Remote sensing for wetland mapping and historical change detection at the Nisqually River Delta
Laurel Ballanti, Kristin B. Byrd, Isa Woo, Christopher Ellings
2017, Sustainability (9) 1-32
Coastal wetlands are important ecosystems for carbon storage and coastal resilience to climate change and sea-level rise. As such, changes in wetland habitat types can also impact ecosystem functions. Our goal was to quantify historical vegetation change within the Nisqually River watershed relevant to carbon storage, wildlife habitat, and wetland...
Estimating the high-arsenic domestic-well population in the conterminous United States
Joseph D. Ayotte, Laura Medalie, Sharon L. Qi, Lorraine C. Backer, Bernard T. Nolan
2017, Environmental Science & Technology (51) 12443-12454
Arsenic concentrations from 20 450 domestic wells in the U.S. were used to develop a logistic regression model of the probability of having arsenic >10 μg/L (“high arsenic”), which is presented at the county, state, and national scales. Variables representing geologic sources, geochemical, hydrologic, and physical features were among the significant...
Basis function models for animal movement
Mevin Hooten, Devin S. Johnson
2017, Journal of the American Statistical Association (112) 578-589
Advances in satellite-based data collection techniques have served as a catalyst for new statistical methodology to analyze these data. In wildlife ecological studies, satellite-based data and methodology have provided a wealth of information about animal space use and the investigation of individual-based animal–environment relationships. With the technology for data collection...
Survival, movement, and distribution of juvenile Burbot in a tributary of the Kootenai River
Zachary S. Beard, Michael C. Quist, Ryan S. Hardy, Tyler J. Ross
2017, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (37) 1274-1288
Burbot Lota lota in the lower Kootenai River, Idaho, have been the focus of extensive conservation efforts, particularly the release of hatchery-reared juvenile Burbot into small tributaries. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game installed a fixed PIT antenna on Deep Creek, a tributary of the Kootenai River, to evaluate movement of...
A model-based approach to wildland fire reconstruction using sediment charcoal records
Malcolm S. Itter, Andrew O. Finley, Mevin Hooten, Philip E. Higuera, Jennifer R. Marlon, Ryan Kelly, Jason S. McLachlan
2017, Environmetrics (28) 1-15
Lake sediment charcoal records are used in paleoecological analyses to reconstruct fire history, including the identification of past wildland fires. One challenge of applying sediment charcoal records to infer fire history is the separation of charcoal associated with local fire occurrence and charcoal originating from regional fire activity. Despite a...
Inference of timber harvest effects on survival of stream amphibians is complicated by movement
Nathan Chelgren, M. J. Adams
2017, Copeia (105) 714-727
The effects of contemporary logging practices on headwater stream amphibians have received considerable study but with conflicting or ambiguous results. We posit that focusing inference on demographic rates of aquatic life stages may help refine understanding, as aquatic and terrestrial impacts may differ considerably. We investigated in-stream survival and movement...
The gold tegu, Tupinambis teguixin (Linnaeus, 1758) sensu lato (Squamata: Teiidae): evidence for an established population in Florida
Jake R. Edwards, Jennifer K. Ketterlin, Michael R. Rochford, Rodney Irwin, Kenneth L. Krysko, James G. Duquesnel, Frank J. Mazzotti, Robert Reed
2017, BioInvasions Records (6) 407-410
Gold tegus, Tupinambis teguixin (Linnaeus, 1758), are generalist predators from South America and are ecologically similar to Argentine black and white tegus (Salvator merianae), a successful invader in Florida. We trapped gold tegus in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, Florida, USA. In Miami-Dade County, collection occurred from 2008 through 2016. We combined new...
Complete sequences of 4 viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus IVb isolates and their virulence in northern pike fry
Rodman G. Getchell, Emily R. Cornwell, Steven Bogdanowicz, Jose Andres, William N. Batts, Gael Kurath, Rachel Breyta, Joanna G. Choi, John M. Farrell, Paul R. Bowser
2017, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms (126) 211-227
Four viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) genotype IVb isolates were sequenced, their genetic variation explored, and comparative virulence assayed with experimental infections of northern pike Esox lucius fry. In addition to the type strain MI03, the complete 11183 bp genome of the first round goby Neogobius melanostomus isolate from the St. Lawrence River, and...
Restoration of contaminated ecosystems: adaptive management in a changing climate
Aida Farag, Diane L. Larson, Jenny Stauber, Ralph Stahl, John Isanhart, Kevin T. McAbee, Christopher J. Walsh
2017, Restoration Ecology (25) 884-893
Three case studies illustrate how adaptive management (AM) has been used in ecological restorations that involve contaminants. Contaminants addressed include mercury, selenium, and contaminants and physical disturbances delivered to streams by urban stormwater runoff. All three cases emphasize the importance of broad stakeholder input early and consistently throughout decision analysis...
