Baseline and projected future carbon storage and carbon fluxes in ecosystems of Hawai‘i
Paul C. Selmants, Christian P. Giardina, James D. Jacobi, Zhiliang Zhu, editor(s)
2017, Professional Paper 1834
This assessment was conducted to fulfill the requirements of section 712 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 and to improve understanding of factors influencing carbon balance in ecosystems of Hawai‘i. Ecosystem carbon storage, carbon fluxes, and carbon balance were examined for major terrestrial ecosystems on the seven...
The U.S. Geological Survey Monthly Water Balance Model Futures Portal
Andrew R. Bock, Lauren E. Hay, Steven L. Markstrom, Christopher Emmerich, Marian Talbert
2017, Open-File Report 2016-1212
The U.S. Geological Survey Monthly Water Balance Model Futures Portal (https://my.usgs.gov/mows/) is a user-friendly interface that summarizes monthly historical and simulated future conditions for seven hydrologic and meteorological variables (actual evapotranspiration, potential evapotranspiration, precipitation, runoff, snow water equivalent, atmospheric temperature, and streamflow) at locations across the conterminous United...
Large crater clustering tool
Jason Laura, James A. Skinner Jr., Marc A. Hunter
2017, Computers & Geosciences (105) 81-90
In this paper we present the Large Crater Clustering (LCC) tool set, an ArcGIS plugin that supports the quantitative approximation of a primary impact location from user-identified locations of possible secondary impact craters or the long-axes of clustered secondary craters. The identification of primary impact craters directly supports planetary geologic...
Arsenic and uranium in private wells in Connecticut, 2013-15
Sarah M. Flanagan, Craig J. Brown
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1046
The occurrence of arsenic and uranium in groundwater at concentrations that exceed drinking-water standards is a concern because of the potential adverse effects on human health. Some early studies of arsenic occurrence in groundwater considered anthropogenic causes, but more recent studies have focused on sources of naturally occurring arsenic to...
Accounting for sampling patterns reverses the relative importance of trade and climate for the global sharing of exotic plants
Helen Sofaer, Catherine S. Jarnevich
2017, Global Ecology and Biogeography (26) 669-678
AimThe distributions of exotic species reflect patterns of human-mediated dispersal, species climatic tolerances and a suite of other biotic and abiotic factors. The relative importance of each of these factors will shape how the spread of exotic species is affected by ongoing economic globalization and climate change. However, patterns of...
How do en route events around the Gulf of Mexico influence landbird populations
Emily B. Cohen, Wylie C. Barrow Jr., Jeffrey J. Buler, Jill L. Deppe, Andrew Farnsworth, Peter P. Marra, Scott R. McWilliams, David W Mehlman, R. Randy Wilson, Mark S Woodrey, Frank R. Moore
2017, The Condor (119) 327-343
Habitats around the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) provide critical resources for Nearctic–Neotropical migratory landbirds, the majority of which travel across or around the GOM every spring and fall as they migrate between temperate breeding grounds in North America and tropical wintering grounds in the Caribbean and Central and South America....
Designing ecological climate change impact assessments to reflect key climatic drivers
Helen Sofaer, Joseph J. Barsugli, Catherine S. Jarnevich, John T. Abatzoglou, Marian Talbert, Brian W. Miller, Jeffrey T. Morisette
2017, Global Change Biology (23) 2537-2553
Identifying the climatic drivers of an ecological system is a key step in assessing its vulnerability to climate change. The climatic dimensions to which a species or system is most sensitive – such as means or extremes – can guide methodological decisions for projections of ecological impacts and...
Land change monitoring, assessment, and projection (LCMAP) revolutionizes land cover and land change research
Steven Young
2017, General Information Product 172
When nature and humanity change Earth’s landscapes - through flood or fire, public policy, natural resources management, or economic development - the results are often dramatic and lasting.Wildfires can reshape ecosystems. Hurricanes with names like Sandy or Katrina will howl for days while altering the landscape for years. One growing...
A rapid diagnostic test and mobile "lab in a suitcase" platform for detecting Ceratocystis spp. responsible for Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death
Carter T. Atkinson, William Watcher-Weatherwax, Kylle Roy, Wade P Heller, Lisa Keith
2017, Technical Report HCSU-TR082
We describe a field compatible molecular diagnostic test for two new species of Ceratocystis that infect `ōhi`a (Metrosideros polymorpha) and cause the disease commonly known as Rapid `Ōhi`a Death. The diagnostic is based on amplification of a DNA locus within the internal transcribed spacer region that separates fungal 5.8S ribosomal...
