Maximizing establishment and survivorship of field-collected and greenhouse-cultivated biocrusts in a semi-cold desert
Anita Antoninka, Matthew A. Bowker, Peter Chuckran, Nicole N. Barger, Sasha C. Reed, Jayne Belnap
2018, Plant and Soil (429) 213-225
AimsBiological soil crusts (biocrusts) are soil-surface communities in drylands, dominated by cyanobacteria, mosses, and lichens. They provide key ecosystem functions by increasing soil stability and influencing soil hydrologic, nutrient, and carbon cycles. Because of this, methods to reestablish biocrusts in damaged drylands are needed. Here...
Temporal variation of tectonic tremor activity in southern Taiwan around the 2010 ML6.4 Jiashian Earthquake
Kevin Chao, Zhigang Peng, Ya-Ju Hsu, Kazushige Obara, Kuo-En Ching, Chunquan Wu, Hsin-Chieh Pu, Peih-Lin Leu, Aaron Wech
2018, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (122) 5417-5434
Deep tectonic tremor, which is extremely sensitive to small stress variations, could be used to monitor fault-zone processes during large earthquake cycles and aseismic processes before large earthquakes. In this study, we develop an algorithm for the automatic detection and location of tectonic tremor beneath the southern Central Range of Taiwan and examine...
Used-habitat calibration plots: A new procedure for validating species distribution, resource selection, and step-selection models
John R. Fieberg, James D. Forester, Garrett M. Street, Douglas H. Johnson, Althea A. ArchMiller, Jason Matthiopoulos
2018, Ecography (41) 737-752
“Species distribution modeling” was recently ranked as one of the top five “research fronts” in ecology and the environmental sciences by ISI's Essential Science Indicators (Renner and Warton 2013), reflecting the importance of predicting how species distributions will respond to anthropogenic change. Unfortunately, species distribution models (SDMs) often perform poorly...
Defining and classifying migratory habitats as sources and sinks: The migratory pathway approach
Richard A. Erickson, James E. Diffendorfer, Ryan Norris, Joanna A. Bieri, Julia Earl, Paula Federico, John Fryxell, Kevin Long, Brady J. Mattsson, Christine Sample, Ruscena Wiederholt, Wayne E. Thogmartin
2018, Journal of Applied Ecology (55) 108-117
Understanding and conserving migratory species requires a method for characterizing the seasonal flow of animals among habitats. Source-sink theory describes the metapopulation dynamics of species by classifying habitats as population sources (i.e. net contributors) or sinks (i.e. net substractors). Migratory species may have non-breeding habitats important to the species...
Fungal endophytes from seeds of invasive, non-native Phragmites australis and their potential role in germination and seedling growth
Zackery R. C. Shearin, Matthew Filipek, Rushvi Desai, Wesley A. Bickford, Kurt P. Kowalski, Keith Clay
2018, Plant and Soil (422) 183-194
Background and aimsWe characterized fungal endophytes of seeds of invasive, non-native Phragmites from three sites in the Great Lakes region to determine if fungal symbiosis could contribute to invasiveness through their effects on seed germination and seedling growth.MethodsField-collected...
Effectiveness of environmental flows for riparian restoration in arid regions: A tale of four rivers
Edward P. Glenn, Pamela L. Nagler, Patrick B. Shafroth, Christopher Jarchow
2017, Ecological Engineering (106) 695-703
Environmental flows have become important restoration tools on regulated rivers. However, environmental flows are often constrained by other demands within the river system and thus typically are comprised of smaller water volumes than the natural flows they are meant to replace, which can limit their functional efficacy. We review environmental flow programs...
Behavioral and reproductive effects of bird-borne data logger attachment on Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) on three temporal scales
Juliet S. Lamb, Yvan G. Satge, Christine V. Fiorello, Patrick G.R. Jodice
2017, Journal of Ornithology (158) 617-627
Although the use of bird-borne data loggers has become widespread in avian field research, the effects of capture and transmitter attachment on behavior and demographic rates are not often measured. Tag- and capture-induced effects on individual behavior, survival and reproduction may limit extrapolation of transmitter data to wider populations. However,...
Element migration of pyrites during ductile deformation of the Yuleken porphyry Cu deposit (NW-China)
Tao Hong, Xing-Wang Xu, Jungang Gao, Stephen Peters, Jilei Li, Mingjian Cao, Peng Xiang, Chu Wu, Jun You
2017, Ore Geology Reviews (100) 205-219
The strongly deformed Yuleken porphyry Cu deposit (YPCD) occurs in the Kalaxiangar porphyry Cu belt (KPCB), which occupies the central area of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) between the Sawu’er island arc and the Altay Terrane in northern Xinjiang. The YPCD is one of several typical subduction-related deposits in...
