Ecological resistance in urban streams: the role of natural and legacy attributes
Ryan M. Utz, Kristina G. Hopkins, Leah Beesley, Derek B. Booth, Robert J. Hawley, Matthew E. Baker, Mary Freeman, Krista L. Jones
2016, Freshwater Science (35) 380-397
Urbanization substantially changes the physicochemical and biological characteristics of streams. The trajectory of negative effect is broadly similar around the world, but the nature and magnitude of ecological responses to urban growth differ among locations. Some heterogeneity in response arises from differences in the level of urban development and attributes...
Evaluation of dynamic coastal response to sea-level rise modifies inundation likelihood
Erika E. Lentz, E. Robert Thieler, Nathaniel G. Plant, Sawyer R. Stippa, Radley M. Horton, Dean B. Gesch
2016, Nature Climate Change (6) 696-700
Sea-level rise (SLR) poses a range of threats to natural and built environments1, 2, making assessments of SLR-induced hazards essential for informed decision making3. We develop a probabilistic model that evaluates the likelihood that an area will inundate (flood) or dynamically respond (adapt) to SLR. The broad-area applicability of the...
Detecting grizzly bear use of ungulate carcasses using global positioning system telemetry and activity data
Michael R. Ebinger, Mark A. Haroldson, Frank T. van Manen, Cecily M. Costello, Daniel D. Bjornlie, Daniel J. Thompson, Kerry A. Gunther, Jennifer K. Fortin, Justin E. Teisberg, Shannon R Pils, P J White, Steven L. Cain, Paul C. Cross
2016, Oecologia (181) 695-708
Global positioning system (GPS) wildlife collars have revolutionized wildlife research. Studies of predation by free-ranging carnivores have particularly benefited from the application of location clustering algorithms to determine when and where predation events occur. These studies have changed our understanding of large carnivore behavior, but the gains have concentrated on...
Contact heterogeneities in feral swine: implications for disease management and future research
Kim Pepin, Amy J. Davis, James Beasley, Raoul Boughton, Tyler Campbell, Susan Cooper, Wes Gaston, Stephen B. Hartley, John C. Kilgo, Samantha Wisely, Christy Wyckoff, Kurt VerCauteren
2016, Ecosphere (7)
Contact rates vary widely among individuals in socially structured wildlife populations. Understanding the interplay of factors responsible for this variation is essential for planning effective disease management. Feral swine (Sus scrofa) are a socially structured species which pose an increasing threat to livestock and human health, and little...
Exploring climate niches of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex Lawson) haplotypes in the western United States: Implications for evolutionary history and conservation
Douglas J. Shinneman, Robert E. Means, Kevin M. Potter, Valerie D. Hipkins
2016, PLoS ONE (11) e0151811
Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex Lawson) occupies montane environments throughout western North America, where it is both an ecologically and economically important tree species. A recent study using mitochondrial DNA analysis demonstrated substantial genetic variation among ponderosa pine populations in the western U.S., identifying 10 haplotypes with unique evolutionary lineages...
Report A: Fish and habitat assessment in Rock Creek, Klickitat County, Washington, June 2013-December 2015
Jill M. Hardiman, Elaine Harvey
2016, Report, Rock Creek Fish and Habitat Assessment for Prioritization of Restoration and Protection Actions
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Yakama Nation have collaborated in the Rock Creek subbasin, southeastern, Washington since 2009 to assess steelhead (Oncorynchus mykiss) populations and habitat conditions. Rock Creek, flows south to the Columbia River at river kilometer (rkm) 368. During 2015, a habitat survey was conducted, and...
Hydrologic indicators of hot spots and hot moments of mercury methylation potential along river corridors
Michael B. Singer, Lee R. Harrison, Patrick M. Donovan, Joel D. Blum, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale
2016, Science of the Total Environment (568) 697-711
The biogeochemical cycling of metals and other contaminants in river-floodplain corridors is controlled by microbial activity responding to dynamic redox conditions. Riverine flooding thus has the potential to affect speciation of redox-sensitive metals such as mercury (Hg). Therefore, inundation history over a period of decades potentially holds information on past...
Groundwater hydrology and estimation of horizontal groundwater flux from the Rio Grande at selected locations in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2009–10
Dale R. Rankin, Gretchen P. Oelsner, Kurt J. McCoy, Goeff J.M. Moret, Jeffery A. Worthington, Kimberly M. Bandy-Baldwin
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5021
The Albuquerque area of New Mexico has two principal sources of water: (1) groundwater from the Santa Fe Group aquifer system, and (2) surface water from the Rio Grande. From 1960 to 2002, pumping from the Santa Fe Group aquifer system caused groundwater levels to decline more than 120 feet...
