRR) are notorious challenges for decision makers. Detection probability is low for cryptic species, resources are limited, and ecological harm (especially for island ecosystems) can result from...
Wolf use of humanmade objects during pup-rearing
David Edward Ausband
2021, Animal Behavior and Cognition (8) 405-414
Some animals use humanmade objects for building and constructing nests or shelter and even for play. Gray wolves (Canis lupus) gather and use humanmade objects discovered in their natural environment. Gathering humanmade objects is a peculiar behavior particularly when there is no immediately apparent benefit to survival or...
NGA-Subduction research program
Yousef Bozorgnia, Norman A. Abrahamson, Sean Kamran Ahdi, Timothy D. Ancheta, Linda Al Atik, Ralph J. Archuleta, Gail M. Atkinson, David M Boore, Kenneth W. Campbell, Brian S-J Chiou, Victor Contreras, Robert B. Darragh, Sahar Derakhshan, Jennifer L Donahue, Nick Gregor, Zeynep Gulerce, Izzat M Idriss, Chengxin Jiang, Tadahiro Kishida, Albert R. Kottke, Nicolas Kuehn, Dongyoup Kwak, Annie O-L Kwok, Person Lin, Jorge Macedo, Silvia Mazzoni, Saburoh Midorikawa, Sifat Muin, Grace Alexandra Parker, Sanaz Rezaeian, Hongjun Si, Walter J Silva, Jonathan P. Stewart, Melanie Walling, Katie Wooddell, Robert R Youngs
2021, Earthquake Spectra (38) 783-798
This article summarizes the Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) Subduction (NGA-Sub) project, a major research program to develop a database and ground motion models (GMMs) for subduction regions. A comprehensive database of subduction earthquakes recorded worldwide was developed. The database includes a total of 214,020 individual records from...
Geographic variation in dispersal of western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) populations across North America
Alberto Macias-Duarte, Courtney J. Conway
Macias-Duarte, editor(s)
2021, Behavioral Ecology (32) 1339-1351
Dispersal is one of the key elements of species’ metapopulation dynamics and, hence, influences global conservation status. Furthermore, determining the geographic variation in magnitude and direction of dispersal throughout a species’ distribution may expand our understanding of the causes of population declines in species of conservation concern. For instance, western...
Surface infiltration and unsaturated zone characterization in support of managed aquifer recharge in Bedell Flat, Washoe County, Nevada
Todd Caldwell, Ramon C. Naranjo, David Smith, Christian Kropf
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5137
Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) expands the portfolio of public water supply and improves resiliency to drought and future water demand. This study investigated the feasibility of ASR in the Bedell Flat Hydrographic Area using land-based methods including in-channel managed aquifer recharge (MAR) and rapid infiltration basins (RIB). Bedell Flat,...
Ambystoma opacum (marbled salamander). Atypical nest sites
Joshua M Hall, Brad Glorioso, J Sean Doody
2021, Herpetological Review (52) 595-596
The discovery of inconspicuous nests in secretive species not only expands knowledge but can reveal previously unknown behaviors and ecological consequences of those behaviors. Marbled salamanders exhibit the unusual strategy of laying their eggs terrestrially under cover. Here we report multiple occurrences of A. opacum nesting inside logs, which may...
Case 3853 – Eumeces niger Hombron & Jacquinot, 1853 (currently Emoia nigra) (Reptilia, Scincidae): proposed conservation of prevailing usage by setting aside a lectotype designation for Gongylus (Eumeces) freycineti Duméril & Bibron, 1839 (currently Emoia atrocostata freycineti)
Glenn M. Shea, Robert N. Fisher, Ivan Ineich
2021, The Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature (78) 201-217
The purpose of the present application, under Articles 74.1.1 and 81.1 of the Code, is to maintain consistent usage of the commonly used name Emoia nigra (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1853) by setting aside a lectotype designation for Gongylus (Eumeces) freycineti Duméril & Bibron, 1839 by <a class="internal-link" href="https://bioone.org/journals/the-bulletin-of-zoological-nomenclature/volume-78/issue-3/bzn.v78.a046/Case-3853--Eumeces-niger-Hombron--Jacquinot-1853-currently/10.21805/bzn.v78.a046.full#bibr32"...
Kittlitz’s murrelet seasonal distribution and post-breeding migration from the Gulf of Alaska to the Arctic Ocean
John F. Piatt, David C. Douglas, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, Michelle Kissling, Erica N. Madison, Sarah K. Schoen, Kathy J. Kuletz, Gary S. Drew
2021, Arctic (74) 482-495
Kittlitz’s Murrelets (Brachyramphus brevirostris) nest during summer in glaciated or recently deglaciated (post-Wisconsin) landscapes. They forage in adjacent marine waters, especially those influenced by glacial meltwater. Little is known of their movements and distribution outside the breeding season. To identify post-breeding migrations of murrelets, we attached satellite transmitters to...
