Decline in small mammal species richness in coastal-central California, 1997–2013
Yadav P. Ghimirey, William D. Tietje, Anne Y. Polyakov, James E. Hines, Madan K. Oli
2023, Ecology and Evolution (13)
The richness and composition of a small mammal community inhabiting semiarid California oak woodland may be changing in response to climate change, but we know little about the causes or consequence of these changes. We applied a capture-mark-recapture model to 17 years (1997–2013) of live trapping data to estimate species-specific abundances....
The Landscape Data Commons: A system for standardizing, accessing, and applying large environmental datasets for agroecosystem research and management
Sarah E. McCord, Nicholas P. Webb, Brandon T. Bestelmeyer, Kristopher Bonefont, Joseph R. Brehm, Joel R. Brown, Ericha M. Courtright, Christopher Dietrich, Michael C. Duniway, Brandon L. Edwards, Christopher Fraser, Jeffrey E. Herrick, Anna C. Knight, Loretta J Metz, Justin W. Van Zee, Craig E. Tweedie
2023, Agricultural & Environmental Letters (8)
Understanding where, when, and why agroecosystems are changing requires quality information about ecosystems that span land tenure, ecological processes, and spatial scales. Over the past two decades, land management agencies and research groups have adopted a suite of standardized methods for monitoring rangelands, which have been implemented...
FishPass sortable attribute database: Phenological, morphological, physiological, and behavioural characteristics related to passage and movement of Laurentian Great Lakes fishes
David M. Benoit, Daniel P. Zielinski, Reid G. Swanson, Robert L. McLaughlin, Theodore Castro-Santos, R. Andrew Goodwin, Thomas C. Pratt, Andrew M. Muir
2023, Journal of Great Lakes Research (49)
In-stream barriers pose threats to fishes, including habitat loss, constraints on migration, and reduced connectivity between populations. Despite many negative consequences, barriers can serve to protect native species by limiting the spread of invasive species. For example, in the Laurentian Great Lakes, physical barriers have long been used to control invasive sea...
Comprehensive assessment of macroinvertebrate community condition and sediment toxicity in the Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern, New York, 2021
Scott D. George, Barry P. Baldigo, Scott M. Collins, David B. Clarke, Brian T. Duffy
2023, Journal of Great Lakes Research (49)
The degradation of benthic communities (benthos) is one of four remaining beneficial use impairments (BUIs) in the Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern (AOC), located on the south shore of Lake Ontario in New York. The historical rationale for listing this BUI as impaired relied heavily on inferred or expected impact...
America's most wanted fishes: Cataloging risk assessments to prioritize invasive species for management action
Emily M. Dean, Audrey Jordon, Aimee Christine Agnew, Nicole D Hernandez, Cayla R. Morningstar, Matthew Neilson, Sara Elizabeth Piccolomini, Brian Reichert, Amy Kristine Wray, Wesley M. Daniel
2023, Management of Biological Invasions (15) 1-20
Hundreds of fish species enter the United States through human intervention (e.g., importation) and some of these fishes pose a substantial risk to the nation’s assets and ecosystems. Prevention, early detection, and rapid response (EDRR) are vital to stop species invasions, but time and resources to manage the large suite...
Reproducibility starts at the source: R, Python, and Julia Packages for retrieving USGS hydrologic data
Timothy O. Hodson, Laura A. DeCicco, Jayaram Athreya Hariharan, Lee Stanish, Scott Black, J. S. Horsburgh
2023, Water (15)
Much of modern science takes place in a computational environment, and, increasingly, that environment is programmed using R, Python, or Julia. Furthermore, most scientific data now live on the cloud, so the first step in many workflows is to query a cloud database and load the response into a...
Mapping high marsh and salt pannes/flats along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast
Nicholas Enwright, Wyatt Charles Cheney, Kristine O. Evans, Hana R. Thurman, Mark S. Woodrey, Auriel Fournier, Jena A. Moon, Heather E. Levy, James A. Cox, Peter J. Kappes, John A. Nyman, Jonathan L. Pitchford
2023, Geocarto International (38)
Coastal wetlands are predicted to undergo extensive transformation due to climate and land use change. Baseline maps of coastal wetlands can be used to help assess changes. Found in the upper portion of the estuarine zone, high marsh and salt pannes/flats provide ecosystem goods and services and are particularly important...