Developing an effective Agassiz's Desert Tortoise monitoring program: Final report to the Coachella Valley Conservation Commission
Jeffrey E. Lovich, Shellie R. Puffer
2017, Report
Agassiz’s desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) is a conservation-reliant species with populations north and west of the Colorado River protected as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (Averill-Murray et al. 2012). Since it was listed under this category in 1990, a great deal has been learned about the natural history of...
Annual review 2016: Exploration review
Nick A Karl, David R. Wilburn
2017, Mining Engineering (69) 28-49
This summary of international mineral exploration activities for the year 2016 draws upon information from industry sources, published literature, SNL Metals & Mining (SNL), an offering of S&P Global Market Intelligence (New York, NY), and specialists in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Minerals Information Center. Three types of information...
Tell me a story! A plea for more compelling conference presentations
Kathryn Langin
2017, The Condor: Ornithological Applications (119) 321-326
Effective communication with other scientists is an essential component of the scientific process, underlying success in publishing papers, building collaborations, securing grants and jobs, and stimulating further research. Oral presentations at professional meetings provide an opportunity to share research findings with a relatively broad scientific audience. However, many scientists...
Diagenetic silica enrichment and late-stage groundwater activity in Gale crater, Mars
Jens Frydenvang, Patrick J. Gasda, Joel A. Hurowitz, John P. Grotzinger, Roger C. Wiens, Horton E. Newsom, Ken S. Edgett, Jessica Watkins, John C. Bridges, Sylvestre Maurice, Martin R. Fisk, Jeffrey R. Johnson, William Rapin, Nathan Stein, Sam M. Clegg, S. P. Schwenzer, C. Bedford, P. Edwards, Nicolas Mangold, Agnes Cousin, Ryan B. Anderson, Valerie Payre, David Vaniman, David Blake, Nina L. Lanza, Sanjeev Gupta, Jason K. Van Beek, Violaine Sautter, Pierre-Yves Meslin, Melissa Rice, Ralf Milliken, Ralf Gellert, Lucy Thompson, Ben C. Clark, Dawn Y. Sumner, Abigail A. Fraeman, Kjartan M Kinch, Morten B. Madsen, Igor Mitofranov, Insoo Jun, Fred J. Calef, Ashwin R. Vasavada
2017, Geophysical Research Letters (44) 4716-4724
Diagenetic silica enrichment in fracture-associated halos that crosscut lacustrine and unconformably overlying aeolian sedimentary bedrock is observed on the lower north slope of Aeolis Mons in Gale crater, Mars. The diagenetic silica enrichment is colocated with detrital silica enrichment observed in the lacustrine bedrock yet extends into a considerably younger,...
Spatial variation in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure in Barrow's goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) in coastal British Columbia
Megan Willie, Daniel Esler, W. Sean Boyd, Philip Molloy, Ronald C. Ydenberg
2017, Marine Pollution Bulletin (118) 167-179
Barrow's goldeneyes are sea ducks that winter throughout coastal British Columbia (BC). Their diet consists primarily of intertidal blue mussels, which can accumulate PAHs; accordingly, goldeneyes may be susceptible to exposure through contaminated prey. In 2014/15, we...
Tropical river suspended sediment and solute dynamics in storms during an extreme drought
Kathryn E. Clark, James B. Shanley, Martha A. Scholl, Nicolas Perdrial, Julia N. Perdrial, Alain F. Plante, William H. McDowell
2017, Water Resources Research (53) 3695-3712
Droughts, which can strongly affect both hydrologic and biogeochemical systems, are projected to become more prevalent in the tropics in the future. We assessed the effects of an extreme drought during 2015 on stream water composition in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico. We demonstrated that drought base flow in...
Migratory behavior of adult sea lamprey and cumulative passage performance through four fishways
Theodore R. Castro-Santos, Xiaotao Shi, Alexander Haro
2017, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (5) 790-800
This article describes a study of PIT-tagged sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) ascending four fishways comprising three designs at two dams on the Connecticut River, USA. Migration between dams was rapid (median migration rate = 23 km·day−1). Movement through the fishways was much slower, however (median = 0.02–0.33 km·day−1). Overall delay...