Operationalizing the telecoupling framework for migratory species using the spatial subsidies approach to examine ecosystem services provided by Mexican free-tailed bats
Laura Lopez Hoffman, James E. Diffendorfer, Ruscena Widerholt, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Gary McCraken, Rodrigo Medellin, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Amy Russell, Darius J. Semmens
2017, Ecology and Society (22)
Drivers of environmental change in one location can have profound effects on ecosystem services and human well-being in distant locations, often across international borders. The telecoupling provides a conceptual framework for describing these interactions—for example, locations can be defined as sending areas (sources of flows of ecosystem services, energy, or...
Geologic overview of the Mars Science Laboratory rover mission at the Kimberley, Gale crater, Mars
Melissa Rice, Sanjeev Gupta, Allan H. Treiman, Kathryn M. Stack, Fred J. Calef, Lauren A. Edgar, John P. Grotzinger, Nina L. Lanza, Laetitia Le Deit, Jeremie Lasue, Kirsten L. Siebach, Ashwin R. Vasavada, Roger C. Wiens, Josh Williams
2017, Journal of Geophysical Research E: Planets (122) 2-20
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover completed a detailed investigation at the Kimberley waypoint within Gale crater from sols 571-634 using its full science instrument payload. From orbital images examined early in the Curiosity mission, the Kimberley region had been identified as a high-priority science target based on its...
Graphite in the Bishop Tuff and its effect on postcaldera oxygen fugacity
Edward Hildreth, Juliet Ryan-Davis, Benjamin Harlow
2017, Geosphere (14) 343-359
Several cubic kilometers of Paleozoic graphite-bearing argillitic country rocks are present as lithic fragments in Bishop Tuff ignimbrite and fallout. The lithics were entrained by the 650 km3 of rhyolite magma that vented during the 5- to 6-day-long, caldera-forming eruption at Long Valley, California. The caldera is floored by a 350...
Characterization of microsatellite loci for the Gulf Coast waterdog (Necturus beyeri) using paired-end Illumina shotgun sequencing and cross-amplification in other Necturus
Jennifer Y. Lamb, Brian R. Kreiser, Hardin Waddle, Carl P. Qualls
2017, Herpetological Review (48) 458-763
Amphibians are one of the most threatened groups of vertebrates (Stuart et al. 2004; Wake and Vredenburg 2008), and the application of molecular techniques to amphibian ecology and genetics has dramatically improved our ability to conserve species and populations (see Shaffer et al. [2015] for review). Microsatellites, tandem repeats of...
Born of fire: In search of volcanoes in U.S. national parks, four striking examples
Laura Walkup, Thomas Casadevall, Vincent L. Santucci
2017, Earth Sciences History (36) 197-244
Geologic features, particularly volcanic features, have been protected by the National Park Service since its inception. Some volcanic areas were nationally protected even before the National Park Service was established. The first national park, Yellowstone National Park, is one of the most widely known geothermal and volcanic areas in the...
Analysis of artificially matured shales with confocal laser scanning raman microscopy: Applications to organic matter characterization
Grant A. Myers, Kelsey Kehoe, Paul C. Hackley
2017, Conference Paper
Raman spectroscopy has been suggested as a method for characterizing the thermal maturity of rocks. The literature contains many empirical correlations between thermal maturity proxies, such as vitrinite reflectance (VRo) and pyrolysis-Tmax, with spectral metrics such as Raman peak-widths, peak-center positions, peak-areas and all manner of differences and ratios of...
Reproductive success of Mariana swiftlets (Aerodramus bartschi) on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu
Nathan C. Johnson, Susan M. Haig, Stephen M. Mosher, Jeff P. Hollenbeck
2017, Journal of Field Ornithology (88) 362-373
Mariana Swiftlets (Aerodramus bartschi) are federally listed as endangered, with populations currently limited to just three islands in the Mariana Islands plus an introduced population on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu. Before efforts are made to reintroduce Mariana Swiftlets to other islands in the Mariana archipelago, additional information is needed...
Long-term monitoring data provide evidence of declining species richness in a river valued for biodiversity conservation
Mary Freeman, Megan M. Hagler, Phillip M. Bumpers, Kit Wheeler, Seth J. Wenger, Byron J. Freeman
2017, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (8) 418-434
Free-flowing river segments provide refuges for many imperiled aquatic biota that have been extirpated elsewhere in their native ranges. These biodiversity refuges are also foci of conservation concerns because species persisting within isolated habitat fragments may be particularly vulnerable to local environmental change. We have analyzed long-term (14- and 20-y)...