Changes in movements of Chinook Salmon between lakes Huron and Michigan after Alewife population collapse
Richard D. Clark, James R. Bence, Randall M. Claramunt, John A. Clevenger, Matthew S. Kornis, Charles R. Bronte, Charles P. Madenjian, Edward F. Roseman
2017, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (37) 1311-1331
Alewives Alosa pseudoharengus are the preferred food of Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Alewife populations collapsed in Lake Huron in 2003 but remained comparatively abundant in Lake Michigan. We analyzed capture locations of coded-wire-tagged Chinook Salmon before, during, and after Alewife collapse (1993–2014). We contrasted the pattern of tag recoveries...
Potential for spatial displacement of Cook Inlet beluga whales by anthropogenic noise in critical habitat
Robert J. Small, Brian M. Brost, Mevin Hooten, Manuel Castellote, Jeffrey Mondragon
2017, Endangered Species Research (32) 43-57
The population of beluga whales in Cook Inlet, Alaska, USA, declined by nearly half in the mid-1990s, primarily from an unsustainable harvest, and was listed as endangered in 2008. In 2014, abundance was ~340 whales, and the population trend during 1999-2014 was -1.3% yr-1. Cook Inlet beluga whales are...
Regional geology and tectonics
Warren J. Nokleberg
Thomas K. Bundtzen, Warren J. Nokleberg, Raymond A. Price, David W. Scholl, David B. Stone, editor(s)
2017, Book chapter, Dynamic geology of the Northern Cordillera (Alaska and western Canada) and adjacent marine areas: Tectonics, hazards, and resources
This chapter describes the regional geology and tectonic origins of the major geologic units for the Northern Cordillera. The goals of the chapter are to: (1) provide a summary and regional overview of this vast region that contains a complicated geologic history; and (2) describe the major geologic units and...
Geologic road guides for the Southern Canadian Cordillera--Viewing geology and tectonics along major highways
Warren J. Nokleberg, Raymond A. Price
Thomas K. Bundtzen, Warren J. Nokleberg, Raymond A. Price, David W. Scholl, David B. Stone, editor(s)
2017, Book chapter, Dynamic geology of the Northern Cordillera (Alaska and western Canada) and adjacent marine areas: Tectonics, hazards, and resources
The Geologic Road Guides for the Southern Canadian Cordillera provide a layperson’s understanding of the major geologic units and their tectonic origins along portions of two sets of major highways corridors, herein termed the Southern Road Guide and the Northern Road Guide. The two routes are shown on the Southern...
Organic chemical characterization and mass balance of a hydraulically fractured well: From fracturing fluid to produced water over 405 days
James Rosenblum, E. Michael Thurman, Imma Ferrer, George R. Aiken, Karl G. Linden
2017, Environmental Science & Technology (51) 14006-14015
A long-term field study (405 days) of a hydraulically fractured well from the Niobrara Formation in the Denver-Julesburg Basin was completed. Characterization of organic chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing and their changes through time, from the preinjected fracturing fluid to the produced water, was conducted. The characterization consisted of a...
Top-down and bottom-up interactions influence fledging success at North America’s largest colony of Caspian terns (Hydroprogne caspia)
Stefanie Collar, Daniel D. Roby, Donald E. Lyons
2017, Estuaries and Coasts (40) 1808-1818
Our study investigated the influence of bottom-up and top-down drivers on the declining fledging success at a once thriving breeding colony of Caspian terns (Hydroprogne caspia). Situated at the mouth of the Columbia River, OR, East Sand Island (ESI) is home to the largest Caspian tern breeding colony...
Breeding biology of an endemic Bornean turdid, the Fruithunter (Chlamydochaera jefferyi), and life history comparisons with Turdus species of the world
Adam E. Mitchell, Fred Tuh, Thomas E. Martin
2017, Wilson Journal of Ornithology (129) 36-45
We present the first description of the breeding biology for the Fruithunter (Chlamydochaera jefferyi), a member of the cosmopolitan family Turdidae, and a montane endemic to the tropical Asian island of Borneo. We also compile breeding biology traits from the literature to make comparisons between the Fruithunter and the thrush...
