Quantifying stream thermal regimes at management-pertinent scales: combining thermal infrared and stationary stream temperature data in a novel modeling framework.
Shane J. Vatland, Robert E. Gresswell, Geoffrey C. Poole
2015, Water Resources Research (51) 31-46
Accurately quantifying stream thermal regimes can be challenging because stream temperatures are often spatially and temporally heterogeneous. In this study, we present a novel modeling framework that combines stream temperature data sets that are continuous in either space or time. Specifically, we merged the fine spatial resolution of thermal infrared...
Slip-pulse rupture behavior on a 2 meter granite fault
Gregory C. McLaskey, Brian D. Kilgore, Nicholas M. Beeler
2015, Geophysical Research Letters (42) 7039-7045
We describe observations of dynamic rupture events that spontaneously arise on meter-scale laboratory earthquake experiments. While low-frequency slip of the granite sample occurs in a relatively uniform and crack-like manner, instruments capable of detecting high frequency motions show that some parts of the fault slip abruptly (velocity >100 mm∙s-1, acceleration...
Eocene and Miocene extension, meteoric fluid infiltration, and core complex formation in the Great Basin (Raft River Mountains, Utah)
Katharina Methner, Andreas Mulch, Christian Teyssier, Michael L. Wells, Michael A. Cosca, Raphael Gottardi, Aude Gebelin, C. Page Chamberlain
2015, Tectonics (34) 680-693
Metamorphic core complexes (MCCs) in the North American Cordillera reflect the effects of lithospheric extension and contribute to crustal adjustments both during and after a protracted subduction history along the Pacific plate margin. While the Miocene-to-recent history of most MCCs in the Great Basin, including the Raft River-Albion-Grouse Creek MCC,...
Integrating climate change into northeast and midwest State Wildlife Action Plans
Michelle D. Staudinger, Toni L. Morelli, Alexander Bryan, editor(s)
2015, Report
The Department of Interior Northeast Climate Science Center (NE CSC) conducts research that responds to the regional natural resource management community’s needs to anticipate, monitor, and adapt to climate change. The NE CSC is supported by a consortium of partners that includes the University of Massachusetts Amherst, College of Menominee...
Designation of a neotype for brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis
Jay R Stauffer, Tim L. King
2015, Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington (127) 557-567
The taxonomic status of Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill) is problematic. Difficulties in comparison of populations are exacerbated by the lack of type material. Here we designate a neotype from Connetquot River, Long Island, New York. We provide genetic and morphological data for the neotype, conspecifics, and other populations (Swan Creek, Nissequogue Creek) from...
A Candidate Vegetation Index of Biological Integrity Based on Species Dominance and Habitat Fidelity
Brian D Gara, Martin A. Stapanian
2015, Ecological Indicators (50) 225-232
Indices of biological integrity of wetlands based on vascular plants (VIBIs) have been developed in many areas of the USA and are used in some states to make critical management decisions. An underlying concept of all VIBIs is that they respond negatively to disturbance. The Ohio VIBI (OVIBI) is calculated...
Crowdsourced earthquake early warning
Sarah E. Minson, Benjamin A. Brooks, Craig L. Glennie, Jessica R. Murray, John O. Langbein, Susan E. Owen, Thomas H. Heaton, Robert A. Iannucci, Darren L. Hauser
2015, Science Advances (1) 1-7
Earthquake early warning (EEW) can reduce harm to people and infrastructure from earthquakes and tsunamis, but it has not been implemented in most high earthquake-risk regions because of prohibitive cost. Common consumer devices such as smartphones contain low-cost versions of the sensors used in EEW. Although less accurate than scientific-grade...
Reconnaissance coal study in the Susitna basin, 2014
Nina T. Harun, David L. LePain, Rebekah Tsigonis, Kenneth P. Helmold, Richard G. Stanley
2015, Report
The Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys (DGGS) conducted fieldwork during the summer of 2014 in the Susitna basin as part of an ongoing evaluation of the hydrocarbon potential of frontier basins, particularly those near the Railbelt region (for example, Decker and others, 2013; Gillis and others, 2013). Topical...
Influence of Smallmouth Bass predation on recruitment of age-0 Yellow Perch in South Dakota glacial lakes
Daniel J. Dembkowski, D.W. Willis, B. G. Blackwell, Steven R. Chipps, T. D. Bacula, M.R. Wuellner
2015, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (35) 736-747
We estimated the influence of predation by Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu on recruitment of age-0 Yellow Perch Perca flavescens in two northeastern South Dakota glacial lakes. We estimated a likely range in consumption of age-0 Yellow Perch using Smallmouth Bass diet information from two time periods when age-0 Yellow Perch...
