A global threats overview for Numeniini populations: synthesising expert knowledge for a group of declining migratory birds.
James W. Pearce-Higgins, Daniel J. Brown, David J.T. Douglas, José A. Alves, Mariagrazia Bellio, Pierrick Bocher, Graeme M. Buchannan, Rob Clay, Jesse R. Conklin, Nicola Crockford, Peter Dann, Jaanus Elts, Christian Friis, Richard A. Fuller, Jennifer A. Gill, Ken Gosbell, James A. Johnson, Rocio Marquez-Ferrando, Jose A. Masero, David S. Melville, Spike Millington, Clive Minton, Taej Mundkur, Erika Nol, Hannes Pehlak, Theunis Piersma, Danny I. Rogers, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Nathan R. Senner, Junid Nazeer Shah, Rob D. Sheldon, Sergej A. Soloviev, Pavel S. Tomkovich, Yvonne I. Verkuil
2017, Bird Conservation International (27) 6-34
The Numeniini is a tribe of 13 wader species (Scolopacidae, Charadriiformes) of which seven are Near Threatened or globally threatened, including two Critically Endangered. To help inform conservation management and policy responses, we present the results of an expert assessment of the threats that members of this taxonomic group face...
U.S. Geological Survey distribution of European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 data
Renee L. Pieschke
2017, Fact Sheet 2017-3026
A partnership established between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) allows for USGS storage and redistribution of images acquired by the MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI) on the European Union's Sentinel-2 satellite mission. The MSI data are acquired from a pair of satellites, Sentinel-2A and Sentinel-2B, which...
Quantifying acoustic doppler current profiler discharge uncertainty: A Monte Carlo based tool for moving-boat measurements
David S. Mueller
2017, Conference Paper, Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
This paper presents a method using Monte Carlo simulations for assessing uncertainty of moving-boat acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) discharge measurements using a software tool known as QUant, which was developed for this purpose. Analysis was performed on 10 data sets from four Water Survey of Canada gauging...
Reconnaissance sedimentology of selected tertiary exposures in the upland region bordering the Yukon Flats basin, east-central Alaska
David L. LePain, Richard G. Stanley
2017, Preliminary Interpretive Report 2016-6
This report summarizes reconnaissance sedimentologic and stratigraphic observations made during six days of helicopter-supported fieldwork in 2002 on Tertiary sedimentary rocks exposed in the upland region around the flanks of the Yukon Flats basin in east-central Alaska (fig. 1). This project was a cooperative effort between the Alaska Division of...
Long-term spatial heterogeneity in mallard distribution in the Prairie pothole region
Adam K. Janke, Michael J. Anteau, Joshua D. Stafford
2017, Wildlife Society Bulletin (41) 116-124
The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of north-central United States and south-central Canada supports greater than half of all breeding mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) annually counted in North America and is the focus of widespread conservation and research efforts. Allocation of conservation resources for this socioeconomically important population would benefit from an...
Five-year external reviews of the eight Department of Interior Climate Science Centers: Alaska Climate Science Center
Mark Shasby, C. Andrew Dolloff, Jeffrey A. Hicke, Bruce G. Marcot, Bruce McCarl, Gerard McMahon, John M. Morton
2017, Report
This report primarily addresses the first two purposes of the review while providing comments on the third as identified by the science review team (SRT). A separate report of recommendations for the recompetition, based upon compiled observation from all three reviews conducted in 2016, was submitted to NCCWSC on April...
Effects of food resources on the fatty acid composition, growth and survival of freshwater mussels
Michelle R. Bartsch, Lynn A. Bartsch, William B. Richardson, Jonathan M. Vallazza, Brenda Moraska Lafrancois
2017, PLoS ONE (12)
Increased nutrient and sediment loading in rivers have caused observable changes in algal community composition, and thereby, altered the quality and quantity of food resources available to native freshwater mussels. Our objective was to characterize the relationship between nutrient conditions and mussel food quality and examine the effects on fatty...
Veligers of the invasive Asian clam Corbicula fluminea in the Columbia River Basin: Broadscale distribution, abundance, and ecological associations
Whitney Hassett, Stephen M. Bollens, Timothy D. Counihan, Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens, Julie Zimmerman, Joshua E. Emerson
2017, Lake and Reservoir Management (33) 234-248
The invasive Asian clam Corbicula fluminea was introduced to North America in the 1930s and now inhabits most regions of the conterminous United States; however, the distribution and ecology of C. fluminea in the Columbia River Basin is poorly understood. During 2013 and 2014, 5 Columbia-Snake River reservoirs were sampled...
