Improving paleoecology studies for future predictions: Role of spatial and temporal scales for understanding ecology of the arid and semiarid landscape of the Southwest
David M. Miller, Gene-Hua Crystal Ng, Katharine Maher
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1029
Paleoecology (or ecological biogeography) describes the past distribution of species or communities and is an informative path used to understand the future in the face of climate change. Paleoecological changes in the Southwest over the past several thousand years happened in the presence of landscape manipulations by humans, a factor...
Influence of stocking, site quality, stand age, low-severity canopy disturbance, and forest composition on sub-boreal aspen mixedwood carbon stocks
Michael Reinikainen, Anthony W. D’Amato, John B. Bradford, Shawn Fraver
2014, Canadian Journal of Forest Research (44) 230-242
Low-severity canopy disturbance presumably influences forest carbon dynamics during the course of stand development, yet the topic has received relatively little attention. This is surprising because of the frequent occurrence of such events and the potential for both the severity and frequency of disturbances to increase as a result of...
Gravity, aeromagnetic and rock-property data of the central California Coast Ranges
V.E. Langenheim
2014, Open-File Report 2013-1282
Gravity, aeromagnetic, and rock-property data were collected to support geologic-mapping, water-resource, and seismic-hazard studies for the central California Coast Ranges. These data are combined with existing data to provide gravity, aeromagnetic, and physical-property datasets for this region. The gravity dataset consists of approximately 18,000 measurements. The aeromagnetic dataset consists of...
Season and application rates affect vaccine bait consumption by prairie dogs in Colorado and Utah, USA
Daniel W. Tripp, Tonie E. Rocke, Sean P. Streich, Nathanael L. Brown, Julia Rodriguez-Ramos Fernandez, Michael W. Miller
2014, Journal of Wildlife Diseases (50) 224-234
Plague, a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, causes high rates of mortality in prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.). An oral vaccine against plague has been developed for prairie dogs along with a palatable bait to deliver vaccine and a biomarker to track bait consumption. We conducted field trials...
A rapid field test for sylvatic plague exposure in wild animals
Rachel C. Abbott, Robert Hudak, Roy Mondesire, Laurie A. Baeten, Robin E. Russell, Tonie E. Rocke
2014, Journal of Wildlife Diseases (50) 384-388
Plague surveillance is routinely conducted to predict future epizootics in wildlife and exposure risk for humans. The most common surveillance method for sylvatic plague is detection of antibodies to Yersinia pestis F1 capsular antigen in sentinel animals, such as coyotes (Canis latrans). Current serologic tests for Y. pestis, hemagglutination (HA)...
Lectins stain cells differentially in the coral, Montipora capitata
Thierry M. Work, Yael Farah
2014, Journal of Invertebrate Pathology (117) 42-50
A limitation in our understanding of coral disease pathology and cellular pathogenesis is a lack of reagents to characterize coral cells. We evaluated the utility of plant lectins to stain tissues of a dominant coral, Montipora capitata, from Hawaii. Of 22 lectins evaluated, nine of these stained structures in the...
Isotopic nitrogen in fecal fiber as an indicator of winter diet in caribou and muskoxen
David D. Gustine, Perry S. Barboza, Jennifer Addison, Rachel Shively, Lola Oliver
2014, Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry (28) 625-634
RATIONALE: The ratios of stable nitrogen isotopes (δ15N values) in excreta have been used to examine aspects of trophic and nutritional ecology across taxa. Nitrogen fractions in feces of herbivores include endogenous (e.g., sloughed intestinal cells, unresorbed digestive secretions, and microbial debris) and dietary sources. For animals such as large...
A spatial modeling framework to evaluate domestic biofuel-induced potential land use changed and emissions
Joshua Elliot, Bhavna Sharma, Neil Best, Michael Glotter, Jennifer B. Dunn, Ian Foster, Fernando Miguez, Steffen Mueller, Michael Wang
2014, Environmental Science & Technology (48) 2488-2486
We present a novel bottom-up approach to estimate biofuel-induced land-use change (LUC) and resulting CO2 emissions in the U.S. from 2010 to 2022, based on a consistent methodology across four essential components: land availability, land suitability, LUC decision-making, and induced CO2 emissions. Using high-resolution geospatial data and modeling, we construct probabilistic assessments...