Swimming behaviour and ascent paths of brook trout in a corrugated culvert
Elsa Goerig, Normand E. Bergeron, Theodore R. Castro-Santos
2017, River Research and Applications (33) 1463-1471
Culverts may restrict fish movements under some hydraulic conditions such as shallow flow depths or high velocities. Although swimming capacity imposes limits to passage performance, behaviour also plays an important role in the ability of fish to overcome velocity barriers. Corrugated metal culverts are characterized by unsteady flow and existence...
Distribution and status of five non-native fish species in the Tampa Bay drainage (USA), a hot spot for fish introductions
Katelyn M. Lawson, Quenton M. Tuckett, Jared L. Ritch, Leo Nico, Pam Fuller, Richard E. Matheson, Jeffrey E. Hill
2017, BioInvasions Records (6) 393-406
The Tampa Bay region of Florida (USA) is a hot spot for non-native freshwater fishes. However, published information on most non-native fishes in the basin is not current. Systematic sampling efforts targeting non-native fishes in the region were conducted from 2013–2015 by the University of Florida Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory. Data...
Suspended sediment, turbidity, and stream water temperature in the Sauk River Basin, western Washington, water years 2012-16
Kristin L. Jaeger, Christopher A. Curran, Scott W. Anderson, Scott T. Morris, Patrick W. Moran, Katherine A. Reams
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5113
The Sauk River is a federally designated Wild and Scenic River that drains a relatively undisturbed landscape along the western slope of the North Cascade Mountain Range, Washington, which includes the glaciated volcano, Glacier Peak. Naturally high sediment loads characteristic of basins draining volcanoes like Glacier Peak make the...
Refined conservation strategies for Golden-winged Warblers in the West Virginia highlands with implications for the broader avian community
Kyle R. Aldinger, Petra B. Wood, Catherine M. Johnson
2017, The Condor (119) 762-786
Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) populations in the Appalachian Mountains region of North America are imperiled, warranting species-specific conservation. However, management for Golden-winged Warblers can affect both early-successional and forest species, many of which are also declining in the region. We conducted point counts in sites representing a range of successional...
A comparison of two mobile electrode arrays for increasing mortality of Lake Trout embryos
Peter J. Brown, Christopher S. Guy, Michael H. Meeuwig
2017, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (37) 363-369
Conservation of sport fisheries and populations of several native fishes in the western United States is dependent on sustained success of removal programs targeting invasive Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush. Gill-netting of spawning adults is one strategy used to decrease spawning success; however, additional complementary methods are needed to disrupt Lake Trout...
Environmental niche models for riverine desert fishes and their similarity according to phylogeny and functionality
James E. Whitney, Joanna B. Whittier, Craig P. Paukert
2017, Ecosphere (8) 1-21
Environmental filtering and competitive exclusion are hypotheses frequently invoked in explaining species' environmental niches (i.e., geographic distributions). A key assumption in both hypotheses is that the functional niche (i.e., species traits) governs the environmental niche, but few studies have rigorously evaluated this assumption. Furthermore, phylogeny could be associated with these...
Detecting spatial patterns of rivermouth processes using a geostatistical framework for near-real-time analysis
Wenzhao Xu, Paris D. Collingsworth, Barbara Bailey, Martha L. Carlson Mazur, Jeff Schaeffer, Barbara Minsker
2017, Environmental Modelling and Software (97) 72-85
This paper proposes a geospatial analysis framework and software to interpret water-quality sampling data from towed undulating vehicles in near-real time. The framework includes data quality assurance and quality control processes, automated kriging interpolation along undulating paths, and local hotspot and cluster analyses. These methods are implemented in an interactive...
Updated polychlorinated biphenyl mass budget for Lake Michigan
Jiehong Guo, Kevin Romanak, Stephen M. Westenbroek, An Li, Russell Kreis, Ronald A. Hites, Marta Venier
2017, Environmental Science & Technology (51) 12455-12465
This study revisits and updates the Lake Michigan Mass Balance Project (LMMBP) for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that was conducted in 1994–1995. This work uses recent concentrations of PCBs in tributary and open lake water, air, and sediment to calculate an updated mass budget. Five of the 11 LMMBP tributaries were...
Tools to minimize interlaboratory variability in vitellogenin gene expression monitoring programs
Aaron Jastrow, Denise A. Gordon, Kasie M. Auger, Elizabeth C. Punska, Kathleen F. Arcaro, Kristen Keteles, Dana L. Winkelman, David Lattier, Adam Biales, James M. Lazorchak
2017, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (36) 3102-3107
The egg yolk precursor protein vitellogenin is widely used as a biomarker of estrogen exposure in male fish. However, standardized methodology is lacking and little is known regarding the reproducibility of results among laboratories using different equipment, reagents, protocols, and data analysis programs. To address this data gap we tested...
