Common challenges for ecological modelling: synthesis of facilitated discussions held at the symposia organized for the 2009 conference of the International Society for Ecological Modelling in Quebec City, Canada, (October 6-9, 2009)
Guy R. Larocque, D. Mailly, T.-X. Yue, M. Anand, C. Peng, C. Kazanci, M. Etterson, P. Goethals, S.E. Jorgensen, J.R. Schramski, E.J.B. McIntire, D.J. Marceau, B. Chen, G.Q. Chen, Z.F. Yang, B. Novotna, N. Luckai, Jagtar S. Bhatti, J. Liu, A. Munson, Andrew M. Gordon, J.C. Ascough
2011, Ecological Modelling (222) 2456-2468
The eleven symposia organized for the 2009 conference of the International Society for Ecological Modelling (ISEM 2009) held in Quebec City, Canada, October 6–9, 2009, included facilitated discussion sessions following formal presentations. Each symposium focused on a specific subject, and all the subjects could be classified into three broad categories:...
Evaluation of ground motion scaling methods for analysis of structural systems
A. P. O’Donnell, O.A. Beltsar, Y.C. Kurama, E. Kalkan, A.A. Taflanidis
2011, Conference Paper, Structures Congress 2011 - Proceedings of the 2011 Structures Congress
Ground motion selection and scaling comprises undoubtedly the most important component of any seismic risk assessment study that involves time-history analysis. Ironically, this is also the single parameter with the least guidance provided in current building codes, resulting in the use of mostly subjective choices in design. The relevant research...
Tiny intraplate earthquakes triggered by nearby episodic tremor and slip in Cascadia
J.E. Vidale, A.J. Hotovec, A. Ghosh, K. C. Creager, J. Gomberg
2011, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (12)
Episodic tremor and slip (ETS) has been observed in many subduction zones, but its mechanical underpinnings as well as its potential for triggering damaging earthquakes have proven difficult to assess. Here we use a seismic array in Cascadia of unprecedented density to monitor seismicity around a moderate 16 day ETS...
Effects of temperature changes on maize production in Mozambique
L. Harrison, J. Michaelsen, Chris Funk, G. Husak
2011, Climate Research (46) 211-222
We examined intraseasonal changes in maize phenology and heat stress exposure over the 1979-2008 period, using Mozambique meteorological station data and maize growth requirements in a growing degree-day model. Identifying historical effects of warming on maize growth is particularly important in Mozambique because national food security is highly dependent on...
Diets of the sympatric pacific sheath-tailed bat (Emballonura semicaudata rotensis) and Mariana Swiftlet (Aerodramus bartscht) on Aguiguan, Mariana Islands
Ernest W. Valdez, G.J. Wiles, Thomas J. O’Shea
2011, Pacific Science (65) 301-309
The Pacific sheath-tailed bat (Emballonura semicaudata rotensis) and Mariana swiftlet (Aerodramus bartschi) are two rare insectivorous taxa restricted to the southern Mariana Islands in western Micronesia. It is believed that populations of both have dwindled because of impacts to their food resources. However, there is little information on the food...
Nitrogen uptake by the shoots of smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora
T. J. Mozdzer, M. Kirwan, K. J. McGlathery, J. C. Zieman
2011, Marine Ecology Progress Series (433) 43-52
The smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora is the foundation species in intertidal salt marshes of the North American Atlantic coast. Depending on its elevation within the marsh, S. alterniflora may be submerged for several hours per day. Previous ecosystem-level studies have demonstrated that S. alterniflora marshes are a net sink for nitrogen (N), and that removal of...
Geology and petroleum potential of the north and east margins of the Siberian Craton, north of the Arctic Circle
T. R. Klett, C. J. Wandrey, Janet K. Pitman
2011, Geological Society Memoir 413-431
The Siberian Craton consists of crystalline rocks and superimposed Precambrian sedimentary rocks deposited in rift basins. Palaeozoic rocks, mainly carbonates, were deposited along the margins of the craton to form an outwardly younger concentric pattern that underlies an outward-thickening Mesozoic sedimentary section. The north and east margins of the Siberian...
Sea otter mortality in fish and shellfish traps: Estimating potential impacts and exploring possible solutions
Brian B. Hatfield, J.A. Ames, J. A. Estes, M. Timothy Tinker, A.B. Johnson, M. M. Staedler, M.D. Harris
2011, Endangered Species Research (13) 219-229
Sea otters Enhydra lutris can be bycaught and drowned in fishing pots and traps, which may pose a threat to the welfare of otter populations. We explored this potential problem and its solutions using a wide variety of analyses. We exposed live California (USA) sea otters to finfish traps, lobster traps, and...