Non-invasive genetic sampling of Southern Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus fuliginatus) reveals limited movement across California State Route 67 in San Diego County
Anna Mitelberg, Amy G. Vandergast
2016, Western Wildlife (3) 8-18
—The Southern Mule Deer is a mobile but non-migratory large mammal found throughout southern California and is a covered species in the San Diego Multi-Species Conservation Plan. We assessed deer movement and population connectivity across California State Route 67 and two smaller roads in eastern San Diego County using non-invasive...
Estimating flood magnitude and frequency at gaged and ungaged sites on streams in Alaska and conterminous basins in Canada, based on data through water year 2012
Janet H. Curran, Nancy A. Barth, Andrea G. Veilleux, Robert T. Ourso
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5024
Estimates of the magnitude and frequency of floods are needed across Alaska for engineering design of transportation and water-conveyance structures, flood-insurance studies, flood-plain management, and other water-resource purposes. This report updates methods for estimating flood magnitude and frequency in Alaska and conterminous basins in Canada. Annual peak-flow data through water...
Linking hydrodynamic complexity to delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) distribution in the San Francisco Estuary, USA
Aaron J. Bever, Michael L. MacWilliams, Bruce Herbold, Larry R. Brown, Frederick V. Feyrer
2016, San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science (14) 1-27
Long-term fish sampling data from the San Francisco Estuary were combined with detailed three dimensional hydrodynamic modeling to investigate the relationship between historical fish catch and hydrodynamic complexity. Delta Smelt catch data at 45 stations from the Fall Midwater Trawl (FMWT) survey in the vicinity of Suisun Bay were used...
Threshold responses of Blackside Dace (Chrosomus cumberlandensis) and Kentucky Arrow Darter (Etheostoma spilotum) to stream conductivity
Nathaniel P. Hitt, Michael Floyd, Michael Compton, Kenneth McDonald
2016, Southeastern Naturalist (15) 41-60
Chrosomus cumberlandensis (Blackside Dace [BSD]) and Etheostoma spilotum (Kentucky Arrow Darter [KAD]) are fish species of conservation concern due to their fragmented distributions, their low population sizes, and threats from anthropogenic stressors in the southeastern United States. We evaluated the relationship between fish abundance and stream conductivity, an index of environmental quality and...
Spatial and temporal patterns of cloud cover and fog inundation in coastal California: Ecological implications
Bharat Rastogi, A. Park Williams, Douglas T. Fischer, Sam F. Iacobellis, Kathryn McEachern, Leila Carvalho, Charles Leslie Jones, Sara A. Baguskas, Christopher J. Still
2016, Earth Interactions (20)
The presence of low-lying stratocumulus clouds and fog has been known to modify biophysical and ecological properties in coastal California where forests are frequently shaded by low-lying clouds or immersed in fog during otherwise warm and dry summer months. Summer fog and stratus can ameliorate summer drought stress and enhance...
Seasonal response of ghrelin, growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor I in the free-ranging Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
Rachel L Tighe, Robert K. Bonde, Julie P. Avery
2016, Mammalian Biology (81) 247-254
Seasonal changes in light, temperature, and food availability stimulate a physiological response in an animal. Seasonal adaptations are well studied in Arctic, Sub-Arctic, and hibernating mammals; however, limited studies have been conducted in sub-tropical species. The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), a sub-tropical marine mammal,...
Toxoplasma gondii antibody prevalence and two new genotypes of the parasite in endangered Hawaiian Geese (nene: Branta sandvicensis)
Thierry M. Work, Shiv K. Verma, Chunlei Su, John Medeiros, Thomas Kaiakapu, Oliver C. Kwok, Jitender P. Dubey
2016, Journal of Wildlife Diseases (52) 253-257
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite transmitted by domestic cats (Felis catus) that has historically caused mortality in native Hawaiian birds. To estimate how widespread exposure to the parasite is in nene (Hawaiian Geese, Branta sandvicensis), we did a serologic survey for T. gondii antibody and genetically characterized parasite DNA from the tissues of dead...
Abundance, distribution, and removals of feral pigs at Big Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex 2010–2015
Christina R. Leopold, Steve C. Hess, Steve J. Kendall, Seth W. Judge
2016, Technical Report HCSU-075
The Hakalau Forest Unit (HFU) of Big Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex (BINWRC) has intensively monitored non-native ungulate presence and distribution during surveys of all managed areas since 1988. In this report we: 1) provide results from recent ungulate surveys and the number of removals at HFU to determine the...