Stratigraphy and age of a prominent paleosol in a late Pleistocene sedimentary sequence, Mason Neck, Virginia
Helaine W. Markewich, Douglas A. Wysocki, Milan J. Pavich, Joseph P. Smoot, Ronald J. Litwin
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1113
The High Point paleosol is 2.28-meters-thick aggradational soil developed in fining upward estuarine-alluvial sand and loess. The paleosol is exposed in a few shoreline cliff faces of Mason Neck, Virginia. Although a former A horizon is missing, the E, Bw, Bt, and C horizon sequence seen in the sediments indicates...
Coastal and marine science of the U.S. Geological Survey in St. Petersburg, Florida
Meaghan E. Emory
Jonas W. Casey-Williams, editor(s)
2021, General Information Product 214
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) in St. Petersburg, Florida, investigates processes that form and alter coastal and marine environments and the implications of these processes related to natural hazards, resource sustainability, and environmental change. The center is one of three facilities serving...
Reconnecting the Elwha River: Spatial patterns of fish response to dam removal
Jeffrey J. Duda, Christian E. Torgersen, Samuel J. Brenkman, Roger J. Peters, Kathryn T. Sutton, Heidi A. Connor, Philip R. Kennedy, Stephen C. Corbett, Ethan Z. Welty, Anna Geffre, Josh Geffre, Patrick Crain, Dave Shreffler, John R. McMillan, Mike McHenry, George R. Pess
2021, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (9)
The removal of two large dams on the Elwha River was completed in 2014 with a goal of restoring anadromous salmonid populations. Using observations from ongoing field studies, we compiled a timeline of migratory fish passage upstream of each dam. We also used spatially continuous snorkeling surveys in consecutive years...
Effects of environmental clutter on synthesized chiropteran echolocation signals in an anechoic chamber
Samuel R. Freeze, Masoud Shirazi, Nicole Abaid, W. Mark Ford, Alexander Silvis, Dawn Hakkenberg
2021, Acoustics (3) 391-410
Ultrasonic bat detectors are useful for research and monitoring purposes to assess occupancy and relative activity of bat communities. Environmental “clutter” such as tree boles and foliage can affect the recording quality and identification of bat echolocation calls collected using ultrasonic detectors. It can also affect the...
Agkistrodon conanti (Florida Cottonmouth) and Python bivittatus (Burmese Python). Diet and Predation
Ian A. Bartoszek, Gretchen Erika Anderson, Ian Easterling, Jillian Maureen Josimovich, Alex Furst, Frank N. Ridgley, Austin Lee Fitzgerald, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Andrea Faye Currylow
2021, Herpetological Review (52) 860-862
Python bivittatus is established in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem in southern Florida, USA. Documented predators on pythons in Florida include Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator; Snow et al. 2006. Herpetol. Rev. 37:81–81), Drymarchon couperi (Gulf Coast Indigo Snake; Andreadis et al. 2018. Herpetol. Rev. 49:341–342), Lynx rufus (Bobcat; McCollister et al....
Emerging control strategies for integrated pest management of invasive carps
Aaron R. Cupp, Marybeth K. Brey, Robin D. Calfee, Duane Chapman, Richard A. Erickson, Jesse Robert Fischer, Andrea K. Fritts, Amy E. George, P. Ryan Jackson, Brent C. Knights, Gavin N. Saari, Patrick Kocovsky
2021, Journal of Vertebrate Biology (70)
Invasive carps are ecologically and economically problematic fish species in many large river basins in the United States and pose a threat to aquatic ecosystems throughout much of North America. Four species of invasive carps: black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp...
Evaluation of two existing flood management structures in U.S. Army Garrison Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2020
Charles C. Stillwell
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1121
Two existing flood management structures in U.S. Army Garrison Fort Gordon, Georgia, were evaluated for potential retrofitting to address water-quality impacts, pursuant of U.S. Army Garrison Fort Gordon’s storm water management program. Stormwater calculations were computed according to the Georgia Stormwater Management Manual, including drainage area delineations, design-storm runoff volumes...
ECCOE Landsat quarterly Calibration and Validation report — Quarter 2, 2021
Esad Micijevic, Rajagopalan Rengarajan, Obaidul Haque, Mark Lubke, Fatima Tuz Zafrin Tuli, Jerad L. Shaw, Nahid Hasan, Alex Denevan, Shannon Franks, Michael J. Choate, Cody Anderson, Brian Markham, Kurtis Thome, Ed Kaita, Julia Barsi, Raviv Levy, Lawrence Ong
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1105
Executive SummaryThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) Center of Excellence (ECCOE) focuses on improving the accuracy, precision, calibration, and product quality of remote-sensing data, leveraging years of multiscale optical system geometric and radiometric calibration and characterization experience. The ECCOE Landsat Cal/Val...