Health of white sucker within the St. Louis River area of concern associated with habitat usage as assessed using stable isotopes
V. S. Blazer, J. Hoffman, H.L. Walsh, R.P. Braham, C. Hahn, P. Collins, Z. Jorgenson, T. Ledder
2014, Ecotoxicology (23) 236-251
In Spring 2011, 200 adult white sucker were collected in four areas of the St. Louis River area of concern (AOC), located in Minnesota and Wisconsin, USA. The areas included the upper AOC as a reference area, the upper estuary, St. Louis Bay and Superior Bay. Grossly visible abnormalities were...
Gunnison sage-grouse lek site suitability modeling
Douglas S. Ouren, Drew A. Ignizio, Melissa Siders, Theresa Childers, Karen Tucker, Nathan Seward
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1010
In order to better understand and protect species with minimal or decreasing populations, it is imperative to determine their actual existing population size. The focal species for this project is the Gunnison sage-grouse (GUSG), which became a proposed endangered species under the Endangered Species Act, thus confirming the need for...
Early indicators of change: divergent climate envelopes between tree life stages imply range shifts in the western United States
David M. Bell, John B. Bradford, William K. Lauenroth
2014, Global Ecology and Biogeography (23) 168-180
Aim To determine if differences in climate envelopes for six coniferous tree species and two life stages (trees and seedlings) suggest a potential for species range contractions, expansions or shifts in response to climate change and if these patterns differ between subalpine (i.e. cool-climate) and montane (i.e. warm-climate) species. Location The dry domain...
Disruptions of El Niño–Southern Oscillation teleconnections by the Madden–Julian Oscillation
Andrew Hoell, Mathew Barlow, Mathew Wheeler, Christopher C. Funk
2014, Geophysical Research Letters (41) 998-1004
The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the leading mode of interannual variability, with global impacts on weather and climate that have seasonal predictability. Research on the link between interannual ENSO variability and the leading mode of intraseasonal variability, the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), has focused mainly on the role of MJO...
USGS field activities 11BHM03 and 11BHM04 on the west Florida shelf, Gulf of Mexico, September and November 2011
Lisa L. Robbins, Paul O. Knorr, Kendra L. Daly, Kira E. Barrera
2014, Data Series 822
During September and November 2011 the (USGS), in cooperation with (USF), conducted geochemical surveys on the west Florida Shelf to investigate the effects of climate change on ocean acidification within the northern Gulf of Mexico, specifically, the effect of ocean acidification on marine organisms and habitats. The first cruise was...
USGS field activities 11BHM01 and 11BHM02 on the west Florida shelf, Gulf of Mexico, May and June 2011
Lisa L. Robbins, Paul O. Knorr, Kendra L. Daly, Carl A. Taylor, Kira E. Barrera
2014, Data Series 712
During May and June 2011 the (USGS), in cooperation with (USF), conducted geochemical surveys on the west Florida Shelf to investigate the effects of climate change on ocean acidification within the northern Gulf of Mexico, specifically, the effect of ocean acidification on marine organisms and habitats. The first cruise was...
Field manual for the collection of Navajo Nation streamflow-gage data
Robert J. Hart, Gregory G. Fisk
2014, Open-File Report 2013-1107
The Field Manual for the Collection of Navajo Nation Streamflow-Gage Data (Navajo Field Manual) is based on established (standard) U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging methods and provides guidelines specifically designed for the Navajo Department of Water Resources personnel who establish and maintain streamflow gages. The Navajo Field Manual addresses field visits,...
A velocimetric survey of the Lower Missouri River from river mile 492.38 to 290.20, July-October 2011 and July 2012
Daniel J. Armstrong, Donald H. Wilkison, Richard D. Norman
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5197
Velocimetric surveys were made by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2011 and 2012 to provide data for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ ongoing study of bed degradation in the Lower Missouri River. Using Acoustic Doppler Current Profile technology, velocity data were collected at 87 river miles along the Lower...
