Eruptive history of the Ubehebe Crater Cluster, Death Valley, California
Judith E. Fierstein, Wes Hildreth
2017, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (335) 128-146
A sequence of late Holocene eruptions from the Ubehebe Crater cluster in Death Valley was short-lived, emplacing several phreatomagmatic and magmatic deposits. Seven craters form the main group, which erupted along a north-south alignment 1.5 km long. At least five more make a 500-m east-west alignment west of the main crater group. One...
Effects of internal phosphorus loadings and food-web structure on the recovery of a deep lake from eutrophication
Fabio Lepori, James J. Roberts
2017, Journal of Great Lakes Research (43) 255-264
We used monitoring data from Lake Lugano (Switzerland and Italy) to assess key ecosystem responses to three decades of nutrient management (1983–2014). We investigated whether reductions in external phosphorus loadings (Lext) caused declines in lake phosphorus concentrations (P) and phytoplankton biomass (Chl a), as assumed by the predictive models that...
Pufferfish mortality associated with novel polar marine toxins in Hawaii
Thierry M. Work, Perer D. R. Moeller, Kevin R. Beauchesne, Julie Dagenais, Renee Breeden, Robert Rameyer, Willliam A. Walsh, Melanie Abecassis, Donald R. Kobayashi, Carla M. Conway, James Winton
2017, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms (123) 87-99
Fish die-offs are important signals in tropical marine ecosystems. In 2010, a mass mortality of pufferfish in Hawaii (USA) was dominated by Arothron hispidus showing aberrant neurological behaviors. Using pathology, toxinology, and field surveys, we implicated a series of novel, polar, marine toxins as a likely cause of this mass...
Body mass, wing length, and condition of wintering ducks relative to hematozoa infection
Joseph P. Fleskes, Andrew M. Ramey, Andrew B. Reeves, Julie L. Yee
2017, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (8) 89-100
Waterfowl managers lack information regarding factors that may be reducing the positive response of waterfowl body condition to habitat improvements. Protozoan blood parasites (i.e., hematozoa) are commonly found in birds and have been related to reduced body mass, wing length, and body condition. We studied relationships between 12 measures of...
Common Raven (Corvus corax) kleptoparasitism at a Golden Eagle (Aquila chyrsaetos) nest in southern Nevada
Matthew Simes, Diego R. Johnson, Justin Streit, Kathleen M. Longshore, Kenneth E. Nussear, Todd C. Esque
2017, Wilson Journal of Ornithology (129) 195-198
The Common Raven (Corvus corax) is a ubiquitous species in the Mojave Desert of southern Nevada and California. From 5 to 24 May 2014, using remote trail cameras, we observed ravens repeatedly kleptoparasitizing food resources from the nest of a pair of Golden Eagles (Aquila chyrsaetos) in the Spring Mountains...
Wind River Subbasin Restoration, annual report of U.S. Geological Survey activities: Parr monitoring and instream passive integrated transponder detection, January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015
Ian Jezorek, Patrick Connolly
2017, Report
We used Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT)-tagging and a series of instream PIT-tag interrogation systems (PTIS) to investigate life-histories, populations, and efficacy of habitat restoration actions for steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss in the Wind River subbasin, WA. Our tagging focused on parr in headwater areas of the subbasin and our PTISs provide information on movement...
The vanishing cryovolcanoes of Ceres
Michael M. Sori, Shane Byrne, Michael T. Bland, Ali Bramson, Anton Ermakov, Christoper Hamilton, Katharina Otto, Ottaviano Ruesch, Christopher Russell
2017, Geophysical Research Letters (44) 1243-1250
Ahuna Mons is a 4 km tall mountain on Ceres interpreted as a geologically young cryovolcanic dome. Other possible cryovolcanic features are more ambiguous, implying that cryovolcanism is only a recent phenomenon or that other cryovolcanic structures have been modified beyond easy identification. We test the hypothesis that Cerean cryovolcanic domes...
Predicting the impacts of Mississippi River diversions and sea-level rise on spatial patterns of eastern oyster growth rate and production
Hongqing Wang, Q. Chen, Megan La Peyre, Kelin Hu, Jerome F. La Peyre
2017, Ecological Modelling (352) 40-53
There remains much debate regarding the perceived tradeoffs of using freshwater and sediment diversions for coastal restoration in terms of balancing the need for wetland restoration versus preserving eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) production. Further complicating the issue, climate change-induced sea-level rise (SLR) and land subsidence are also expected to affect...
