Advective transport observations with MODPATH-OBS--documentation of the MODPATH observation process
R. T. Hanson, L.K. Kauffman, M. C. Hill, J.E. Dickinson, S.W. Mehl
2013, Techniques and Methods 6-A42
The MODPATH-OBS computer program described in this report is designed to calculate simulated equivalents for observations related to advective groundwater transport that can be represented in a quantitative way by using simulated particle-tracking data. The simulated equivalents supported by MODPATH-OBS are (1) distance from a source location at a defined...
Mercury bioaccumulation in fishes from subalpine lakes of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, northeastern Oregon and western Idaho
Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Garth Herring, Branden L. Johnson, Rick Graw
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1148
Mercury (Hg) is a globally distributed pollutant that poses considerable risks to human and wildlife health. Over the past 150 years since the advent of the industrial revolution, approximately 80 percent of global emissions have come from anthropogenic sources, largely fossil fuel combustion. As a result, atmospheric deposition of Hg...
Hydrologic drought of water year 2011 compared to four major drought periods of the 20th century in Oklahoma
Molly J. Shivers, William J. Andrews
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5018
Water year 2011 (October 1, 2010, through September 30, 2011) was a year of hydrologic drought (based on streamflow) in Oklahoma and the second-driest year to date (based on precipitation) since 1925. Drought conditions worsened substantially in the summer, with the highest monthly average temperature record for all States being...
Hydrogeology of the Little Spokane River basin, Spokane, Stevens, and Pend Oreille Counties, Washington
Sue C. Kahle, Theresa D. Olsen, Elisabeth T. Fasser
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5124
A study of the hydrogeologic framework of the Little Spokane River Basin was conducted to identify and describe the principal hydrogeologic units in the study area, their hydraulic characteristics, and general directions of groundwater movement. The Little Spokane River Basin includes an area of 679 square miles in northeastern Washington...
Monitoring of stage and velocity, for computation of discharge in the Summit Conduit near Summit, Illinois, 2010-2012
Kevin K. Johnson, Greg E. Goodwin
2013, Open-File Report 2012-1244
Lake Michigan diversion accounting is the process used by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to quantify the amount of water that is diverted from the Lake Michigan watershed into the Illinois and Mississippi River Basins. A network of streamgages within the Chicago area waterway system monitor tributary river...
Actual evapotranspiration modeling using the operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) approach
Mark E. Savoca, Gabriel B. Senay, Molly A. Maupin, Joan F. Kenny, Charles A. Perry
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5126
Remote-sensing technology and surface-energy-balance methods can provide accurate and repeatable estimates of actual evapotranspiration (ETa) when used in combination with local weather datasets over irrigated lands. Estimates of ETa may be used to provide a consistent, accurate, and efficient approach for estimating regional water withdrawals for irrigation and associated consumptive...
Dynamics of land-use change and conservation in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States: environmental and economic implications with linkages to rural community well-being
William Gascoigne, Dana Hoag, Rex Johnson, Lynne Koontz
2013, Professional Paper 1800
Rural America has changed dramatically over the last century, from having over half the population living in rural settings to only 20 percent residing in a rural area today, and outmigration of younger populations from rural communities remains a constant issue for local governing officials. A declining tax base and...
Expression analysis and identification of antimicrobial peptide transcripts from six North American frog species
Laura S. Robertson, Gary M. Fellers, Jamie Marie Marranca, Patrick M. Kleeman
2013, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms (104) 225-236
Frogs secrete antimicrobial peptides onto their skin. We describe an assay to preserve and analyze antimicrobial peptide transcripts from field-collected skin secretions that will complement existing methods for peptide analysis. We collected skin secretions from 4 North American species in the field in California and 2 species in the laboratory....
Quantity and quality of stormwater collected from selected stormwater outfalls at industrial sites, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2012
Doug D. Nagle
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1140
An assessment of the quantity and quality of stormwater runoff associated with industrial activities at Fort Gordon was conducted from January through August 2012. The assessment was provided to satisfy the requirements from a general permit that authorizes the discharge of stormwater under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System from...