Satellite telemetry reveals space use of diamondback terrapins
Margaret Lamont, Melissa E. Price, Daniel J. Catizone
2023, Animal Biotelemetry (11)
Movement and space use information of exploited and imperiled coastal species is critical to management and conservation actions. While satellite telemetry has been successfully used to document movements of marine turtles, the large tag sizes available have limited use on smaller turtle species. We used small...
Range-wide trends in tiger conservation landscapes, 2001 - 2020
Eric W. Sanderson, Dale G. Miquelle, Kim Fisher, Abishek Harihar, Chris Clark, Jesse Moy, Peter V. Potapov, Nathaniel P. Robinson, Lucinda Royte, Dustin Sampson, Jamie S Sanderlin, Charles Yackulic, Michael Belecky, Urs Breitenmoser, Christine Breitenmoser-Wursten, Pranav Chanchani, Stuart Chapman, Arpit Deomurari, Somphot Duangchantrasiri, Elisa Facchini, Thomas N.E. Gray, John Goodrich, Luke Hunter, Matthew Linkie, Willy Marthy, Akchousanh Rasphone, Sogoto Roy, Detrit Sittibal, Tshering Tempa, Mayuree Umponjan, Karen Wood
2023, Frontiers in Conservation Science (4)
Of all the ways human beings have modified the planet over the last 10,000 years, habitat loss is the most important for other species. To address this most critical threat to biodiversity, governments, non-governmental actors, and the public need to know, in near real-time, where and when habitat loss...
Site occupancy of focal shorebird species at Whiskey Island and Caminada Headland, Louisiana 2012–2020
J. Hardin Waddle, Wylie Barrow, Clint W Jeske, Jessica Schulz, Robert C. Dobbs, Delaina LeBlanc, Amanda Nicole Anderson, Brock Greary, Theodore J. Zenzal Jr., Nicholas Enwright, Thurman. Hana, Darin L. Lee
2023, Report, Evaluation of restoration for avian species at Caminada Headland and Whiskey Island in Louisiana
Coastal restoration through island construction and augmentation is an increasingly common management method in the northern Gulf of Mexico, but evaluating the impacts to shorebird species is difficult. Shorebirds are mostly migratory and many aspects of their life history, including reproduction in some species, occur in other places. In addition,...
Understanding fatality patterns and sex ratios of Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) at wind energy facilities in western California and Texas
Sarah Licari, Amanda Hale, Sara Weaver, Sarah R. Fritts, Todd E. Katzner, David H. Nelson, Dean Williams
2023, PeerJ Life & Environment (11)
BackgroundOperation of wind turbines has resulted in collision fatalities for several bat species, and one proven method to reduce these fatalities is to limit wind turbine blade rotation (i.e., curtail turbines) when fatalities are expected to be highest. Implementation of curtailment can potentially be optimized by targeting times when...
Nisqually River Delta—Humans and nature benefiting together
Kristin B. Byrd, Isa Woo, Glynnis Nakai, Debbie Preston, Shonte Jenkins
2023, General Information Product 228
IntroductionThis is a brochure created in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Nisqually Indian Tribe, and the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. Designed for a public audience, the brochure describes the history of the Nisqually Indian Tribe, the ecology of the delta, the resources and recreational...
Conclusions of evaluation of restoration for avian species at Caminada Headland and Whiskey Island, Louisiana
Darin L. Lee, Amanda Nicole Anderson, Paul Leberg, Nicholas Enwright, J. Hardin Waddle, Delaina LeBlanc, Theodore J. Zenzal Jr.
2023, Report, Evaluation of Restoration for Avian Species at Caminada Headland and Whiskey Island in Louisiana
We conducted various analyses to determine the impact of coastal restoration on several focal avian species at Caminada Headland and Whiskey Island, Louisiana. We assessed if restoration affected avian use of restored sites by determining overall habitat changes, occupancy trends, and impacts of construction activities. Here, we summarize our findings...