Spatial patterns of atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur using ion-exchange resin collectors in Rocky Mountain National Park, USA
David W. Clow, Heidi Roop, Leora Nanus, Mark Fenn, Graham A. Sexstone
2015, Atmospheric Environment (101) 149-157
Lakes and streams in Class 1 wilderness areas in the western United States (U.S.) are at risk from atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S), and protection of these resources is mandated under the Federal Clean Air Act and amendments. Assessment of critical loads, which are the maximum exposure...
Correspondence of biological condition models of California streams at statewide and regional scales
Jason T. May, Larry R. Brown, Andrew C. Rehn, Ian R. Waite, Peter R Ode, Raphael D Mazor, Kenneth C Schiff
2015, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (187)
We used boosted regression trees (BRT) to model stream biological condition as measured by benthic macroinvertebrate taxonomic completeness, the ratio of observed to expected (O/E) taxa. Models were developed with and without exclusion of rare taxa at a site. BRT models are robust, requiring few assumptions compared with traditional modeling...
A comparison of survey methods for documenting presence of Myotis leibii (Eastern Small-Footed Bats) at roosting areas in Western Virginia
John K. Huth, Alexander Silvis, Paul R. Moosman Jr., W. Mark Ford, Sara E. Sweeten
2015, Virginia Journal of Science (66) 413-425
Many aspects of foraging and roosting habitat of Myotis leibii (Eastern Small-Footed Bat), an emergent rock roosting-obligate, are poorly described. Previous comparisons of effectiveness of acoustic sampling and mist-net captures have not included Eastern Small-Footed Bat. Habitat requirements of this species differ from congeners in the region, and it is...
Quality assurance testing of acoustic doppler current profiler transform matrices
Brandy Armstrong, Janice M. Fulford, Kirk G. Thibodeaux
2015, Conference Paper, 2015 IEEE/OES Eleveth Current, Waves and Turbulence Measurement (CWTM)
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility (HIF) is nationally responsible for the design, testing, evaluation, repair, calibration, warehousing, and distribution of hydrologic instrumentation in use within the USGS Water Mission Area (WMA). The HIF's Hydraulic Laboratory has begun routine quality assurance (QA) testing and documenting the performance of...
Origins and bioavailability of dissolved organic matter in groundwater
Yuan Shen, Francis H. Chapelle, Eric W. Strom, Ronald Benner
2015, Biogeochemistry (122) 61-78
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in groundwater influences water quality and fuels microbial metabolism, but its origins, bioavailability and chemical composition are poorly understood. The origins and concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and bioavailable DOM were monitored during a long-term (2-year) study of groundwater in a fractured-rock aquifer in the...
Long-term growth-increment chronologies reveal diverse influences of climate forcing on freshwater and forest biota in the Pacific Northwest
Bryan A. Black, Jason B. Dunham, Brett W. Blundon, Jayne Brim-Box, Alan J. Tepley
2015, Global Change Biology (21) 594-604
Analyses of how organisms are likely to respond to a changing climate have focused largely on the direct effects of warming temperatures, though changes in other variables may also be important, particularly the amount and timing of precipitation. Here, we develop a network of eight growth-increment width chronologies for freshwater...
Songbirds as sentinels of mercury in terrestrial habitats of eastern North America
Allyson K. Jackson, David C. Evers, Evan M. Adams, Daniel A. Cristol, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Samuel T. Edmonds, Carrie E. Gray, Bart Hoskins, Oksana P. Lane, Amy Sauer, Timothy Tear
2015, Ecotoxicology (24) 453-467
Mercury (Hg) is a globally distributed environmental contaminant with a variety of deleterious effects in fish, wildlife, and humans. Breeding songbirds may be useful sentinels for Hg across diverse habitats because they can be effectively sampled, have well-defined and small territories, and can integrate pollutant exposure over time and space....
Robust global ocean cooling trend for the pre-industrial Common Era
Helen V. McGregor, Michael N. Evans, Hugues Goosse, Guillaume Leduc, Belen Martrat, Jason A. Addison, P. Graham Mortyn, Delia W. Oppo, Marit-Solveig Seidenkrantz, Marie-Alexandrine Sicre, Steven J. Phipps, Kandasamy Selvaraj, Kaustubh Thirumalai, Helena L. Filipsson, Vasile Ersek
2015, Nature Geoscience (8) 671-677
The oceans mediate the response of global climate to natural and anthropogenic forcings. Yet for the past 2,000 years — a key interval for understanding the present and future climate response to these forcings — global sea surface temperature changes and the underlying driving mechanisms are poorly constrained. Here we...