Distribution and abundance of Millicoma Dace in the Coos River Basin, Oregon
Paul D. Scheerer, James T. Peterson, Shaun Clements
2017, Northwestern Naturalist (98) 39-47
The Millicoma Dace Rhinichthys cataractae is a form of Longnose Dace endemic to the Coos River drainage in southwestern Oregon. Sparse species records in the Oregon State University Ichthyology Collection and database and infrequent recent encounters prompted surveys to assess the current status and distribution of the species. In 2014, we surveyed...
Achieving full connectivity of sites in the multiperiod reserve network design problem
Nahid Jafari, Bryan L. Nuse, Clinton T. Moore, Bistra Dilkina, Jeffrey Hepinstall-Cymerman
2017, Computers & Operations Research (81) 119-127
The conservation reserve design problem is a challenge to solve because of the spatial and temporal nature of the problem, uncertainties in the decision process, and the possibility of alternative conservation actions for any given land parcel. Conservation agencies tasked with reserve design may benefit from a dynamic decision system...
Response of fish population dynamics to mitigation activities in a large regulated river
Carson J. Watkins, Tyler J. Ross, Michael C. Quist, Ryan S. Hardy
2017, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (146) 703-715
Extensive water development in large rivers has precipitated many negative ecological effects on native fish populations. Mitigation for such development often focuses on restoring biological integrity through remediation of the physical and chemical properties of regulated rivers. However, evaluating and defining the success of those programs can be difficult. We...
Neutron scattering measurements of carbon dioxide adsorption in pores within the Marcellus Shale: Implications for sequestration
Konstantinos L. Stefanopoulos, Tristan G. A. Youngs, Richard Sakurovs, Leslie F. Ruppert, Jitendra Bahadur, Yuri B. Melnichenko
2017, Environmental Science & Technology (51) 6515-6521
Shale is an increasingly viable source of natural gas and a potential candidate for geologic CO2sequestration. Understanding the gas adsorption behavior on shale is necessary for the design of optimal gas recovery and sequestration projects. In the present study neutron diffraction and small-angle neutron scattering measurements of adsorbed CO2 in Marcellus...
The Partners in Flight handbook on species assessment Version 2017
Arvind O. Panjabi, Peter J. Blancher, Wendy E. Easton, Jessica C. Stanton, Dean W. Demarest, Randy Dettmers, Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Partners in Flight Science Committee
2017, Report
Partners in Flight (PIF) is a cooperative venture of federal, state, provincial, and territorial agencies, industry, non-governmental organizations, researchers, and many others whose common goal is the conservation of North American birds (www.partnersinflight.org). While PIF has focused primarily on landbirds, it works in conjunction with other bird partners to promote...
The California Earthquake Advisory Plan: A history
Evelyn A. Roeloffs, James D. Goltz
2017, Seismological Research Letters (88) 784-797
Since 1985, the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) has issued advisory statements to local jurisdictions and the public following seismic activity that scientists on the California Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council view as indicating elevated probability of a larger earthquake in the same area during the next several days....
Geologic map of the northeast flank of Mauna Loa volcano, Island of Hawai'i, Hawaii
Frank A. Trusdell, John P. Lockwood
2017, Scientific Investigations Map 2932-A
SummaryMauna Loa, the largest volcano on Earth, has erupted 33 times since written descriptions became available in 1832. Some eruptions were preceded by only brief seismic unrest, while others followed several months to a year of increased seismicity.The majority of the eruptions of Mauna Loa began in the summit area...
Guidelines for preparation of State water-use estimates for 2015
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1029
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has estimated the use of water in the United States at 5-year intervals since 1950. This report describes the water-use categories and data elements used for the national water-use compilation conducted as part of the USGS National Water-Use Science Project. The report identifies sources of...
Reconstructing a herbivore’s diet using a novel rbcL DNA mini-barcode for plants
David L. Erickson, Elizabeth Reed, Padmini Ramachandran, Norman Bourg, William J. McShea, Andrea Ottesen
2017, AoB PLANTS (9) 1-17
Next Generation Sequencing and the application of metagenomic analyses can be used to answer questions about animal diet choice and study the consequences of selective foraging by herbivores. The quantification of herbivore diet choice with respect to native versus exotic plant species is particularly relevant given concerns of invasive species...
