Is there a single best estimator? selection of home range estimators using area- under- the-curve
W. David Walter, Dave P. Onorato, Justin W. Fischer
2015, Movement Ecology (3)
Background Global positioning system (GPS) technology for monitoring home range and movements of wildlife has resulted in prohibitively large sample sizes of locations for traditional estimators of home range. We used area-under-the-curve to explore the fit of 8 estimators of home range to data collected with...
Ten ways remote sensing can contribute to conservation
Robert A. Rose, Dirck Byler, J. Ron Eastman, Erica Fleishman, Gary Geller, Scott Goetz, Liane Guild, Healy Hamilton, Matt Hansen, Rachel Headley, Jennifer Hewson, Ned Horning, Beth A. Kaplin, Nadine Laporte, Allison K. Leidner, Peter Leimgruber, Jeffrey T. Morisette, John Musinsky, Lilian Pintea, Ana Prados, Volker C. Radeloff, Mary Rowen, Sassan Saatchi, Steve Schill, Karyn Tabor, Woody Turner, Anthony Vodacek, James Vogelmann, Martin Wegmann, David Wilkie, Cara Wilson
2015, Conservation Biology (29) 350-359
In an effort to increase conservation effectiveness through the use of Earth observation technologies, a group of remote sensing scientists affiliated with government and academic institutions and conservation organizations identified 10 questions in conservation for which the potential to be answered would be greatly increased by use of remotely sensed...
The effect of research activities and winter precipitation on voiding behaviour of Agassiz’s desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii)
Mickey Agha, Mason O. Murphy, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Joshua R. Ennen, Christian R. Oldham, Kathie Meyer-Wilkins, Curtis Bjurlin, Meaghan Austin, Sheila V. Madrak, Caleb L. Loughran, Laura A. Tennant, Steven J. Price
2015, Wildlife Research (41) 641-649
Context: There is little information available on how research activities might cause stress responses in wildlife, especially responses of threatened species such as the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). Aims: The present study aims to detect behavioural effects of researcher handling and winter precipitation on a natural population of desert tortoises in the desert...
Forecasting sagebrush ecosystem components and greater sage-grouse habitat for 2050: learning from past climate patterns and Landsat imagery to predict the future
Collin G. Homer, George Z. Xian, Cameron L. Aldridge, Debra K. Meyer, Thomas R. Loveland, Michael S. O’Donnell
2015, Ecological Indicators (55) 131-145
Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems constitute the largest single North American shrub ecosystem and provide vital ecological, hydrological, biological, agricultural, and recreational ecosystem services. Disturbances have altered and reduced this ecosystem historically, but climate change may ultimately represent the greatest future risk. Improved ways to quantify, monitor, and predict climate-driven gradual...
The modelling and assessment of whale-watching impacts
Leslie New, Ailsa J. Hall, Robert Harcourt, Greg Kaufman, E.C.M. Parsons, Heidi C. Pearson, A. Mel Cosentino, Robert S Schick
2015, Ocean and Coastal Management (115) 10-16
In recent years there has been significant interest in modelling cumulative effects and the population consequences of individual changes in cetacean behaviour and physiology due to disturbance. One potential source of disturbance that has garnered particular interest is whale-watching. Though perceived as ‘green’ or eco-friendly tourism, there is evidence that...
A sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) sex pheromone mixture increases trap catch relative to a single synthesized component in specific environments
Nicholas S. Johnson, John A. Tix, Benjamin L. Hlina, C. Michael Wagner, Michael J. Siefkes, Huiyong Wang, Weiming Li
2015, Journal of Chemical Ecology (41) 311-321
Spermiating male sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) release a sex pheromone, of which a component, 7α, 12α, 24-trihydoxy-3-one-5α-cholan-24-sulfate (3kPZS), has been identified and shown to induce long distance preference responses in ovulated females. However, other pheromone components exist, and when 3kPZS alone was used to control invasive sea lamprey...
Surface geophysics and porewater evaluation at the Lower Darby Creek Area Superfund Site, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2013
Charles W. Walker, James R. Degnan, Michael J. Brayton, Roberto M. Cruz, Michelle M. Lorah
2015, Data Series 927
In cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 3, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is participating in an ongoing study to aid in the identification of subsurface heterogeneities that may act as preferential pathways for contaminant transport in and around the Lower Darby Creek Area (LDCA) Superfund Site,...
Adaptive management of social-ecological systems: The path forward
Ahjond S. Garmestani, Craig R. Allen
Ahjond S. Garmestani, Craig D. Allen, editor(s)
2015, Book chapter, Adaptive management of social-ecological systems
Adaptive management remains at the forefront of environmental management nearly 40 years after its original conception, largely because we have yet to develop other methodologies that offer the same promise. Despite the criticisms of adaptive management and the numerous failed attempts to implement it, adaptive management has yet to be...
