Morphometric body condition indices of wild Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
Lauren T. Harshaw, Iskande V. Larkin, Robert K. Bonde, Charles J. Deutsch, Richard C. Hill
2016, Aquatic Mammals (42) 428-439
In many species, body weight (W) increases geometrically with body length (L), so W/L3 provides a body condition index (BCI) that can be used to evaluate nutritional status once a normal range has been established. No such index has been established for Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris). This study was...
Evidence for partial overlap of male olfactory cues in lampreys
Tyler J. Buchinger, Ke Li, Mar Huertas, Cindy F. Baker, Liang Jia, Michael C. Hayes, Weiming Li, Nicholas S. Johnson
2016, Journal of Experimental Biology (220) 497-506
Animals rely on a mosaic of complex information to find and evaluate mates. Pheromones, often comprised of multiple components, are considered to be particularly important for species-recognition in many species. While the evolution of species-specific pheromone blends is well-described in many insects, very few vertebrate pheromones have been studied in...
Survival estimates for reintroduced populations of the Chiricahua Leopard Frog (Lithobates chiricahuensis)
Paige E. Howell, Blake R. Hossack, Erin L. Muths, Brent H. Sigafus, Richard B. Chandler
2016, Copeia (104) 824-830
Global amphibian declines have been attributed to a number of factors including disease, invasive species, habitat degradation, and climate change. Reintroduction is one management action that is commonly used with the goal of recovering imperiled species. The success of reintroductions varies widely, and evaluating their efficacy requires estimates of population...
Potential trophic cascades triggered by the barred owl range expansion
Samantha R. Holm, Barry R. Noon, David Wiens, William J. Ripple
2016, Wildlife Society Bulletin (40) 615-624
Recently, the barred owl (Strix varia) has expanded its range into the Pacific Northwest of the United States resulting in pronounced effects on the demography and behavior of the northern spotted owl (S. occidentalis caurina). The range expansion has brought together historically allopatric species, creating the potential for significant changes...
USGS Colorado Water Science Center bookmark
U.S. Geological Survey
2016, General Information Product 169
The U.S. Geological Survey Colorado Water Science Center conducts its water-resources activities primarily in Colorado in cooperation with more than 125 different entities. These activities include extensive data-collection efforts and studies of streamflow, water quality, and groundwater to address many specific issues of concern to Colorado water-management entities and citizens. The...
High-resolution seismic-reflection data from offshore northern California — Bolinas to Sea Ranch
Ray W. Sliter, Samuel Y. Johnson, John L. Chin, Parker Allwardt, Jeffrey Beeson, Peter J. Triezenberg
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1058
The U.S. Geological Survey collected high-resolution seismic-reflection data in September 2009, on survey S-8-09-NC, offshore of northern California between Bolinas and Sea Ranch.The survey area spans about 125 km of California’s coast and extends around Point Reyes. Data were collected aboard the U.S. Geological Survey R/V Parke Snavely. Cumulatively, ~1,150...
Global stocks of selected mineral-based commodities
David R. Wilburn, Donald I. Bleiwas, Nick A. Karl
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5152
IntroductionThe U.S. Geological Survey, National Minerals Information Center, analyzes mineral and metal supply chains by identifying and describing major components of mineral and material flows from ore extraction, through intermediate forms, to a final product. This report focuses on an important component of the world’s supply chain: the amounts and...
Suspended-sediment and turbidity responses to sediment and turbidity reduction projects in the Beaver Kill, Stony Clove Creek, and Warner Creek Watersheds, New York, 2010–14
Jason Siemion, Michael R. McHale, Wae Danyelle Davis
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5157
Suspended-sediment concentrations (SSCs) and turbidity were monitored within the Beaver Kill, Stony Clove Creek, and Warner Creek tributaries to the upper Esopus Creek in New York, the main source of water to the Ashokan Reservoir, from October 1, 2010, through September 30, 2014. The purpose of the monitoring was to...
Towards simplification of hydrologic modeling: Identification of dominant processes
Steven L. Markstrom, Lauren E. Hay, Martyn P. Clark
2016, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (20) 4655-4671
The Precipitation–Runoff Modeling System (PRMS), a distributed-parameter hydrologic model, has been applied to the conterminous US (CONUS). Parameter sensitivity analysis was used to identify: (1) the sensitive input parameters and (2) particular model output variables that could be associated with the dominant hydrologic process(es). Sensitivity values of 35 PRMS calibration...