Optimization of salt marsh management at the Eastern Shore of Virginia and Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuges, Virginia, through use of structured decision making
Hilary A. Neckles, James E. Lyons, Jessica L. Nagel, Susan C. Adamowicz, Toni Mikula, Pamela Denmon, Robert Leffel
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1117
Structured decision making is a systematic, transparent process for improving the quality of complex decisions by identifying measurable management objectives and feasible management actions; predicting the potential consequences of management actions relative to the stated objectives; and selecting a course of action that maximizes the total benefit achieved and balances...
Optimization of salt marsh management at the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, Maine, through use of structured decision making
Hilary A. Neckles, James E. Lyons, Jessica L. Nagel, Susan C. Adamowicz, Toni Mikula, Maurice Mills, Raymond E. Brown, Keith Ramos
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1115
Structured decision making is a systematic, transparent process for improving the quality of complex decisions by identifying measurable management objectives and feasible management actions; predicting the potential consequences of management actions relative to the stated objectives; and selecting a course of action that maximizes the total benefit achieved and balances...
Capturing the changing cryosphere with seismic horizontal-vertical spectral ratios
Nathan T. Stevens, Stephanie R. James
2021, FastTIMES
Changes in Earth’s cryosphere can have direct impacts on ecosystems, wildlife, and human communities that may extend to other reaches of the planet, such as through sea-level rise or altering the global carbon budget. Advances in passive seismic technology and processing methods have opened new opportunities to better understand how...
A statistical framework to track temporal dependence of chlorophyll–nutrient relationships with implications for lake eutrophication management
Qianlinglin Qiu, Zhongyao Liang, Yaoyang Xu, Shin-Ichiro S. Matsuzaki, Kazuhiro Komatsu, Tyler Wagner
2021, Journal of Hydrology (603)
A reliable chlorophyll–nutrient relationship (CNR) is essential for lake eutrophication management. Although the spatial variability of CNRs has been extensively explored, temporal variations of CNRs at the individual lake scale has rarely been discussed. The paucity of information about temporal dependence in CNRs may in part be due to the...
Completion summary for boreholes USGS 148, 148A, and 149 at the Materials and Fuels Complex, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho
Brian V. Twining, Neil V. Maimer, Roy C. Bartholomay, Blair W. Packer
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5131
In 2019, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, drilled and constructed boreholes USGS 148A and USGS 149 for stratigraphic framework analyses and long-term groundwater monitoring of the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in southeastern Idaho. Initially,...
Effects of diet and provisioning behavior on chick growth in Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae)
Scott Jennings, Katie Dugger, Grant Ballard, David G. Ainley
2021, Waterbirds (44) 55-67
When provisioning chicks, parents trade-off their time, energy, and other resources to maximize reproductive success. As parents adjust investment to maximize their fitness, impacts on offspring growth can occur. We investigated provisioning and chick growth of Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) at one of the...
Foraging movements and colony attendance of Least Terns (Sternula antillarum) on the central Platte River, Nebraska, USA
Mark H. Sherfy, Megan M. Ring, Jennifer H. Stucker, Michael J. Anteau, Terry L. Shaffer, Marsha A. Sovada
2021, Waterbirds (48) 38-54
Least Terns (Sternula antillarum) are known to forage away from nesting colonies, yet little information is available about movement rates and distances. We used VHF transmitters and a network of datalogging receivers to monitor movements of 23 Least Terns on the central Platte River, Nebraska,...
Mapping habitat quality and threats for eastern Black Rails (Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis)
Bryan S. Stevens, Courtney J. Conway
2021, Waterbirds (44) 245-256
Documenting the spatial distribution of high-quality habitat patches, the distributions of threats and protected areas, and the vulnerability of habitat patches to changes in environmental conditions is vital for conservation of rare species. Range-wide species distribution models were developed for Black Rails (Laterallus jamaicensis) to...
Landslides triggered by the August 14, 2021, magnitude 7.2 Nippes, Haiti, earthquake
Sabrina N. Martinez, Kate E. Allstadt, Stephen L. Slaughter, Robert G. Schmitt, Elaine Collins, Lauren N. Schaefer, Sonia Ellison
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1112
The August 14, 2021, magnitude 7.2 Nippes, Haiti, earthquake triggered thousands of landslides on the Tiburon Peninsula. The landslides directly caused fatalities and damage and impeded response efforts by blocking roads and causing other infrastructure damage. Adverse effects of the landslides likely will continue for months to years. This report...