Global geologic map of Ganymede
Geoffrey C. Collins, G. Wesley Patterson, James W. Head, Robert T. Pappalardo, Louise M. Prockter, Baerbel K. Lucchitta, Johnathan P. Kay
2014, Scientific Investigations Map 3237
Ganymede is the largest satellite of Jupiter, and its icy surface has been formed through a variety of impact cratering, tectonic, and possibly cryovolcanic processes. The history of Ganymede can be divided into three distinct phases: an early phase dominated by impact cratering and mixing of non-ice materials in the...
Do digestive contents confound body mass as a measure of relative condition in nestling songbirds?
Henry M. Streby, Sean M. Peterson, Justin A. Lehman, Gunnar R. Kramer, Ben J. Vernasco, David E. Andersen
2014, Wildlife Society Bulletin (38) 305-310
Relative nestling condition, typically measured as nestling mass or as an index including nestling mass, is commonly purported to correlate with fledgling songbird survival. However, most studies directly investigating fledgling survival have found no such relationship. We weighed feces and stomach contents of nestling golden-winged warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) to investigate...
Delivering climate science about the Nation's fish, wildlife, and ecosystems: the U.S. Geological Survey National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center
Elda Varela-Acevedo
2014, Fact Sheet 2013-3110
Changes to the Earth’s climate—temperature, precipitation, and other climate variables—pose significant challenges to our Nation’s natural resources. Managers of land, water, and living resources require an understanding of the impacts of climate change—which exacerbate ongoing stresses such as habitat alteration and invasive species—in order to design effective response strategies. In...
Groundwater, surface-water, and water-chemistry data, Black Mesa area, northeastern Arizona: 2011-2012
Jamie P. Macy, Joel A. Unema
2014, Open-File Report 2013-1304
The Navajo (N) aquifer is an extensive aquifer and the primary source of groundwater in the 5,400-square-mile Black Mesa area in northeastern Arizona. Availability of water is an important issue in northeastern Arizona because of continued water requirements for industrial and municipal use by a growing population and because of...
Metolachlor metabolite (MESA) reveals agricultural nitrate-N fate and transport in Choptank River watershed
Gregory W. McCarty, Cathleen J. Hapeman, Clifford P. Rice, W. Dean Hively, Laura L. McConnell, Ali M. Sadeghi, Megan W. Lang, David R. Whitall, Krystyna Bialek, Peter Downey
2014, Science of the Total Environment (473-474) 473-482
Over 50% of streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed have been rated as poor or very poor based on the index of biological integrity. The Choptank River estuary, a Bay tributary on the eastern shore, is one such waterway, where corn and soybean production in upland areas of the watershed...
Maps showing thermal maturity of Upper Cretaceous marine shales in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming and Montana
Thomas M. Finn, Mark J. Pawlewicz
2014, Scientific Investigations Map 3285
The Bighorn Basin is one of many structural and sedimentary basins that formed in the Rocky Mountain foreland during the Laramide orogeny, a period of crustal instability and compressional tectonics that began in latest Cretaceous time and ended in the Eocene. The basin is nearly 180 mi long, 100 mi...
Change in the length of the southern section of the Chandeleur Islands oil berm, January 13, 2011, through September 3, 2012
Nathaniel G. Plant, Kristy K. Guy
2014, Open-File Report 2013-1303
On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig drilling at the Macondo Prospect site in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in a marine oil spill that continued to flow through July 15, 2010. One of the affected areas was the Breton National Wildlife Refuge, which consists...
Survival of bacterial indicators and the functional diversity of native microbial communities in the Floridan aquifer system, south Florida
John T. Lisle
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1011
The Upper Floridan aquifer in the southern region of Florida is a multi-use, regional scale aquifer that is used as a potable water source and as a repository for passively recharged untreated surface waters, and injected treated surface water and wastewater, industrial wastes, including those which contain greenhouse gases (for...
Trend analysis and selected summary statistics of annual mean streamflow for 38 selected long-term U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in Texas, water years 1916-2012
William H. Asquith, Dana L. Barbie
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5230
In 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) operated more than 500 continuous streamgages (streamflow-gaging stations) in Texas. In cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board, the USGS evaluated mean annual streamflow data for 38 selected streamgages that were active as of water year 2012. The 38 streamgages have annual mean...
