Persistence-based area prioritization for conservation: Applying occupancy and habitat threats and risks analyses
L. M. Yirka, Jaime A. Collazo, S. G. Williams, D. T. Cobb
2018, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (9) 554-564
Effective habitat conservation is predicated on maintaining high levels or increasing local persistence probability of the species it purports to protect. Thus, methodological approaches that improve the inferential value of local persistence are of utmost value to guide conservation planning as they inform area selection processes. Herein we used the...
Resistance to deltamethrin in prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) fleas in the field and in the laboratory
David A. Eads, Dean E. Biggins, Jonathan Bowser, Janet McAllister, Randall Griebel, Eddie Childers, Travis M. Livieri, Cristi Painter, Lindsey Sterling Krank, Kristy Bly
2018, Journal of Wildlife Diseases (54) 745-754
Sylvatic plague poses a substantial risk to black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) and their obligate predator, the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes). The effects of plague on prairie dogs and ferrets are mitigated using a deltamethrin pulicide dust that reduces the spread of plague by killing fleas, the vector...
Effectiveness of ultrasonic imaging for evaluating presence and maturity of eggs in fishes in remote field locations
Morgan E. Brizendine, David Ward, Scott A. Bonar
2018, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (38) 1017-1026
Ultrasonic imaging is an effective, nonlethal method used to determine sex and maturity in a variety of fishes. However, many previous studies of this technique have been performed in laboratory environments. Using Common Carp Cyprinus carpio, we developed a standardized method for ultrasonically scanning cyprinids, and we accurately sexed 78% (N = 58)...
A regime shift in sediment export from a coastal watershed during a record wet winter, California: Implications for landscape response to hydroclimatic extremes
Amy E. East, Andrew W. Stevens, Andrew C. Ritchie, Patrick L. Barnard, Pamela L. Campbell‐Swarzenski, Brian D. Collins, Christopher H. Conaway
2018, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (43) 2562-2577
Small, steep watersheds are prolific sediment sources from which sediment flux is highly sensitive to climatic changes. Storm intensity and frequency are widely expected to increase during the 21st century, and so assessing the response of small, steep watersheds to extreme rainfall is essential to understanding landscape response to climate...
Development of the Wildlife Adaptation Menu for Resource Managers
Olivia E. LeDee, Stephen D. Handler, Chris Hoving, Christopher W. Swanston, Benjamin Zuckerberg
2018, Report
The Climate Change Response Framework is an example of a collaborative, cross-boundary approach to create a set of tools, partnerships, and actions to support climate-informed conservation and land management. Historically, this effort has focused on the needs of forest managers and forestry professionals. In recent years, however, there has been...
A statement of common ground regarding the role of wildfire in forested landscapes of the western United States
Max A. Moritz, Chris Topik, Craig D. Allen, Paul F. Hessburg, Penelope Morgan, Dennis C. Odion, Thomas T. Veblen, Ian M. McCullough
2018, Report
For millennia, wildfires have markedly influenced forests and non-forested landscapes of the western United States (US), and they are increasingly seen as having substantial impacts on society and nature. There is growing concern over what kinds and amounts of fire will achieve desirable outcomes and limit harmful effects on people...
United States bat species of concern: A synthesis
Thomas J. O’Shea, Paul M. Cryan, Michael A. Bogan
2018, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 4th series (65) 1-279
In 1994 the federal government designated 24 species or subspecies of bats in the United States (U.S.) and its territories as Category 2 candidates for listing as Endangered or Threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Category 2 was eliminated in 1996, but taxa previously receiving this designation were informally...
Time series of high-resolution images enhances efforts to monitor post-fire condition and recovery, Waldo Canyon fire, Colorado, USA
Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Clifton Burt, Todd Hawbaker
2018, International Journal of Wildland Fire (27) 699-713
Interpretations of post-fire condition and rates of vegetation recovery can influence management priorities, actions and perception of latent risks from landslides and floods. In this study, we used the Waldo Canyon fire (2012, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA) as a case study to explore how a time series (2011–2016) of high-resolution...
Late-season movement and habitat use by Oregon spotted frogs (Rana pretiosa) in Oregon, USA
Christopher Pearl, Brome McCreary, Jennifer Rowe, M. J. Adams
2018, Copeia (106) 539-549
Many amphibians use multiple habitats across seasons. Information on seasonal habitat use, movement between seasonal habitat types, and habitats that may be particularly valuable is important to conservation and management. We used radio-telemetry to study late-season movement and habitat use by Oregon Spotted Frog (Rana pretiosa) at nine sites from...