Potential effects of drought on carrying capacity for wintering waterfowl in the Central Valley of California
Mark J. Petrie, Joseph P. Fleskes, Mike A. Wolder, Craig R. Isola, Gregory S. Yarris, Daniel A. Skalos
2016, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (7) 408-422
We used the bioenergetics model TRUEMET to evaluate potential effects of California's recent drought on food supplies for waterfowl wintering in the Central Valley under a range of habitat and waterfowl population scenarios. In nondrought years in the current Central Valley landscape, food supplies are projected to be adequate for...
Interactive effects between nest microclimate and nest vegetation structure confirm microclimate thresholds for Lesser Prairie-Chicken nest survival
Blake A. Grisham, Alixandra J. Godar, Clint W. Boal, David A. Haukos
2016, The Condor (118) 728-746
The range of Lesser Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) spans 4 unique ecoregions along 2 distinct environmental gradients. The Sand Shinnery Oak Prairie ecoregion of the Southern High Plains of New Mexico and Texas is environmentally isolated, warmer, and more arid than the Short-Grass, Sand Sagebrush, and Mixed-Grass Prairie ecoregions in Colorado,...
Molecular-level evidence provided by ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry for oil-derived doc in groundwater at Bemidji, Minnesota
Ananna Islam, Arif Ahmed, Manhoi Hur, Kevin A. Thorn, Sunghwan Kim
2016, Journal of Hazardous Materials (320) 123-132
Dissolved organic matter samples extracted from ground water at the USGS Bemidji oil spill site in Minnesota were investigated by ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry. Principle component analysis (PCA) of the elemental composition assignments of the samples showed that the score plots for the contaminated sites were well separated from those...
Methane emissions from oceans, coasts, and freshwater habitats: New perspectives and feedbacks on climate
Leila J. Hamdan, Kimberly P. Wickland
2016, Limnology and Oceanography (61) S3-S12
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, and atmospheric concentrations have risen 2.5 times since the beginning of the Industrial age. While much of this increase is attributed to anthropogenic sources, natural sources, which contribute between 35% and 50% of global methane emissions, are thought to have a role in the...
Ferromanganese crusts and nodules, rocks that grow
Kira Mizell, James R. Hein
2016, Book chapter, Encyclopedia of Geochemistry, A Comprehensive Reference Source on the Chemistry of the Earth
Ferromanganese (Fe-Mn) crusts and nodules are marine sed- imentary mineral deposits, composed mostly of iron and manganese oxides. They precipitate very slowly from seawa- ter, or for nodules also from deep-sea sediment pore waters, recording the chemical signature of these source waters as they grow. Additional elements incorporate via sorption...
Hampton roads regional Water-Quality Monitoring Program
Aaron J. Porter, John D. Jastram
2016, Fact Sheet 2016-3095
IntroductionHow much nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended solids are contributed by the highly urbanized areas of the Hampton Roads region in Virginia to Chesapeake Bay? The answer to this complex question has major implications for policy decisions, resource allocations, and efforts aimed at restoring clean waters to Chesapeake Bay and its...
Hydrologic assessment of the shallow groundwater flow system beneath the Shinnecock Nation tribal lands, Suffolk County, New York
Michael L. Noll, Simonette L. Rivera, Ronald Busciolano
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5110
Defining the distribution and flow of shallow groundwater beneath the Shinnecock Nation tribal lands in Suffolk County, New York, is a crucial first step in identifying sources of potential contamination to the surficial aquifer and coastal ecosystems. The surficial or water table aquifer beneath the tribal lands is the primary...
An empirical approach for estimating stress-coupling lengths for marine-terminating glaciers
Ellyn Enderlin, Gordon S. Hamilton, Shad O’Neel, Timothy C. Bartholomaus, Mathieu Morlighem, John W. Holt
2016, Frontiers in Earth Science (4) 1-12
Variability in the dynamic behavior of marine-terminating glaciers is poorly understood, despite an increase in the abundance and resolution of observations. When paired with ice thicknesses, surface velocities can be used to quantify the dynamic redistribution of stresses in response to environmental perturbations through computation of the glacier force balance. However,...
