A strategy for recovering continuous behavioral telemetry data from Pacific walruses
Anthony S. Fischbach, Chadwick V. Jay
2016, Wildlife Society Bulletin (40) 599-604
Tracking animal behavior and movement with telemetry sensors can offer substantial insights required for conservation. Yet, the value of data collected by animal-borne telemetry systems is limited by bandwidth constraints. To understand the response of Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) to rapid changes in sea ice availability, we required continuous...
Estimating microcystin levels at recreational sites in western Lake Erie and Ohio
Donna S. Francy, Amie M.G. Brady, Christopher D. Ecker, Jennifer L. Graham, Erin A. Stelzer, Pamela Struffolino, Keith A. Loftin
2016, Harmful Algae (58) 23-34
Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) and associated toxins, such as microcystin, are a major global water-quality issue. Water-resource managers need tools to quickly predict when and where toxin-producing cyanoHABs will occur. This could be done by using site-specific models that estimate the potential for elevated toxin concentrations that cause public...
Safety of the molluscicide Zequanox (R) to nontarget macroinvertebrates Gammarus lacustris (Amphipoda: Gammaridae) and Hexagenia spp. (Ephemeroptera: Ephemeridae)
Diane L. Waller, James A. Luoma, Richard A. Erickson
2016, Management of Biological Invasions (7) 269-280
Zequanox® is a commercial formulation of the killed bacterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens (strain CL145A), that was developed to control dreissenid mussels. In 2014, Zequanox became the second product registered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for use in open water environments as a molluscicide. Previous nontarget studies demonstrated the...
Documentation of a groundwater flow model developed to assess groundwater availability in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system from Long Island, New York, to North Carolina
John P. Masterson, Jason P. Pope, Michael N. Fienen, Jack Monti, Jr., Mark R. Nardi, Jason S. Finkelstein
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5076
The U.S. Geological Survey developed a groundwater flow model for the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system from Long Island, New York, to northeastern North Carolina as part of a detailed assessment of the groundwater availability of the area and included an evaluation of how these resources have changed over...
Sustainability of groundwater supplies in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system
John P. Masterson, Jason P. Pope
2016, Fact Sheet 2016-3046
Groundwater is the Nation’s principal reserve of freshwater. It provides about half our drinking water, is essential to food production, and facilitates business and industry in developing economic well-being. Groundwater is also an important source of water for sustaining the ecosystem health of rivers, wetlands, and estuaries throughout the country....
Assessment of groundwater availability in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system From Long Island, New York, to North Carolina
John P. Masterson, Jason P. Pope, Michael N. Fienen, Jack Monti, Jr., Mark R. Nardi, Jason S. Finkelstein
2016, Professional Paper 1829
Executive SummaryThe U.S. Geological Survey began a multiyear regional assessment of groundwater availability in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain (NACP) aquifer system in 2010 as part of its ongoing regional assessments of groundwater availability of the principal aquifers of the Nation. The goals of this national assessment are to document...
Regional chloride distribution in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system from Long Island, New York, to North Carolina
Emmanuel G. Charles
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5034
The aquifers of the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain are the principal source of water supply for the region’s nearly 20 million residents. Water quality and water levels in the aquifers, and maintenance of streamflow, are of concern because of the use of this natural resource for water supply and because...
Probabilistic assessment of erosion and flooding risk in the northern Gulf of Mexico
Nathaniel G. Plant, Thomas Wahl, Joseph W. Long
2016, Journal of Geophysical Research C: Oceans (121) 3029-3043
We assess erosion and flooding risk in the northern Gulf of Mexico by identifying interdependencies among oceanographic drivers and probabilistically modeling the resulting potential for coastal change. Wave and water level observations are used to determine relationships between six hydrodynamic parameters that influence total water level and therefore erosion and...
Model calibration criteria for estimating ecological flow characteristics
Marc Vis, Rodney Knight, Sandra Poole, William J. Wolfe, Jan Seibert
Lutz Breuer, Philipp Kraft, editor(s)
2016, Book chapter, Hydro-ecological modeling
Quantification of streamflow characteristics in ungauged catchments remains a challenge. Hydrological modeling is often used to derive flow time series and to calculate streamflow characteristics for subsequent applications that may differ from those envisioned by the modelers. While the estimation of model parameters for ungauged catchments is a challenging research...