Lethal and sub-lethal responses of native freshwater mussels exposed to granular Bayluscide®, a sea lamprey larvicide
Teresa Newton, Michael A. Boogaard, Brian R. Gray, Terrance D. Hubert, Nicholas A. Schloesser
2017, Journal of Great Lakes Research (43) 370-378
The invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) poses a substantial threat to fish communities in the Great Lakes. Efforts to control sea lamprey populations typically involve treating tributary streams with lampricides on a recurring cycle. The presence of a substantial population of larval sea lampreys in the aquatic corridor between Lakes...
Species composition, timing, and weather correlates of autumn open-water crossings by raptors migrating along the East-Asian Oceanic Flyway
Camille B. Concepcion, Patricia T. Dumandan, Medel R. Silvosa, Keith L. Bildstein, Todd E. Katzner
2017, Journal of Raptor Research (51) 25-37
Raptor migration rarely involves long-distance movements across open oceans. One exception occurs along the East-Asian Oceanic Flyway. We collected migration data at two terrestrial hawkwatch sites along this flyway to better understand open-ocean movements along this largely overwater corridor. At the northern end of the Philippines, at Basco on the...
Spatial and temporal relationships between the invasive snail Bithynia tentaculata and submersed aquatic vegetation in Pool 8 of the Upper Mississippi River
Alicia M. Weeks, Nathan R. De Jager, Roger J. Haro, Greg J. Sandland
2017, River Research and Applications (33) 729-739
Bithynia tentaculata is an invasive snail that was first reported in Lake Michigan in 1871 and has since spread throughout a number of freshwater systems of the USA. This invasion has been extremely problematic in the Upper Mississippi River as the snails serve as intermediate hosts for several trematode parasites...
Full annual cycle climate change vulnerability assessment for migratory birds
Leah A. Culp, Emily B. Cohen, Amy L. Scarpignato, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Peter P. Marra
2017, Ecological Applications (8)
Climate change is a serious challenge faced by all plant and animal species. Climate change vulnerability assessments (CCVAs) are one method to assess risk and are increasingly used as a tool to inform management plans. Migratory animals move across regions and continents during their annual cycles where they are exposed...
Field study suggests that sex determination in sea lamprey is directly influenced by larval growth rate
Nicholas S. Johnson, William D. Swink, Travis O. Brenden
2017, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (284)
Sex determination mechanisms in fishes lie along a genetic-environmental continuum and thereby offer opportunities to understand how physiology and environment interact to determine sex. Mechanisms and ecological consequences of sex determination in fishes are primarily garnered from teleosts, with little investigation into basal fishes. We tagged and released larval sea...
Effects of the biopesticide Zequanox® on reproduction and early development of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)
Diane L. Waller, James A. Luoma
2017, Management of Biological Invasions (8) 125-135
The biopesticide, Zequanox®, is registered for dreissenid mussel control in open water systems in the United States. Previous toxicity trials with nontarget organisms, including several young-of-the-year fish species and invertebrates, demonstrated selectivity of Zequanox for dreissenid mussels, but data are lacking on the treatment-related effects on reproduction and early life...
Live transport of Yellow Perch and Nile Tilapia in AQUI-S 20E (10% Eugenol) at high loading densities
Aaron R. Cupp, Theresa M. Schreier, Susan M. Schleis
2017, North American Journal of Aquaculture (79) 176-182
Fish transport costs are a substantial portion of the operational expenses for aquaculture facilities in the USA. Safely transporting higher loading densities of fish would benefit haulers by increasing efficiency and reducing costs, but research evaluating transport for individual species is generally lacking. In this study, Yellow Perch Perca flavescens...
Spatial and temporal dynamics of suspended particle characteristics and composition in Navigation Pool 19 of the Upper Mississippi River
Amanda S. Milde, William B. Richardson, Eric A. Strauss, James H. Larson, Jonathan M. Vallazza, Brent C. Knights
2017, River Research and Applications (33) 740-752
Suspended particles are an essential component of large rivers influencing channel geomorphology, biogeochemical cycling of nutrients, and food web resources. The Upper Mississippi River is a large floodplain river that exhibits pronounced spatiotemporal variation in environmental conditions and biota, providing an ideal environment for investigating dynamics of suspended particles in...
Simulating ungulate herbivory across forest landscapes: A browsing extension for LANDIS-II
Nathan R. De Jager, Patrick J. Drohan, Brian M. Miranda, Brian R. Sturtevant, Susan L. Stout, Alejandro Royo, Eric J. Gustafson, Mark C. Romanski
2017, Ecological Modelling (350) 11-29
Browsing ungulates alter forest productivity and vegetation succession through selective foraging on species that often dominate early succession. However, the long-term and large-scale effects of browsing on forest succession are not possible to project without the use of simulation models. To explore the effects of ungulates on succession in a...