Decadal shifts in grass and woody plant cover are driven by prolonged drying and modified by topo‐edaphic properties
Seth M. Munson, Temuulen T. Sankey, George Z. Xian, Miguel L. Villarreal, Collin G. Homer
2016, Ecological Applications (26) 2480-2494
Woody plant encroachment and overall declines in perennial vegetation in dryland regions can alter ecosystem properties and indicate land degradation, but the causes of these shifts remain controversial. Determining how changes in the abundance and distribution of grass and woody plants are influenced by conditions that regulate water availability at...
Mineralogy, chemistry, and fluid-aided evolution of the Pea Ridge Fe oxide-(Y + REE) deposit, southeast Missouri, USA
Daniel E. Harlov, Corey J. Meighan, Ian D. Kerr, Iain M. Samson
2016, Economic Geology (111) 1963-1984
The Kiruna-type Pea Ridge iron oxide-apatite (IOA) deposit is hosted by a sequence of 1.47 Ga rhyolite tuffs of the St. Francois Mountains, southeast Missouri, USA. It consists of a series of altered zones composed mainly of amphibole, magnetite, hematite, and quartz, together with the presence of several rare earth...
Mineral thermometry and fluid inclusion studies of the Pea Ridge iron oxide-apatite–rare earth element deposit, Mesoproterozoic St. Francois Mountains Terrane, southeast Missouri, USA
Albert H. Hofstra, Corey J. Meighan, Xinyu Song, Iain Samson, Erin E. Marsh, Heather A. Lowers, Poul Emsbo, Andrew G. Hunt
2016, Economic Geology (111) 1985-2016
Mineral thermometry and fluid inclusion studies were conducted on variably altered and mineralized samples from the Mesoproterozoic Pea Ridge iron oxide-apatite (IOA)-rare earth element (REE) deposit in order to constrain P-T conditions, fluid chemistry, and the source of salt and volatiles during early magnetite and later REE mineralization.Scanning electron microscopy...
Changes in pond water levels and surface extent due to climate variability alter solute sources to closed-basin Prairie-Pothole wetland ponds, 1979 to 2012
James W. LaBaugh, David M. Mushet, Donald O. Rosenberry, Ned H. Euliss Jr., Martin B. Goldhaber, Christopher T. Mills, Richard D. Nelson
2016, Wetlands (36) 343-355
Wetter conditions beginning in 1993 resulted in marked changes in water levels and surface extent of prairie-pothole region wetland ponds, including closed-basin wetlands in the Cottonwood Lake area of North Dakota, U.S.A. Pond water levels after 1993 were consistently 0.5 to 2 m higher than during 1979–1993 (≤ 1 m deep) in...
Bitumen prices and structural changes in North American crude oil markets
Emil D. Attanasi
2016, Natural Resources Research (25) 487-496
In an earlier report, changes in bitumen prices at Hardesty, Alberta, Canada, were modeled as the responses to changes in monthly prices of Hardesty light/medium crude oil for the period 2000–2006 with a simple error correction econometric model. This note re-examines that price relationship for the period 2009–2014. Over the...
Post-fire debris flows in southern California: Science, prediction, and implications for practitioners
Dennis M. Staley, Jason W. Kean
2016, Book chapter, Applied Geology in California
No abstract available....
Katmai National Park and Preserve and Alagnak Wild River: Geologic resources inventory report
Chad Hults, Judith E. Fierstein
2016, Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2016/1314
The Geologic Resources Inventory (GRI) is one of 12 inventories funded by the National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring Program. The Geologic Resources Division of the NPS Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate administers the GRI. This GRI report was written for resource managers to support science-informed decision making....
Shifting patterns in SAV species diversity and community structure
Nancy B. Rybicki, Christopher E. Tanner, Erin C. Shields, Kenneth A. Moore, Stanley Kollar, David J. Wilcox, Katherina A. M. Engelhardt
2016, Book chapter, Chesapeake Bay submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV): A third technical synthesis
This chapter examines the shifting patterns in Chesapeake SAV community structure and the potential environmental variables that explain variation in species composition patterns at both long and short time periods. Bay-wide species occurrence data sets are summarized. These data show that twenty-seven or more species of SAV are found within...