Rating curve estimation of nutrient loads in Iowa rivers
G.A. Stenback, W.G. Crumpton, K. E. Schilling, M.J. Helmers
2011, Journal of Hydrology (396) 158-169
Accurate estimation of nutrient loads in rivers and streams is critical for many applications including determination of sources of nutrient loads in watersheds, evaluating long-term trends in loads, and estimating loading to downstream waterbodies. Since in many cases nutrient concentrations are measured on a weekly or monthly frequency, there is...
Exploring the sensitivity of soil carbon dynamics to climate change, fire disturbance and permafrost thaw in a black spruce ecosystem
J. A. O'Donnell, Jennifer W. Harden, A. David McGuire, V.E. Romanovsky
2011, Biogeosciences (8) 1367-1382
In the boreal region, soil organic carbon (OC) dynamics are strongly governed by the interaction between wildfire and permafrost. Using a combination of field measurements, numerical modeling of soil thermal dynamics, and mass-balance modeling of OC dynamics, we tested the sensitivity of soil OC storage to a suite of individual...
Groundwater chemistry near an impoundment for produced water, Powder River Basin, Wyoming, USA
R. W. Healy, T.T. Bartos, C. A. Rice, M.P. McKinley, B. D. Smith
2011, Journal of Hydrology (403) 37-48
The Powder River Basin is one of the largest producers of coal-bed natural gas (CBNG) in the United States. An important environmental concern in the Basin is the fate of the large amounts of groundwater extracted during CBNG production. Most of this produced water is disposed of in unlined surface...
Assessing water quality suitability for shortnose sturgeon in the Roanoke River, North Carolina, USA with an in situ bioassay approach
W.G. Cope, F.M. Holliman, T.J. Kwak, N.C. Oakley, P.R. Lazaro, D. Shea, T. Augspurger, J.M. Law, J.P. Henne, K.M. Ware
2011, Journal of Applied Ichthyology (27) 1-12
The aim of this study was to determine the suitability of water quality in the Roanoke River of North Carolina for supporting shortnose sturgeon Acipenser brevirostrum, an endangered species in the United States. Fathead minnows Pimephales promelas were also evaluated alongside the sturgeon as a comparative species to measure potential...
Volatile abundances and oxygen isotopes in basaltic to dacitic lavas on mid-ocean ridges: The role of assimilation at spreading centers
V.D. Wanless, M.R. Perfit, W.I. Ridley, P.J. Wallace, Craig B. Grimes, E.M. Klein
2011, Chemical Geology (287) 54-65
Most geochemical variability in MOR basalts is consistent with low- to moderate-pressure fractional crystallization of various mantle-derived parental melts. However, our geochemical data from MOR high-silica glasses, including new volatile and oxygen isotope data, suggest that assimilation of altered crustal material plays a significant role in the petrogenesis of dacites...
A nuclear localization of the infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus NV protein is necessary for optimal viral growth
M.K. Choi, C. H. Moon, M.S. Ko, U.-H. Lee, W. Cho, S.J. Cha, J.W. Do, G.J. Heo, S.G. Jeong, Y.S. Hahm, A. Harmache, M. Bremont, Gael Kurath, J. W. Park
2011, PLoS ONE (6)
The nonvirion (NV) protein of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) has been previously reported to be essential for efficient growth and pathogenicity of IHNV. However, little is known about the mechanism by which the NV supports the viral growth. In this study, cellular localization of NV and its role in...
Long-term biases in geomagnetic K and aa indices
Jeffrey J. Love
2011, Annales Geophysicae (29) 1365-1375
Analysis is made of the geomagnetic-activity aa index and its source K-index data from groups of ground-based observatories in Britain, and Australia, 1868.0–2009.0, solar cycles 11–23. The K data show persistent biases, especially for high (low) K-activity levels at British (Australian) observatories. From examination of multiple subsets of the K data we infer that the biases are not...
Geology, geochronology, and paleogeography of the southern Sonoma volcanic field and adjacent areas, northern San Francisco Bay region, California
David L. Wagner, George J. Saucedo, Kevin B. Clahan, Robert J. Fleck, Victoria E. Langenheim, Robert J. McLaughlin, Andrei M. Sarna-Wojcicki, James R. Allen, Alan L. Deino
2011, Geosphere (7) 658-683
Recent geologic mapping in the northern San Francisco Bay region (California, USA) supported by radiometric dating and tephrochronologic correlations, provides insights into the framework geology, stratigraphy, tectonic evolution, and geologic history of this part of the San Andreas transform plate boundary. There are 25 new and existing radiometric dates that...