Sediment contributions from floodplains and legacy sediments to Piedmont streams of Baltimore County, Maryland
Mitchell Donovan, Andrew Miller, Matthew Baker, Allen C. Gellis
2015, Geomorphology (235) 88-105
Disparity between watershed erosion rates and downstream sediment delivery has remained an important theme in geomorphology for many decades, with the role of floodplains in sediment storage as a common focus. In the Piedmont Province of the eastern USA, upland deforestation and agricultural land use following European settlement led...
Linking behavior, physiology, and survival of Atlantic Salmon smolts during estuary migration
Daniel S. Stich, Gayle B. Zydlewski, John F. Kocik, Joseph D. Zydlewski
2015, Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science (7) 68-86
Decreased marine survival is identified as a component driver of continued declines of Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar. However, estimates of marine mortality often incorporate loss incurred during estuary migration that may be mechanistically distinct from factors affecting marine mortality. We examined movements and survival of 941 smolts (141 wild and 800 hatchery-reared fish)...
Physical habitat monitoring strategy (PHAMS) for reach-scale restoration effectiveness monitoring
Krista L. Jones, Scott J. O’Daniel, Tim J. Beechie, John Zakrajsek, John G. Webster
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1069
Habitat restoration efforts by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) have shifted from the site scale (1-10 meters) to the reach scale (100-1,000 meters). This shift was in response to the growing scientific emphasis on process-based restoration and to support from the 2007 Accords Agreement with the...
Exposure to runoff from coal-tar-sealed pavement induces genotoxicity and impairment of DNA repair capacity in the RTL-W1 fish liver cell line
Aude Kienzler, Barbara Mahler, Peter C. Van Metre, Nathalie Schweigert, Alain Devaux, Sylvie Bony
2015, Science of the Total Environment (520) 73-80
Coal-tar-based (CTB) sealcoat, frequently applied to parking lots and driveways in North America, contains elevated concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and related compounds. The RTL-W1 fish liver cell line was used to investigate two endpoints (genotoxicity and DNA-repair-capacity impairment) associated with exposure to runoff from asphalt pavement with CTB...
Acute toxicity of runoff from sealcoated pavement to Ceriodaphnia dubia and Pimephales promelas
Barbara Mahler, Christopher G. Ingersoll, Peter C. Van Metre, James L. Kunz, Edward E. Little
2015, Environmental Science & Technology (49) 5060-5069
Runoff from coal-tar-based (CT) sealcoated pavement is a source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and N-heterocycles to surface waters. We investigated acute toxicity of simulated runoff collected from 5 h to 111 days after application of CT sealcoat and from 4 h to 36 days after application of asphalt-based sealcoat containing...
Image mosaic and topographic map of the moon
Trent M. Hare, Rosalyn K. Hayward, Jennifer S. Blue, Brent A. Archinal
2015, Scientific Investigations Map 3316
Sheet 1: This image mosaic is based on data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Wide Angle Camera (WAC; Robinson and others, 2010), an instrument on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft (Tooley and others, 2010). The equatorial WAC images were orthorectified onto the Global Lunar...
Seismic-hazard maps for the conterminous United States, 2014
Mark D. Petersen, Morgan P. Moschetti, Peter M. Powers, Charles S. Mueller, Kathleen M. Haller, Arthur D. Frankel, Yuehua Zeng, Sanaz Rezaeian, Stephen C. Harmsen, Oliver S. Boyd, Edward H. Field, Rui Chen, Nicolas Luco, Russell L. Wheeler, Robert A. Williams, Anna H. Olsen, Kenneth S. Rukstales
2015, Scientific Investigations Map 3325
The maps presented here provide an update to the 2008 data contained in U.S Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3195 (http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3195/).Probabilistic seismic-hazard maps were prepared for the conterminous United States for 2014 portraying peak horizontal acceleration and horizontal spectral response acceleration for 0.2- and 1.0-second periods with probabilities of...
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Paris Basin, France, 2015
Christopher J. Schenk, Ronald R. Charpentier, Timothy R. Klett, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Tracey J. Mercier, Phoung A. Le, Michael E. Brownfield, Janet K. Pitman, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Kristen R. Marra, Heidi M. Leathers
2015, Fact Sheet 2015-3016
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 222 million barrels of unconventional oil; 2,092 billion cubic feet of unconventional gas; 18 million barrels of conventional oil; and 47 billion cubic feet of conventional gas resources in the Paris Basin of France....
Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) Phased Array Type L-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) mosaic for the Kahiltna terrane, Alaska, 2007-2010
Christopher J. Cole, Michaela R. Johnson, Garth E. Graham
2015, Scientific Investigations Map 3323
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has initiated a multi-disciplinary study investigating the applicability of remote sensing technologies for geologic mapping and identification of prospective areas for base and precious metal deposits in remote parts of Alaska. The Kahiltna terrane in southwestern Alaska was selected for investigation because of its known...
Effects of extreme floods on trout populations and fish communities in a Catskill Mountain river
Scott D. George, Barry P. Baldigo, Alexander J. Smith, George Robinson
2015, Freshwater Biology (60) 2511-2522
Summary 1. Extreme hydrologic events are becoming more common with changing climate. Although the impacts of winter and spring floods on lotic ecosystems have been well studied, the effects of summer floods are less well known. 2. The Upper Esopus Creek Basin in the Catskill Mountains, NY, experienced severe flooding from Tropical...
Inundation and salinity impacts to above- and belowground productivity in Spartina patens and Spartina alterniflora in the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain: implications for using river diversions as restoration tools
Gregg A. Snedden, Kari Foster Cretini, Brett Patton
2015, Ecological Engineering (81) 133-139
Inundation and salinity directly affect plant productivity and processes that regulate vertical accretion in coastal wetlands, and are expected to increase as sea level continues to rise. In the Mississippi River deltaic plain, river diversions, which are being implemented as ecosystem restoration tools, can also strongly increase inundation in coastal...
Accelerometer-derived activity correlates with volitional swimming speed in lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)
J.D. Thiem, J.W. Dawson, A.C. Gleiss, E.G. Martins, Alexander J. Haro, Theodore R. Castro-Santos, A. J. Danylchuk, R. P. Wilson, S. J. Cooke
2015, Canadian Journal of Zoology (93) 645-654
Quantifying fine-scale locomotor behaviours associated with different activities is challenging for free-swimming fish.Biologging and biotelemetry tools can help address this problem. An open channel flume was used to generate volitionalswimming speed (Us) estimates of cultured lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque, 1817) and these were paired withsimultaneously recorded...
Habitats of North American sea ducks.
Dirk V. Derksen, Margaret R. Petersen, Jean-Pierre L. Savard
2015, Book chapter, Ecology and conservation of North American sea ducks; Studies in Avian Biology v. 46
Breeding, molting, fall and spring staging, and wintering habitats of the sea duck tribe Mergini are described based on geographic locations and distribution in North America, geomorphology, vegetation and soil types, and fresh water and marine characteristics. The dynamics of habitats are discussed in light of natural and anthropogenic events...
Phylogenetics, phylogeography and population genetics of North American sea ducks (tribe: Mergini)
Sandra L. Talbot, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, John M. Pearce, Kim T. Scribner
2015, Book chapter, Ecology and conservation of North American sea ducks; Studies in Avian Biology v. 46
Many environments occupied by North American sea ducks are remote and difficult to access, and as a result, detailed information about life history characteristics that drive population dynamics within and across species is limited. Nevertheless, progress on this front during the past several decades has benefited by the application of...
Population dynamics of sea ducks: using models to understand the causes, consequences, evolution, and management of variation in life history characteristics
Paul L. Flint
2015, Book chapter, Ecology and conservation of North American sea ducks: Studies in Avian Biology v. 46
In this chapter, I explore population dynamics of sea ducks by developing population models. In determining which life history characteristics had the greatest influence on future population dynamics, adult female survival consistently had the highest sensitivity and elasticity and this result was robust across a wide range of life history...
Remigial molt of sea ducks
Margaret R. Petersen, Jean-Pierre L. Savard
2015, Book chapter, Ecology and conservation of North American sea ducks; Studies in Avian Biology v. 46
Molt is a dynamic process occurring throughout much of the year in waterfowl. The molt of flight feathers by waterfowl, especially sea ducks, however, occurs over a compressed period of time and in spcific areas used each year. We provide an overview of the flight feather molt of sea ducks....
Conclusions, synthesis, and future directions: understanding sources of population change
Daniel Esler, Paul L. Flint, Dirk V. Derksen, Jean-Pierre L. Savard, John M. Eadie
2015, Book chapter, Ecology and Conservation of North American Sea Ducks
The material in this volume reflects the burgeoning interest in sea ducks, both as study species with compelling and unique ecological attributes and as taxa of conservation concern. In this review, we provide perspective on the current state of sea duck knowledge by highlighting key findings in the preceding chapters...