Temperature is better than precipitation as a predictor of plant community assembly across a dryland region
Bradley J. Butterfield, Seth M. Munson
2016, Journal of Vegetation Science (27) 938-947
QuestionHow closely do plant communities track climate? Research suggests that plant species converge toward similar environmental tolerances relative to the environments that they experience. Whether these patterns apply to severe environments or scale up to plant community-level patterns of relative climatic tolerances is poorly understood. Using estimates of species' climatic...
Spatial distribution of thermokarst terrain in Arctic Alaska
Louise M. Farquharson, Daniel H. Mann, Guido Grosse, Benjamin M. Jones, Vladimir Romanovsky
2016, Geomorphology (273) 116-133
In landscapes underlain by ice-rich permafrost, the development of thermokarst landforms can have drastic impacts on ecosystem processes and human infrastructure. Here we describe the distribution of thermokarst landforms in the continuous permafrost zone of Arctic Alaska, analyze linkages to the underlying surficial geology, and discuss the vulnerability of different...
Summer-autumn habitat use of yearling rainbow trout in two streams in the Lake Ontario watershed
James H. Johnson, James E. McKenna Jr., Marc Chalupnicki
2016, Open Fish Science Journal (9) 45-50
Understanding the habitat requirements of salmonids in streams is an important component of fisheries management. We examined the summer and autumn habitat use of yearling Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss in relation to available habitat in two streams in the Lake Ontario watershed. Little interstream variation in trout habitat use was...
Approaches to stream solute load estimation for solutes with varying dynamics from five diverse small watershed
Brent T. Aulenbach, Douglas A. Burns, James B. Shanley, Ruth D. Yanai, Kikang Bae, Adam Wild, Yang Yang, Dong Yi
2016, Ecosphere (7)
Estimating streamwater solute loads is a central objective of many water-quality monitoring and research studies, as loads are used to compare with atmospheric inputs, to infer biogeochemical processes, and to assess whether water quality is improving or degrading. In this study, we evaluate loads and associated errors to determine the...
Methods for exploring uncertainty in groundwater management predictions
Joseph H. A. Guillaume, Randall J. Hunt, Alessandro Comunian, Baihua Fu, Rachel S Blakers
Anthony J. Jakeman, Olivier Barreteau, Randall J. Hunt, Jean-Daniel Rinaudo, Andrew Ross, editor(s)
2016, Book chapter, Integrated groundwater management
Models of groundwater systems help to integrate knowledge about the natural and human system covering different spatial and temporal scales, often from multiple disciplines, in order to address a range of issues of concern to various stakeholders. A model is simply a tool to express what we think we know....
Streamflow of 2015—Water year national summary
Xiaodong Jian, David M. Wolock, Harry F. Lins, Steve Brady
2016, Fact Sheet 2016-3055
IntroductionThe maps and graphs in this summary describe national streamflow conditions for water year 2015 (October 1, 2014, to September 30, 2015) in the context of the 86-year period 1930–2015, unless otherwise noted. The illustrations are based on observed data from the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Streamflow Information Program...
Grant opportunities for academic research and training
U.S. Geological Survey
2016, General Information Product 165
As an unbiased, multidisciplinary science organization, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is dedicated to the timely, relevant, and impartial study of the health of our ecosystems and environment, our natural resources, the impacts of climate and land-use change, and the natural hazards that affect our lives. Grant opportunities for researchers...
Student and recent graduate employment opportunities
U.S. Geological Survey
2016, General Information Product 166
As an unbiased, multidisciplinary science organization, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is dedicated to the timely, relevant, and impartial study of the health of our ecosystems and environment, our natural resources, the impacts of climate and land-use change, and the natural hazards that affect our lives. Opportunities for undergraduate and...