Occurrence and fate of the herbicide glyphosate and its degradate aminomethylphosphonic acid in the atmosphere
Feng-Chih Chang, M.F. Simcik, P. D. Capel
2011, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (30) 548-555
This is the first report on the ambient levels of glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in the United States, and its major degradation product, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), in air and rain. Concurrent, weekly integrated air particle and rain samples were collected during two growing seasons in agricultural areas in...
Rain pulse response of soil CO2 exchange by biological soil crusts and grasslands of the semiarid Colorado Plateau, United States
David R. Bowling, Edmund E. Grote, Jayne Belnap
2011, Journal of Geophysical Research G: Biogeosciences (116)
Biological activity in arid grasslands is strongly dependent on moisture. We examined gas exchange of biological soil crusts (biocrusts), the underlying soil biotic community, and the belowground respiratory activity of C3 and C4 grasses over 2 years in southeast Utah, USA. We used soil surface CO2 flux and the amount...
Mineralogic sources of metals in leachates from the weathering of sedex, massive sulfide, and vein deposit mining wastes
S. F. Diehl, P. L. Hageman, R.R. Seal II, N.M. Piatak, H. Lowers
2011, Conference Paper, SME Annual Meeting and Exhibit and CMA 113th National Western Mining Conference 2011
Weathered mine waste consists of oxidized primary minerals and chemically unstable secondary phases that can be sources of readily soluble metals and acid rock drainage. Elevated concentrations of metals such as Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn are observed in deionized water-based leachate solutions derived from complex sedex...
Geologic controls on gas hydrate occurrence in the Mount Elbert prospect, Alaska North Slope
R. Boswell, K. Rose, Timothy S. Collett, Myung W. Lee, William J. Winters, Kristen A. Lewis, Warren F. Agena
2011, Marine and Petroleum Geology (28) 589-607
Data acquired at the BPXA-DOE-USGS Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, drilled in the Milne Point area of the Alaska North Slope in February, 2007, indicates two zones of high gas hydrate saturation within the Eocene Sagavanirktok Formation. Gas hydrate is observed in two separate sand reservoirs (the D...
The USGS geomagnetism program and its role in space weather monitoring
Jeffrey J. Love, Carol A. Finn
2011, Space Weather (9)
Magnetic storms result from the dynamic interaction of the solar wind with the coupled magnetospheric-ionospheric system. Large storms represent a potential hazard for the activities and infrastructure of a modern, technologically based society [Baker et al., 2008]; they can cause the loss of radio communications, reduce the accuracy of global...
In-situ gas hydrate hydrate saturation estimated from various well logs at the Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope
Myung W. Lee, Timothy S. Collett
2011, Marine and Petroleum Geology (28) 439-449
In 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed detailed analysis and interpretation of available 2-D and 3-D seismic data and proposed a viable method for identifying sub-permafrost gas hydrate prospects within the gas hydrate stability zone in the Milne Point area of northern Alaska. To validate the predictions of...
Molecular detection of vertebrates in stream water: A demonstration using rocky mountain tailed frogs and Idaho giant salamanders
C.S. Goldberg, D. S. Pilliod, R.S. Arkle, L.P. Waits
2011, PLoS ONE (6)
Stream ecosystems harbor many secretive and imperiled species, and studies of vertebrates in these systems face the challenges of relatively low detection rates and high costs. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has recently been confirmed as a sensitive and efficient tool for documenting aquatic vertebrates in wetlands and in a large river...
Nitrous oxide emission from denitrification in stream and river networks
J. J. Beaulieu, J. L. Tank, S. K. Hamilton, W. M. Wollheim, R. O. Hall Jr., P. J. Mulholland, B. J. Peterson, L. R. Ashkenas, L. W. Cooper, Clifford N. Dahm, W. K. Dodds, N. B. Grimm, S. L. Johnson, W. H. McDowell, G. C. Poole, Valett H. Maurice, C. P. Arango, M. J. Bernot, A. J. Burgin, C. L. Crenshaw, A. M. Helton, L. T. Johnson, J. M. O’Brien, J. D. Potter, R.W. Sheibley, D. J. Sobota, S. M. Thomas
2011, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (108) 214-219
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and stratospheric ozone destruction. Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) loading to river networks is a potentially important source of N2O via microbial denitrification that converts N to N2O and dinitrogen (N2). The...
Comparative mobility of sulfonamides and bromide tracer in three soils
S.T. Kurwadkar, C.D. Adams, Michael T. Meyer, Dana W. Kolpin
2011, Journal of Environmental Management (92) 1874-1881
In animal agriculture, sulfonamides are one of the routinely used groups of antimicrobials for therapeutic and sub-therapeutic purposes. It is observed that, the animals when administered the antimicrobials, often do not completely metabolize them; and excrete the partially metabolized forms into the environment. Due to the continued use of antimicrobials...