Mapping habitats and shorelines pre-, during, and post-restoration on Caminada Headland and Whiskey Island, Louisiana, 2012–2020
Hana R. Thurman, Nicholas Enwright, Wyatt C Cheney, Jason Dugas, Darin M. Lee, William Jones
2023, Report, Evaluation of Restoration for Avian Species at Caminada Headland and Whiskey Island in Louisiana
Barrier islands and headlands provide ecological services that are integral to economic and environmental interests. Adaptive management may help in ensuring their resilience and the continued provision of ecosystems goods and services over time. The dynamic nature of these environments makes evaluating the impacts from restoration and extreme events an...
An introduction to the evaluation of restoration for avian species at Caminada Headland and Whiskey Island in Louisiana
Delaina LeBlanc, Amanda Nicole Anderson, Paul Leberg, Hardin Waddle, Nicholas Enwright, Hana R. Thurman, Theodore J. Zenzal Jr.
2023, Report, Evaluation of Restoration for Avian Species at Caminada Headland and Whiskey Island in Louisiana
Barrier islands are crucial for protecting Louisiana’s coastal communities and ecosystems as they reduce coastal erosion and help safeguard native flora and fauna. Along the Louisiana shoreline, these islands are mostly long and thin, running parallel to the shoreline. The islands typically consist of the following components: 1) a sandy...
Differential heat shock protein responses in two species of Pacific salmon and their utility in identifying heat stress
Vanessa R. von Biela, Amy M. Regish, Lizabeth Bowen, Ashley E. Stanek, Shannon C. Waters-Dynes, Michael P. Carey, Christian E. Zimmerman, Jonathon Gerken, Daniel Rinella, Stephen D. McCormick
2023, Conservation Physiology (11)
Rapid and accelerating warming of salmon habitat has the potential to lower productivity of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus species) populations. Heat stress biomarkers can indicate where warming is most likely affecting fish populations; however, we often lack clear classifications that separate individuals with and without heat stress needed to make these...
Oil and gas reclamation—Operations, monitoring methods, and standards
Randi C. Lupardus, Janna Simonsen, Gordon Toevs, Barbara Sterling, Zachary H. Bowen, Zoe Davidson, Steve E. Hanser, Emily Kachergis, Alexander Laurence-Traynor, Nika Lepak, Rebecca K. Mann, Aleta Nafus, David S. Pilliod, Michael C. Duniway
2023, Techniques and Methods 18-A1
This publication provides broad guidance for surface management of oil and gas development with a focus on promoting successful reclamation. Successful reclamation depends on sound best management practices, clear standards and expectations, defensible monitoring for effectiveness, and management of production facilities to minimize surface disturbance. This publication provides specific guidelines...
Competition between dissolved organic matter and freshwater plankton control methylmercury isotope fractionation during uptake and photochemical demethylation
Grace Jane Armstrong, Sarah E. Janssen, Brett A. Poulin, Michael T. Tate, David P. Krabbenhoft, James P. Hurley
2023, ACS Earth and Space Chemistry (7) 2382-2392
Isotope fractionation related to photochemical reactions and planktonic uptake at the base of the food web is a major uncertainty in the biological application of mercury (Hg) stable isotopes. In freshwater systems, it is unclear how competitive interactions among methylmercury (MeHg), dissolved organic matter (DOM), and phytoplankton govern the magnitude...
Chromosome-level genome assembly of the blacktail brush lizard, Urosaurus nigricaudus, reveals dosage compensation in an endemic lizard
Elizabeth Davalos-Dehullu, Sarah M. Baty, Robert N. Fisher, Peter A. Scott, Greer A. Dolby, Adrian Munguia-Vega, Diego Cortez
2023, Genome Biology and Evolution (15)
Urosaurus nigricaudus is a phrynosomatid lizard endemic to the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. This work presents a chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation from a male individual. We used PacBio long reads and HiRise scaffolding to generate a high-quality genomic assembly of 1.87 Gb distributed in 327 scaffolds, with an N50...