Efficient delineation of nested depression hierarchy in digital elevation models for hydrological analysis using level-set method
Qiusheng Wu, Charles R. Lane, Lei Wang, Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Jay R. Christensen, Hongxing Liu
2018, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (55) 354-368
In terrain analysis and hydrological modeling, surface depressions (or sinks) in a digital elevation model (DEM) are commonly treated as artifacts and thus filled and removed to create a depressionless DEM. Various algorithms have been developed to identify and fill depressions in DEMs during the past decades. However, few studies...
A spatially discrete, integral projection model and its application to invasive carp
Richard A. Erickson, Eric E. Eager, Patrick Kocovsky, David C. Glover, Jahn L. Kallis, K. R. Long
2018, Ecological Modelling (387) 163-171
Natural resource managers and ecologists often desire an understanding of spatial dynamics such as migration, dispersion, and meta-population dynamics. Network-node models can capture these salient features. Additionally, the state-variable used with many species may be appropriately modeled as a continuous variable (e.g., length) and management activities sometimes can only target individuals of...
Spatial distribution of halogen oxides in the plume of Mount Pagan volcano, Mariana Islands
Christoph Kern, John J. Lyons
2018, Geophysical Research Letters (45) 9588-9596
Halogens are emitted from volcanoes primarily as hydrogen halides (HCl, HF, HBr, and HI). Upon mixing with the atmosphere, chlorine and bromine species are partially converted to the halogen oxides OClO and BrO. Here we report on the spatial distribution of BrO and OClO in the gas plume emitted from...
Depth to basement and thickness of unconsolidated sediments for the western United States—Initial estimates for layers of the U.S. Geological Survey National Crustal Model
Anjana K. Shah, Oliver S. Boyd
2018, Open-File Report 2018-1115
We present numeric grids containing estimates of the thickness of unconsolidated sediments and depth to the pre-Cenozoicbasement for the western United States. Values for these grids were combined and integrated from previous studies or deriveddirectly from gravity analyses. The grids are provided with 1-kilometer grid-node spacing in ScienceBase (https://www.sciencebase.gov).These layers...
Does proximity to wetlands matter? A landscape-level analysis of the influence of local wetlands on the public’s concern for ecosystem services and conservation involvement
Emily J. Wilkins, Wilson Sinclair, Holly M. Miller, Rudy M. Shuster
2018, Wetlands (39) 1271-1280
The success of landscape-level conservation depends on public support and an understanding of public opinion. However, perceptions of wetlands’ importance may differ based on proximity to a wetland. This study used a mail-out survey across the entire U.S. (n=1,030) to investigate the public’s knowledge of local wetlands, visitation to wetlands,...
Size and age of Stonecats in Lake Champlain; Estimating growth at the margin of their range to aid in population management
Elizabeth A. Puchala, Donna L. Parrish, Derek H. Ogle
2018, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (38) 1316-1323
Little is known about populations of Stonecat Noturus flavus, especially in the northeastern United States, where they are at the edge of their range. In Lake Champlain tributaries, Stonecats are listed as endangered in Vermont but not in New York. Here we describe the growth of Stonecats in two tributaries to...
Integrating physiological stress into the movement ecology of migratory ungulates: A spatial analysis with mule deer
David S. Jachowski, Matthew Kauffman, Brett R. Jesmer, Hall Sawyer, Joshua J. Millspaugh
2018, Conservation Physiology (6) 1-12
Rapid climate and human land-use change may limit the ability of long-distance migratory herbivores to optimally track or “surf” high-quality forage during spring green-up. Understanding how anthropogenic and environmental stressors influence migratory movements is of critical importance because of their potential to cause a mismatch between the timing of...
The San Andreas Fault System--Complexities along a major transform fault system and relation to earthquake hazards
Katherine M. Scharer, Ashley Streig
2018, Book chapter, Transform plate boundaries and fracture zones
The San Andreas Fault System is a 1300-km-long transform boundary that accommodates motion between the North American and Pacific Plates. New technologies and data reveal rich details about the present configuration of faults, distribution of strain and associated seismic hazard on this complex network of faults. This contribution...