Ants of the national park of American Samoa
Paul C. Banko, Robert W. Peck
2015, Technical Report HCSU-061
American Samoa makes up the eastern end of the Samoan Archipelago. On the islands of Tutuila, Taʽū and Ofu, the National Park of American Samoa (NPSA) protects about 4,000 ha of coastal, mid-slope and ridge-top forest. While the ant fauna of the Samoan Archipelago is considered relatively well documented, much...
Challenges to sea otter recovery and conservation
Brenda E. Ballachey, James L. Bodkin
2015, Book chapter, Sea otter conservation
Similar to other species that in recent centuries experienced unregulated human exploitation, sea otters were extirpated throughout large portions of their historic range in the North Pacific. For most of the twentieth century, with cessation of the fur trade and because of concerted efforts at conservation, sea otters recovered much...
Application and utility of a low-cost unmanned aerial system to manage and conserve aquatic resources in four Texas rivers
Timothy W. Birdsong, Megan Bean, Timothy B. Grabowski, Thomas B. Hardy, Thomas Heard, Derrick Holdstock, Kristy Kollaus, Stephan J. Magnelia, Kristina Tolman
2015, Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (2015) 80-85
Low-cost unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have recently gained increasing attention in natural resources management due to their versatility and demonstrated utility in collection of high-resolution, temporally-specific geospatial data. This study applied low-cost UAS to support the geospatial data needs of aquatic resources management projects in four Texas rivers. Specifically,...
Historic and Contemporary Status of Sea Otters in the North Pacific
James L. Bodkin
Shawn E. Larson, Arthur Gross, Glenn R. VanBlaricom, editor(s)
2015, Book chapter, Sea Otter Conservation
Similar to other species that in recent centuries experienced unregulated human exploitation, sea otters were extirpated throughout large portions of their historic range in the North Pacific. For most of the twentieth century, with cessation of the fur trade and because of concerted efforts at conservation, sea otters recovered much...
Combined effects of climate, predation, and density dependence on Greater and Lesser Scaup population dynamics
Beth E. Ross, Mevin Hooten, Jean-Michel DeVink, David N. Koons
2015, Ecological Applications (25) 1606-1617
An understanding of species relationships is critical in the management and conservation of populations facing climate change, yet few studies address how climate alters species interactions and other population drivers. We use a long-term, broad-scale data set of relative abundance to examine the influence of climate, predators, and density dependence...
Astronomical observations of volatiles on asteroids
Andrew S. Rivkin, Humberto Campins, Joshua P. Emery, Ellen S. Howell, Javier Licandro, Driss Takir, Faith Vilas
Patrick Michel, Francesca E. DeMeo, William F. Bottke Jr., editor(s)
2015, Book chapter, Asteroids IV
We have long known that water and hydroxyl are important components in meteorites and asteroids. However, in the time since the publication of Asteroids III, evolution of astronomical instrumentation, laboratory capabilities, and theoretical models have led to great advances in our understanding of H2O/OH on small bodies, and spacecraft observations...
An assessment of arthropod prey resources at Nakula Natural Area Reserve, a potential site of reintroduction for Kiwikiu (Pseudonestor xanthophrys) and Maui `Alauahio (Parareomyza montana)
Paul C. Banko, Robert W. Peck, Justin Cappadonna, Claire Steele, David L. Leonard, Hanna L. Mounce, Dusti Becker, Kirsty Swinnerton
2015, Technical Report HCSU-059
Hawaiian forest birds have declined dramatically since humans arrived in the archipelago. Birds from all foraging guilds have been affected but insectivorous species are currently at greatest risk of extinction. On the island of Maui, populations and ranges of the insectivorous kiwikiu (Maui parrotbill; Pseudonestor xanthophrys) and Maui ‘alauahio (Maui...
Suburban groundwater quality as influenced by turfgrass and septic sources, Delmarva Peninsula, USA
Joshua W. Kasper, Judith M. Denver, Joanna K. York
2015, Journal of Environmental Quality (44) 642-654
Suburban land use is expanding in many parts of the United States and there is a need to better understand the potential water-quality impacts of this change. This study characterized groundwater quality in a sandy, water-table aquifer influenced by suburban development and compared the results to known patterns in water...