Key ecological responses to nitrogen are altered by climate change
T.L. Greaver, C.M. Clark, J.E. Compton, D. Vallano, A. F. Talhelm, C.P. Weaver, L.E. Band, Jill Baron, E.A. Davidson, C.L. Tague, E. Felker-Quinn, J.A. Lynch, J.D. Herrick, L. Liu, C.L. Goodale, K. J. Novak, R. A. Haeuber
2016, Nature Climate Change (6) 836-843
Climate change and anthropogenic nitrogen deposition are both important ecological threats. Evaluating their cumulative effects provides a more holistic view of ecosystem vulnerability to human activities, which would better inform policy decisions aimed to protect the sustainability of ecosystems. Our knowledge of the cumulative effects of these stressors is growing,...
Tumours in white suckers from Lake Michigan tributaries: Pathology and prevalence
Vicki S. Blazer, H.L. Walsh, R.P. Braham, C. M. Hahn, P. Mazik, P.B. McIntyre
2016, Journal of Fish Diseases (40) 377-393
The prevalence and histopathology of neoplastic lesions were assessed in white suckerCatostomus commersonii captured at two Lake Michigan Areas of Concern (AOCs), the Sheboygan River and Milwaukee Estuary. Findings were compared to those observed at two non-AOC sites, the Root and Kewaunee rivers. At each site, approximately 200 adult suckers...
Allometric and temporal scaling of movement characteristics in Galapagos tortoises
Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, Charles B. Yackulic, Jacqueline L. Frair, Freddy Cabrera, Stephen Blake
2016, Journal of Animal Ecology (85) 1171-1181
Understanding how individual movement scales with body size is of fundamental importance in predicting ecological relationships for diverse species. One-dimensional movement metrics scale consistently with body size yet vary over different temporal scales. Knowing how temporal scale influences the relationship between animal body size and movement would...
Distribution of a climate-sensitive species at an interior range margin
Chris Ray, Erik A. Beever, Thomas J. Rodhouse
2016, Ecosphere (7)
Advances in understanding the factors that limit a species’ range, particularly in the context of climate change, have come disproportionately through investigations at range edges or margins. The margins of a species’ range might often correspond with anomalous microclimates that confer habitat suitability where the species would otherwise fail to...
Toward an integrated understanding of perceived biodiversity values and environmental conditions in a national park
Carena J. van Riper, Gerard T. Kyle, Benson C. Sherrouse, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Stephen G. Sutton
2016, Ecological Indicators (72) 278-287
In spatial planning and management of protected areas, increased priority is being given to research that integrates social and ecological data. However, public viewpoints of the benefits provided by ecosystems are not easily quantified and often implicitly folded into natural resource management decisions. Drawing on a spatially explicit participatory mapping...
Niche shifts and energetic condition of songbirds in response to phenology of food-resource availability in a high-elevation sagebrush ecosystem
Kyle A. Cutting, Michelle L. Anderson, Erik A. Beever, Sean Schroff, Nathan Korb, Eric Klaphake, Scott R. McWilliams
2016, The Auk (133) 685-697
Seasonal fluctuations in food availability can affect diets of consumers, which in turn may influence the physiological state of individuals and shape intra- and inter-specific patterns of resource use. High-elevation ecosystems often exhibit a pronounced seasonal “pulse” in productivity, although few studies document how resource use and energetic condition by...
Shallower structure and geomorphology of the southern Puerto Rico offshore margin
Bruna J.L. Granja, A. Munoz-Martin, A. Carbó-Gorosabel, Estrada P. Llanes
2016, Marine and Petroleum Geology (67) 30-56
Oblique convergence between the North American and Caribbean plates along the eastern Greater Antilles island arc has yielded the compressive Muertos margin in the backarc region. The Muertos margin is characterized by an asymmetric thrust belt with overall opposite vergence to the subduction system in the forearc region. Offshore south of Puerto Rico,...
Groundwater quality at the Saline Valley Conservancy District well field, Gallatin County, Illinois
Magdalena Gorczynska, Robert T. Kay
2016, Data Series 1009
The Saline Valley Conservancy District (SVCD) operates wells that supply water to most of the water users in Saline and Gallatin Counties, Illinois. The SVCD wells draw water from a shallow sand and gravel aquifer located in close proximity to an abandoned underground coal mine, several abandoned oil wells, and...