Groundwater contributions to excessive algal growth in the East Fork Carson River, Carson Valley, west-central Nevada, 2010 and 2012
Nancy L. Alvarez, Randy A. Pahl, Michael R. Rosen
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5102
Excessive algal growth and low dissolved oxygen concentrations were observed during low streamflow conditions during summer months along a 5,800-foot reach of the East Fork Carson River in Carson Valley, west-central Nevada. Algal growth from nutrient enrichment of a stream reduces aquatic diversity, threatens fish ecology and stream health, and...
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources of the Putumayo-Oriente-Marañón Basin Province of Colombia, Ecuador, and Perú, 2018
Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Janet K. Pitman, Thomas M. Finn, Phuong A. Le, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Kristen R. Marra, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller
2018, Fact Sheet 2018-3048
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 1.1 billion barrels of oil and 793 billion cubic feet of gas in the Putumayo-Oriente-Marañón Basin Province of Colombia, Ecuador, and Perú....
Ecohydrologic changes caused by hydrologic disconnection of ephemeral stream channels in Mojave National Preserve, California
Kimberlie Perkins, David M. Miller, Darren R. Sandquist, Miguel Macias, Aimee Roach
2018, Vadose Zone Journal (17)
Emplacement of highways and railroads has altered natural hydrologic systems by influencing surface-water flow paths and biotic communities in Mojave National Preserve. Infiltration experiments were conducted along active and abandoned channels to evaluate changes in hydrology and related effects on plant water availability and use. Simulated rainfall infiltration experiments with...
A new modeling approach to prioritize riparian restoration to reduce sediment loading in two Virginia river basins
Lisa N. Scott, Amy M. Villamagna, Paul L. Angermeier
2018, Environmental Management (62) 721-739
Human impact, particularly land cover changes (e.g., agriculture, construction) increase erosion and sediment loading into streams. Benthic species are negatively affected by silt deposition that coats and embeds stream substrate. Given that riparian buffers are effective sediment filters, riparian restoration is increasingly implemented by conservation groups to protect stream habitats....
Diel fledging patterns among grassland passerines: Relative impacts of energetics and predation risk
Christine Ribic, Christoph Ng, Nicola Koper, Kevin Ellison, Pamela J. Pietz, David J. Rugg
2018, The Auk (135) 1100-1112
The time of day that nestlings fledge from a nest is thought to be shaped by predation risk and energetics. To minimize predation risk, fledging is predicted to start as early in the day as possible so that nestlings can maximize time outside the nest to find a safe place...
Sensor suite: The Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory Instrumentation Testing Suite
A. Kearns, Adam T. Ringler, James Holland, Tyler Storm, David C. Wilson, Robert E. Anthony
2018, Seismological Research Letters (89) 2374-2385
To standardize parameters used in seismometer testing and calibration and to make these algorithms accessible to the seismological community, we have developed a new seismometer testing software package called Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory (ASL) Sensor Test Suite. This software is written in Java and makes use of Seismological Exchange for Earthquake...
Effects of leg flags on nest survival of four species of Arctic‐breeding shorebirds
Emily L. Weiser, Richard B. Lanctot, Stephen C. Brown, H. River Gates, Rebecca L. Bentzen, Megan L. Boldenow, Jenny A. Cunningham, Andrew C. Doll, Tyrone F. Donnelly, Willow B. English, Samantha E. Franks, Kristen Grond, Patrick Herzog, Brooke L. Hill, Steve J. Kendall, Eunbi Kwon, David B. Lank, Joseph R. Liebezeit, Jennie Rausch, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Audrey R. Taylor, David H. Ward, Paul F. Wood, Brett K. Sandercock
2018, Journal of Field Ornithology (89) 287-297
Marking wild birds is an integral part of many field studies. However, if marks affect the vital rates or behavior of marked individuals, any conclusions reached by a study might be biased relative to the general population. Leg bands have rarely been found to have negative effects on birds and...
Effects of urban stormwater and iron‐enhanced sand filtration on Daphnia magna and Pimephales promelas
Benjamin M. Westerhoff, David J. Fairbairn, Mark L. Ferrey, Adriana Matilla, Jordan Kunkel, Sarah M. Elliott, Richard L. Kiesling, Dustin Woodruff, Heiko L. Schoenfuss
2018, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (37) 2645-2659
Urban stormwater is an important but incompletely characterized contributor to surface‐water toxicity. The present study used 5 bioassays of 2 model organisms (Daphnia magnaand fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas) to investigate stormwater toxicity and mitigation by full‐scale iron‐enhanced sand filters (IESFs). Stormwater samples were collected from major stormwater conveyances and full‐scale IESFs...