U.S. Department of the Interior South Central Climate Science Center strategic science plan, 2013--18
Kim T. Winton, Melinda S. Dalton, Allison A. Shipp
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1143
The Department of the Interior (DOI) recognizes and embraces the unprecedented challenges of maintaining our Nation’s rich natural and cultural resources in the 21st century. The magnitude of these challenges demands that the conservation community work together to develop integrated adaptation and mitigation strategies that collectively address the impacts of...
Relationships between nutrient enrichment, pleurocerid snail density and trematode infection rate in streams
Serena Ciparis, Deborah D. Iwanowicz, J. Reese Voshell Jr.
2013, Freshwater Biology (58) 1392-1404
Summary 1. Nutrient enrichment is a widespread environmental problem in freshwater ecosystems. Eutrophic conditions caused by nutrient enrichment may result in a higher prevalence of infection by trematode parasites in host populations, due to greater resource availability for the molluscan first intermediate hosts. 2. This study examined relationships among land use, environmental...
Demographic variation, reintroduction, and persistence of an island duck (Anas laysanensis)
Michelle H. Reynolds, Emily Weiser, Ian Jamieson, Jeffrey S. Hatfield
2013, Journal of Wildlife Management (77) 1094-1103
Population variation in life history can be important for predicting successful establishment and persistence of reintroduced populations of endangered species. The Laysan duck (Anas laysanensis) is an endangered bird native to the Hawaiian Archipelago that was extirpated from most islands after the introduction of mammalian predators. Laysan ducks were restricted...
Modeling the colonization of Hawaii by hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus)
Frank J. Bonaccorso, Liam P. McGuire
2013, Book chapter, Bat Evolution, Ecology, and Conservation
The Hawaiian archipelago, the most isolated cluster of islands on Earth, has been colonized successfully twice by bats. The putative “lava tube bat” of Hawaii is extinct, whereas the Hawaiian Hoary Bat, Lasiurus cinereus semotus, survives as an endangered species. We conducted a three-stage analysis to identify conditions under which...
When worlds collide: challenges and opportunities for conservation of biodiversity in the Hawaiian Islands
Carter T. Atkinson, Thane K. Pratt, Paul C. Banko, James D. Jacobi, Bethany L. Woodworth
2013, Book chapter, Conservation biology: voices from the tropics
This chapter identifies four key challenges and opportunities for long-term conservation of biodiversity in the Hawaii's Islands. Following are the challenges that need to be resolved for remaining species of native forest birds to survive into the next century: invasive species, landscape processes, social factors, and climate change. These challenges...
Effects of sampling conditions on DNA-based estimates of American black bear abundance
Jared S. Laufenberg, Frank T. van Manen, Joseph D. Clark
2013, Journal of Wildlife Management (77) 1010-1020
DNA-based capture-mark-recapture techniques are commonly used to estimate American black bear (Ursus americanus) population abundance (N). Although the technique is well established, many questions remain regarding study design. In particular, relationships among N, capture probability of heterogeneity mixtures A and B (pA and pB, respectively, or p, collectively), the proportion...
Dynamics of fecal indicator bacteria, bacterial pathogen genes, and organic wastewater contaminants in the Little Calumet River: Portage Burns Waterway, Indiana
Sheridan K. Haack, Joseph W. Duris
2013, Journal of Great Lakes Research (39) 317-326
Little information exists on the co-occurrence of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), bacterial pathogens, and organic wastewater-associated chemicals (OWCs) within Great Lakes tributaries. Fifteen watershed sites and one beach site adjacent to the Little Calumet River–Portage Burns Waterway (LCRPBW) on Lake Michigan were tested on four dates for pH, dissolved oxygen,...
Seismic hazard analysis using simulated ground motions
M. Dabaghi, A. Der Kiureghian, S. Rezaeian, N. Luco
2013, Book, Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Structural Safety & Reliability (ICOSSAR)
Home range characteristics and overwintering ecology of the stripe-necked musk turtle (Sternotherus minor peltifer) in middle Tennessee
Joshua R. Ennen, A. Floyd Scott
2013, Chelonian Conservation and Biology (12) 199-203
Little is known about the movement behavior of the stripe-necked musk turtle, Sternotherus minor peltifer. Using radiotelemetry, we calculated mean (± SD) home range length, which was 341.4 ± 90.3 m, with home range length not differing between the sexes (males, 335 ± 194 m; females, 346 ± 79.5 m). Sternotherus m. peltifer were active in every...