Element partitioning in magnetite under low-grade metamorphic conditions – A case study from the Proterozoic Belt Supergroup, USA
Patrick Nadoll, Jeffrey L. Mauk, Timothy Hayes, Alan Koenig, Stephen E. Box
2017, European Journal of Mineralogy (29) 795-805
The distribution and partitioning of elements in igneous rocks is well established for various melt –(fluid) –solid pairs and provides important insights into the petrogenesis of these rocks. Studies of the partitioning behavior of elements under metamorphic conditions are scarce and commonly focus on high-grade metamorphic facies. Little is...
Increased sediment load during a large-scale dam removal changes nearshore subtidal communities
Stephen P. Rubin, Ian M. Miller, Melissa M. Foley, Helen D. Berry, Jeffrey J. Duda, Benjamin Hudson, Nancy E. Elder, Matthew M. Beirne, Jonathan A. Warrick, Michael L. McHenry, Andrew W. Stevens, Emily Eidam, Andrea Ogston, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, Rob Pedersen
2017, PLoS ONE (12) 1-46
The coastal marine ecosystem near the Elwha River was altered by a massive sediment influx—over 10 million tonnes—during the staged three-year removal of two hydropower dams. We used time series of bathymetry, substrate grain size, remotely sensed turbidity, scuba dive surveys, and towed video observations collected before and during dam...
Navigating translational ecology: Creating opportunities for scientist participation
Lauren M. Hallett, Toni Lyn Morelli, Leah R. Gerber, Max A. Moritz, Mark W. Schwartz, Nathan L. Stephenson, Jennifer L. Tank, Matthew A. Williamson, Connie A. Woodhouse
2017, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment (15) 578-586
Interest in translational ecology (TE) – a research approach that yields useful scientific outcomes through ongoing collaboration between scientists and stakeholders – is growing among both of these groups. Translational ecology brings together participants from different cultures and with different professional incentives. We address ways to cultivate a culture of...
Considerations in comparing the U.S. Geological Survey one‐year induced‐seismicity hazard models with “Did You Feel It?” and instrumental data
Isabel White, Taojun Liu, Nico Luco, Abbie Liel
2017, Seismological Research Letters (89) 127-137
The recent steep increase in seismicity rates in Oklahoma, southern Kansas, and other parts of the central United States led the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to develop, for the first time, a probabilistic seismic hazard forecast for one year (2016) that incorporates induced seismicity. In this study, we explore a...
Modeling fine-scale coral larval dispersal and interisland connectivity to help designate mutually-supporting coral reef marine protected areas: Insights from Maui Nui, Hawaii
Curt D. Storlazzi, Maarten van Ormondt, Yi-Leng Chen, Edwin P. L. Elias
2017, Frontiers in Marine Science (4)
Connectivity among individual marine protected areas (MPAs) is one of the most important considerations in the design of integrated MPA networks. To provide such information for managers in Hawaii, USA, a numerical circulation model was developed to determine the role of ocean currents in transporting coral larvae from natal reefs...
Evidence that recent warming is reducing upper Colorado River flows
Gregory J. McCabe, David M. Wolock, Gregory T. Pederson, Connie A. Woodhouse, Stephanie A. McAfee
2017, Earth Interactions (21) 1-14
The upper Colorado River basin (UCRB) is one of the primary sources of water for the western United States, and increasing temperatures likely will elevate the risk of reduced water supply in the basin. Although variability in water-year precipitation explains more of the variability in water-year UCRB streamflow than water-year...
Quake warnings, seismic culture
Richard M. Allen, Elizabeth S. Cochran, Tom Huggins, Scott Miles, Diego Otegui
2017, Science (358) 1111-1111
Since 1990, nearly one million people have died from the impacts of earthquakes. Reducing those impacts requires building a local seismic culture in which residents are aware of earthquake risks and value efforts to mitigate harm. Such efforts include earthquake early warning (EEW) systems that provide seconds to minutes notice...
Birds choose long-term partners years before breeding
Claire S. Teitelbaum, Sarah J. Converse, Thomas Mueller
2017, Animal Behaviour (134) 147-154
Pair bonds can provide social benefits to long-term monogamous species alongside their benefits for reproduction. However, little is known about when these bonds form, in particular how long they are present before breeding. Previous studies of pair formation in long-term monogamous birds have been rather data-limited, but for many migratory...
Earthquake Early Warning ShakeAlert System: Testing and certification platform
Elizabeth S. Cochran, Monica D. Kohler, Douglas D. Given, Stephen Guiwits, Jennifer Andrews, Men-Andrin Meier, Mohammad Ahmad, Ivan Henson, J. Renate Hartog, Deborah Smith
2017, Seismological Research Letters (89) 108-117
Earthquake early warning systems provide warnings to end users of incoming moderate to strong ground shaking from earthquakes. An earthquake early warning system, ShakeAlert, is providing alerts to beta end users in the western United States, specifically California, Oregon, and Washington. An essential aspect of the earthquake early warning system...