Reservoir stratification modulates the influence of impoundments on fish mercury concentrations along an arid land river system
James Willacker, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Jim Chandler, Jesse Naymik, Ralph Myers, David P. Krabbenhoft
2023, Environmental Science & Technology (57) 21313-21326
Impoundment is among the most common hydrologic alterations with impacts on aquatic ecosystems that can include effects on mercury (Hg) cycling. However, landscape-scale differences in Hg bioaccumulation between reservoirs and other habitats are not well characterized nor are the processes driving these differences. We examined total Hg (THg) concentrations of...
Surficial geologic map of the Owlshead Mountains 30' x 60' quadrangle, Inyo and San Bernardino Counties, California
Christopher M. Menges, Pamela M. Cossette
2023, Scientific Investigations Map 3496
The surficial geologic map of the Owlshead Mountains 30' x 60' quadrangle depicts the distribution and characteristics of surficial-deposit materials and neotectonic deformation for an area of approximately 5,000 square kilometers (km2) located in the western Basin and Range Province of eastern California. The map represents a new compilation of...
A review of natural and managed revegetation responses in two de-watered reservoirs after large dam removals on the Elwha River, Washington, USA
Joshua Chenoweth, Patrick B. Shafroth, Rebecca L. Brown, James M. Helfield, Jenise M. Bauman, Sara Cendejas-Zarelli, Chhaya M. Werner, Jarrett L. Schuster, Olivia A. Morgan
2023, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (11)
Large dam removals are increasing in frequency and the response of natural and managed revegetation is a critical consideration for managed restoration of dewatered reservoir landscapes post dam removal. The removal of two large dams on the Elwha River in 2011-2014 provides insight into reservoir revegetation. We review literature...
Selection of microhabitats, plants, and plant parts eaten by a threatened tortoise: Observations during a superbloom
W. Bryan Jennings, Kristin H. Berry
2023, Frontiers in Amphibian and Reptile Science (1)
Populations of the threatened desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) continue to decline throughout the geographic range, in part because of degraded and fragmented habitats in the Mojave and western Sonoran deserts. The species is herbivorous and highly selective in choice of plant species. To increase options for recovery, we analyzed behaviors,...
On the relationship between aquatic CO2 concentration and ecosystem fluxes in some of the world’s key wetland types
Jessica L. Richardson, Ankur R. Desai, Jonathon Thom, Kim Lindgren, Hjalmar Laudon, Matthias Peichl, Mats B. Nilsson, Audrey Campeau, Jarvi Jarveoja, Peter Hawman, Deepak R. Mishra, Dontrece Smith, Brenda D’Acunha, Sara H. Knox, Darian Ng, Mark S. Johnson, Joshua M. Blackstock, Sparkle L. Malone, Steve F. Oberbauer, Matteo Detto, Kimberly Wickland, Inke Forbrich, Nathaniel B Weston, Jacqueline K.Y. Hung, Colin W. Edgar, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Syndonia Bret-Harte, Jason Dobkowski, George Kling, Evan S. Kane, Pascal Badiou, Matthew Bogard, Gil Bohrer, Thomas O'Halloran, Jonny Ritson, Ariane Arias-Otriz, Dennis Baldocchi, Patty Oikawa, Julie Shahan, Maiyah Matsumura
2023, Wetlands (44)
To understand patterns in CO2 partial pressure (PCO2) over time in wetlands’ surface water and porewater, we examined the relationship between PCO2 and land–atmosphere flux of CO2 at the ecosystem scale at 22 Northern Hemisphere wetland sites synthesized through an open call. Sites spanned 6 major wetland types (tidal,...
Paranannizziopsis spp. infections in wild snakes and a qPCR assay for detection of the fungus
Jeffrey M. Lorch, Megan Winzeler, Julia S. Lankton, Stephen Raverty, Heindrich N Snyman, Helen M. Schwantje, Caeley Thacker, Susan Knowles, Hugh Y Cai, Daniel A. Grear
2023, Frontiers in Microbiology (14)
The emergence of ophidiomycosis (or snake fungal disease) in snakes has prompted increased awareness of the potential effects of fungal infections on wild reptile populations. Yet, aside from Ophidiomyces ophidiicola, little is known about other mycoses affecting wild reptiles. The closely related genus Paranannizziopsis has been associated with dermatomycosis in snakes...