Landsat and agriculture—Case studies on the uses and benefits of Landsat imagery in agricultural monitoring and production
Colin R. Leslie, Larisa O. Serbina, Holly M. Miller
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1034
Executive SummaryThe use of Landsat satellite imagery for global agricultural monitoring began almost immediately after the launch of Landsat 1 in 1972, making agricultural monitoring one of the longest-standing operational applications for the Landsat program. More recently, Landsat imagery has been used in domestic agricultural applications as an input for...
Conservation genetics of American crocodile, Crocodylus acutus, populations in Pacific Costa Rica
Laurie A. Mauger, Elizabeth Velez, Michael S. Cherkiss, Matthew L. Brien, Frank J. Mazzotti, James R. Spotila
2017, Nature Conservation (17) 1-17
Maintaining genetic diversity is crucial for the survival and management of threatened and endangered species. In this study, we analyzed genetic diversity and population genetic structure at neutral loci in American crocodiles, Crocodylus acutus, from several areas (Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas, Parque Nacional Santa Rosa, Parque Nacional Palo Verde,...
Ecology of the macrophyte Podostemum ceratophyllum Michx. (Hornleaf riverweed), a widespread foundation species of eastern North American rivers
James Wood, Mary Freeman
2017, Aquatic Botany (139) 65-74
Podostemum ceratophyllum, commonly called Hornleaf Riverweed, occurs in mid-order montane and piedmont rivers of eastern North America, where the plant grows submerged and attached to rocks and stable substrates in swift, aerated water. Multiple studies, mostly conducted in the southern portions of the plant’s range, have shown that Podostemum can...
Characterizing local variability in long‐period horizontal tilt noise
M.D. Rohde, Adam T. Ringler, Charles R. Hutt, David C. Wilson, Austin Holland, L.D Sandoval, Tyler Storm
2017, Seismological Research Letters (88) 822-830
Horizontal seismic data are dominated by atmospherically induced tilt noise at long periods (i.e., 30 s and greater). Tilt noise limits our ability to use horizontal data for sensitive seismological studies such as observing free earth modes. To better understand the local spatial variability of long‐period horizontal noise, we observe...
Weather radar data correlate to hail-induced mortality in grassland birds
Amber Carver, Jeremy D. Ross, David J. Augustine, Susan K. Skagen, Angela M. Dwyer, Diana F. Tomback, Michael B. Wunder
2017, Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation (3) 90-101
Small-bodied terrestrial animals such as songbirds (Order Passeriformes) are especially vulnerable to hail-induced mortality; yet, hail events are challenging to predict, and they often occur in locations where populations are not being studied. Focusing on nesting grassland songbirds, we demonstrate a novel approach to estimate hail-induced mortality. We quantify the...
Manatee grazing impacts on a mixed species seagrass bed
Lynn W. Lefebvre, Jane A. Provancha, Daniel H. Slone, W. Judson Kenworthy
2017, Marine Ecology Progress Series (564) 29-45
The endangered manatee Trichechus manatus is one of few large grazers in seagrass systems. To assess the long-term impacts of repeated grazing on seagrasses, we selected a study site within Kennedy Space Center in the northern Banana River, Brevard County, Florida, that was typically grazed by large numbers of manatees...
Thematic accuracy assessment of the 2011 National Land Cover Database (NLCD)
James Wickham, Stephen V. Stehman, Leila Gass, Jon Dewitz, Daniel G. Sorenson, Brian J. Granneman, Richard V. Poss, Lori Anne Baer
2017, Remote Sensing of Environment (191) 328-341
Accuracy assessment is a standard protocol of National Land Cover Database (NLCD) mapping. Here we report agreement statistics between map and reference labels for NLCD 2011, which includes land cover for ca. 2001, ca. 2006, and ca. 2011. The two main objectives were assessment of agreement between map and reference...
Numerical modeling of the effects of Hurricane Sandy and potential future hurricanes on spatial patterns of salt marsh morphology in Jamaica Bay, New York City
Hongqing Wang, Q. Chen, Kelin Hu, Gregg A. Snedden, Ellen K. Hartig, Brady R. Couvillion, Cody L. Johnson, Philip M. Orton
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1016
The salt marshes of Jamaica Bay, managed by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and the Gateway National Recreation Area of the National Park Service, serve as a recreational outlet for New York City residents, mitigate flooding, and provide habitat for critical wildlife species. Hurricanes and extra-tropical...