Stable isotope analysis as an early monitoring tool for community-scale effects of rat eradication
Katherine M. Nigro, Stacie A. Hathaway, Alex Wegmann, Ana Miller-ter Kuile, Robert N. Fisher, Hillary S. Young
2017, Restoration Ecology (25) 1015-1025
Invasive rats have colonized most of the islands of the world, resulting in strong negative impacts on native biodiversity and on ecosystem functions. As prolific omnivores, invasive rats can cause local extirpation of a wide range of native species, with cascading consequences that can reshape communities and ecosystems. Eradication of...
Liquid hydrocarbon characterization of the lacustrine Yanchang Formation, Ordos Basin, China: Organic-matter source variation and thermal maturity
Xun Sun, Quansheng Liang, Chengfu Jiang, Daniel Enriquez, Tongwei Zhang, Paul C. Hackley
2017, Interpretation (5) SF225-SF242
Source-rock samples from the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin of China were geochemically characterized to determine variations in depositional environments, organic-matter (OM) source, and thermal maturity. Total organic carbon (TOC) content varies from 4 wt% to 10 wt% in the Chang 7, Chang 8, and Chang 9 members —...
The U.S. Geological Survey Monthly Water Balance Model Futures Portal
Andy Bock
2017, Fact Sheet 2017-3002
Simulations of future climate suggest profiles of temperature and precipitation may differ significantly from those in the past. These changes in climate will likely lead to changes in the hydrologic cycle. As such, natural resource managers are in need of tools that can provide estimates of key components of the...
Influence of atmospheric rivers on vegetation productivity and fire patterns in the southwestern U.S.
Christine M. Albano, Michael D. Dettinger, Christopher E. Soulard
2017, Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences (122) 308-323
In the southwestern U.S., the meteorological phenomenon known as atmospheric rivers (ARs) has gained increasing attention due to its strong connections to floods, snowpacks, and water supplies in the West Coast states. Relatively less is known about the ecological implications of ARs, particularly in the interior Southwest, where AR storms...
Assessing the dietary bioavailability of metals associated with natural particles: Extending the use of the reverse labeling approach to zinc
Marie Noele Croteau, Daniel J. Cain, Christopher C. Fuller
2017, Environmental Science & Technology (51) 2803-2810
We extend the use of a novel tracing technique to quantify the bioavailability of zinc (Zn) associated with natural particles using snails enriched with a less common Zn stable isotope. Lymnaea stagnalis is a model species that has relatively fast Zn uptake rates from the dissolved phase, enabling their rapid...
Vertebrate paleontology, stratigraphy, and paleohydrology of Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, Nevada (USA)
Kathleen B. Springer, Jeffery S. Pigati, Eric Scott
2017, Geology of the Intermountain West (4) 55-98
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument (TUSK) preserves 22,650 acres of the upper Las Vegas Wash in the northern Las Vegas Valley (Nevada, USA). TUSK is home to extensive and stratigraphically complex groundwater discharge (GWD) deposits, called the Las Vegas Formation, which represent springs and desert wetlands that covered much...
A critical evaluation of the utility of eggshells for estimating mercury concentrations in avian eggs
Sarah H. Peterson, Joshua T. Ackerman, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, C. Alex Hartman, Mark P. Herzog
2017, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (36) 2417-2427
Eggshells are a potential tool for non-lethally sampling contaminant concentrations in bird eggs, yet few studies have examined their utility to represent mercury exposure. We assessed mercury concentrations in eggshell components for 23 bird species and determined whether they correlated with total mercury (THg) in egg contents. We designed a...
Identifying small depressional wetlands and using a topographic position index to infer hydroperiod regimes for pond-breeding amphibians
Jeffrey W. Riley, Daniel L. Calhoun, William J. Barichivich, Susan C. Walls
2017, Wetlands (37) 325-338
Small, seasonal pools and temporary ponds (<4.0 ha) are the most numerous and biologically diverse wetlands in many natural landscapes. Thus, accurate determination of their numbers and spatial characteristics is beneficial for conservation and management of biodiversity associated with these freshwater systems. We examined the utility of a topographic position...
Assessing the influence of sustainable trail design and maintenance on soil loss
Jeffrey L. Marion, Jeremy Wimpey
2017, Journal of Environmental Management (189) 46-57
Natural-surfaced trail systems are an important infrastructure component providing a means for accessing remote protected natural area destinations. The condition and usability of trails is a critical concern of land managers charged with providing recreational access while preserving natural conditions, and to visitors seeking high quality recreational opportunities and experiences....