Susceptibility and antibody response of Vesper Sparrows (Pooecetes gramineus) to West Nile virus: A potential amplification host in sagebrush-grassland habitat
Erik K. Hofmeister, Robert J. Dusek, Carol Fassbinder-Orth, Benjamin Owen, J. Christian Franson
2016, Journal of Wildlife Diseases (52)
West Nile virus (WNV) spread to the US western plains states in 2003, when a significant mortality event attributed to WNV occurred in Greater Sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus ). The role of avian species inhabiting sagebrush in the amplification of WNV in arid and semiarid regions of the North America...
The Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project (PlioMIP) Phase 2: Scientific objectives and experimental design
Alan M. Haywood, Harry J. Dowsett, Aisling M. Dolan, David Rowley, Ayako Abe-Ouchi, Bette Otto-Bliesner, Mark A. Chandler, Stephen J. Hunter, Daniel J. Lunt, Matthew Pound, Ulrich Salzmann
2016, Climate of the Past (12) 663-675
The Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project (PlioMIP) is a co-ordinated international climate modelling initiative to study and understand climate and environments of the Late Pliocene, as well as their potential relevance in the context of future climate change. PlioMIP examines the consistency of model predictions in simulating Pliocene climate...
Estimating abundance in the presence of species uncertainty
Thierry A. Chambert, Blake R. Hossack, LeeAnn Fishback, Jon M. Davenport
2016, Methods in Ecology and Evolution (7) 1041-1049
1.N-mixture models have become a popular method for estimating abundance of free-ranging animals that are not marked or identified individually. These models have been used on count data for single species that can be identified with certainty. However, co-occurring species often look similar during one or more life stages,...
Ecological requirements for pallid sturgeon reproduction and recruitment in the Missouri River—Annual report 2014
Aaron J. DeLonay, Kimberly A. Chojnacki, Robert B. Jacobson, Patrick J. Braaten, Kevin J. Buhl, Caroline M. Elliott, Susannah O. Erwin, Jacob D.A. Faulkner, James S. Candrl, David B. Fuller, Kenneth M. Backes, Tyler M. Haddix, Matthew L. Rugg, Christopher J. Wesolek, Brandon L. Eder, Gerald E. Mestl
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1013
The Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project is a multiyear, multiagency collaborative research framework developed to provide information to support pallid sturgeon recovery and Missouri River management decisions. The project strategy integrates field and laboratory studies of sturgeon reproductive ecology, early life history, habitat requirements, and physiology. The project scope of work...
Potential effects of alterations to the hydrologic system on the distribution of salinity in the Biscayne aquifer in Broward County, Florida
Joseph D. Hughes, Dorothy F. Sifuentes, Jeremy T. White
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5022
To address concerns about the effects of water-resource management practices and rising sea level on saltwater intrusion, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Broward County Environmental Planning and Community Resilience Division, initiated a study to examine causes of saltwater intrusion and predict the effects of future alterations to...
Metapopulation viability of an endangered shorebird depends on dispersal and human-created habitats: Piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) and prairie rivers
Daniel H. Catlin, Sara L. Zeigler, M. Bomberger Brown, Lauren R. Dinan, James D. Fraser, Kelsi L. Hunt, Joel G. Jorgensen
2016, Movement Ecology (4)
Background Many species are distributed as metapopulations in dynamic landscapes, where habitats change through space and time. Individuals locate habitat through dispersal, and the relationship between a species and landscape characteristics can have profound effects on population persistence. Despite the importance of connectivity in dynamic environments,...
Rockfall triggering by cyclic thermal stressing of exfoliation fractures
Brian D. Collins, Greg M. Stock
2016, Nature Geoscience (9) 395-400
Exfoliation of rock deteriorates cliffs through the formation and subsequent opening of fractures, which in turn can lead to potentially hazardous rockfalls. Although a number of mechanisms are known to trigger rockfalls, many rockfalls occur during periods when likely triggers such as precipitation, seismic activity and freezing conditions are absent....
Hydrologic data and groundwater-flow simulations in the Brown Ditch Watershed, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, near Beverly Shores and Town of Pines, Indiana
David C. Lampe
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5141
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected data and simulated groundwater flow to increase understanding of the hydrology and the effects of drainage alterations on the water table in the vicinity of Great Marsh, near Beverly Shores and Town of Pines, Indiana. Prior land-management practices have modified drainage and caused changes...
Variability of surface-water quantity and quality and shallow groundwater levels and quality within the Rio Grande Project Area, New Mexico and Texas, 2009–13
Jessica M. Driscoll, Lauren R. Sherson
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5006
Drought conditions during the study period of January 1, 2009, to September 30, 2013, caused a reduction in surface-water releases from water-supply storage infrastructure of the Rio Grande Project, which led to changes in surface-water and groundwater (conjunctive) use in downstream agricultural alluvial valleys. Surface water and groundwater in the...