Ecosystem services: developing sustainable management paradigms based on wetland functions and processes
Ned H. Euliss Jr., David M. Mushet, Loren M. Smith, William H. Conner, Virginia R. Burkett, Douglas A. Wilcox, Mark W. Hester, Haochi Zheng
2013, Book chapter, Wetland Techniques
In the late nineteenth century and twentieth century, there was considerable interest and activity to develop the United States for agricultural, mining, and many other purposes to improve the quality of human life standards and prosperity. Most of the work to support this development was focused along disciplinary lines with...
Field calibration and validation of remote-sensing surveys
Shachak Pe’eri, Andy McLeod, Paul Lavoie, Seth D. Ackerman, James Gardner, Christopher Parrish
2013, International Journal of Remote Sensing (34) 6423-6436
The Optical Collection Suite (OCS) is a ground-truth sampling system designed to perform in situ measurements that help calibrate and validate optical remote-sensing and swath-sonar surveys for mapping and monitoring coastal ecosystems and ocean planning. The OCS system enables researchers to collect underwater imagery with real-time feedback, measure the spectral...
A five-year study of Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus semotus) occupancy on the island of Hawai`i
Marcos P. Gorressen, Frank J. Bonaccorso, Corinna A. Pinzari, Christopher M. Todd, Kristina Montoya-Aiona, Kevin W. Brinck
2013, Report
Using acoustic recordings of the vocalizations of the endangered Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus semotus) collected over a five-year period (2007–2011) from 25 survey areas across the island of Hawai`i, we modeled the relationship between habitat attributes and bat occurrence. Our data support the conclusion that hoary bats concentrate in...
Uncertainty in simulated groundwater-quality trends in transient flow
J. Jeffrey Starn, Amvrossios Bagtzoglou, Gary A. Robbins
2013, Hydrogeology Journal (21) 813-827
In numerical modeling of groundwater flow, the result of a given solution method is affected by the way in which transient flow conditions and geologic heterogeneity are simulated. An algorithm is demonstrated that simulates breakthrough curves at a pumping well by convolution-based particle tracking in a transient flow field for...
Comparative phylogeography reveals deep lineages and regional evolutionary hotspots in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts
Dustin A. Wood, Amy G. Vandergast, Kelly R. Barr, Richard D. Inman, Todd C. Esque, Kenneth E. Nussear, Robert N. Fisher
2013, Diversity and Distributions (19) 722-737
Aim: We explored lineage diversification within desert-dwelling fauna. Our goals were (1) to determine whether phylogenetic lineages and population expansions were consistent with younger Pleistocene climate fluctuation hypotheses or much older events predicted by pre-Pleistocene vicariance hypotheses, (2) to assess concordance in spatial patterns of genetic divergence and diversity among...
A long-term comparison of carbon sequestration rates in impounded and naturally tidal freshwater marshes along the lower Waccamaw River, South Carolina
Judith Z. Drexler, Ken W. Krauss, M. Craig Sasser, Christopher C. Fuller, Christopher M. Swarzenski, Amber Powell, Kathleen M. Swanson, James L. Orlando
2013, Wetlands
Carbon storage was compared between impounded and naturally tidal freshwater marshes along the Lower Waccamaw River in South Carolina, USA. Soil cores were collected in (1) naturally tidal, (2) moist soil (impounded, seasonally drained since ~1970), and (3) deeply flooded “treatments” (impounded, flooded to ~90 cm since ~2002). Cores were...
Carnivore use of avocado orchards across an agricultural-wildland gradient
Theresa M. Nogeire, Frank W. Davis, Jennifer M. Duggan, Kevin R. Crooks, Erin E. Boydston
2013, PLoS ONE (8)
Wide-ranging species cannot persist in reserves alone. Consequently, there is growing interest in the conservation value of agricultural lands that separate or buffer natural areas. The value of agricultural lands for wildlife habitat and connectivity varies as a function of the crop type and landscape context, and quantifying these differences...