A synthesis of thermokarst lake water balance in high-latitude regions of North America from isotope tracers
Lauren A. MacDonald, Brent B. Wolfe, Kevin W. Turner, Lesleigh Anderson, Christopher D. Arp, Jean Birks, Frederic Bouchard, Thomas W.D. Edwards, Nicole Farquharson, Roland I. Hall, Ian McDonald, Biljana Narancic, Chantal Ouimet, Reinhard Pienitz, Jana Tondu, Hilary White
2017, Arctic Science (3) 118-149
Numerous studies utilizing remote sensing imagery and other methods have documented that thermokarst lakes are undergoing varied hydrological transitions in response to recent climate changes, from surface area expansion to drainage and evaporative desiccation. Here, we provide a synthesis of hydrological conditions for 376 lakes of mainly thermokarst origin across...
Functional traits and ecological affinities of riparian plants along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon
Emily C. Palmquist, Barbara E. Ralston, Sarr. Daniel, David Merritt, Patrick B Shafroth, Julian Scott
2017, Western North American Naturalist (77) 22-30
Trait-based approaches to vegetation analyses are becoming more prevalent in studies of riparian vegetation dynamics, including responses to flow regulation, groundwater pumping, and climate change. These analyses require species trait data compiled from the literature and floras or original field measurements. Gathering such data makes trait-based research time intensive at...
The significant surface-water connectivity of "geographically isolated wetlands"
Aram J.K. Calhoun, David M. Mushet, Laurie C. Alexander, Edward S. DeKeyser, Laurie Fowler, Charles R. Lane, Megan W. Lang, Mark C. Rains, Stephen Richter, Susan C. Walls
2017, Wetlands (37) 801-806
We evaluated the current literature, coupled with our collective research expertise, on surface-water connectivity of wetlands considered to be “geographically isolated” (sensu Tiner Wetlands 23:494–516, 2003a) to critically assess the scientific foundation of grouping wetlands based on the singular condition of being surrounded by uplands. The most recent research on...
Multi-temporal LiDAR and Landsat quantification of fire-induced changes to forest structure
T. Ryan McCarley, Crystal A. Kolden, Nicole M. Vaillant, Andrew T. Hudak, Alistair Smith, Brian M. Wing, Bryce Kellogg, Jason R. Kreitler
2017, Remote Sensing of Environment (191) 419-432
Measuring post-fire effects at landscape scales is critical to an ecological understanding of wildfire effects. Predominantly this is accomplished with either multi-spectral remote sensing data or through ground-based field sampling plots. While these methods are important, field data is usually limited to opportunistic post-fire observations, and spectral data often lacks...
Chronic toxicity of azoxystrobin to freshwater amphipods, midges, cladocerans, and mussels in water-only exposures
James L. Kunz, Christopher G. Ingersoll, Kelly L. Smalling, Adria Elskus, Kathryn Kuivila
2017, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (36) 2308-2315
Understanding the effects of fungicides on nontarget organisms at realistic concentrations and exposure durations is vital for determining potential impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Environmental concentrations of the fungicide azoxystrobin have been reported up to 4.6 μg/L in the United States and 30 μg/L in Europe. The objective of the present study was...
Operational shoreline mapping with high spatial resolution radar and geographic processing
Amina Rangoonwala, Cathleen E Jones, Zhaohui Chi, Elijah W. Ramsey III
2017, Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing (83) 237-246
A comprehensive mapping technology was developed utilizing standard image processing and available GIS procedures to automate shoreline identification and mapping from 2 m synthetic aperture radar (SAR) HH amplitude data. The development used four NASA Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle SAR (UAVSAR) data collections between summer 2009 and 2012 and a fall 2012 collection...
The effect of wet-dry weathering on the rate of bedrock river channel erosion by saltating gravel
Takuya Inoue, Satomi Yamaguchi, Jonathan M. Nelson
2017, Geomorphology (285) 152-161
Previous work has shown that the bedrock erosion rate E because of collisions of saltating bedload can be expressed by E = βqb(1-Pc), where qb is the sediment transport rate, Pc is the extent of alluvial cover, and β is the abrasion coefficient. However, the dependence of the abrasion coefficient on the...
Effects of food web changes on Mysis diluviana diet in Lake Ontario
Brian P. O'Malley, Lars G. Rudstam, James M. Watkins, Toby J. Holda, Brian Weidel
2017, Journal of Great Lakes Research (43) 813-822
Mysids are important benthic-pelagic omnivores in many deep-lake food webs, yet quantitative data on their diet are limited. We explored the trophic role of Mysis diluviana in offshore Lake Ontario using samples collected in May, July, and September 2013 with a focus on seasonal and ontogenetic patterns in herbivory and...
