Application of effective discharge analysis to environmental flow decision-making
S. Kyle McKay, Mary Freeman, A.P. Covich
2016, Environmental Management (575) 1153-1165
Well-informed river management decisions rely on an explicit statement of objectives, repeatable analyses, and a transparent system for assessing trade-offs. These components may then be applied to compare alternative operational regimes for water resource infrastructure (e.g., diversions, locks, and dams). Intra- and inter-annual hydrologic variability further complicates these already complex...
Study of biological communities subject to imperfect detection: Bias and precision of community N-mixture abundance models in small-sample situations
Yuichi Yamaura, Marc Kery, J. Andrew Royle
2016, Ecological Research (31) 289-305
Community N-mixture abundance models for replicated counts provide a powerful and novel framework for drawing inferences related to species abundance within communities subject to imperfect detection. To assess the performance of these models, and to compare them to related community occupancy models in situations with marginal information, we used...
Prebreeding survival of Roseate Terns Sterna dougallii varies with sex, hatching order and hatching date
Ian C. T. Nisbet, David Monticelli, Jeffrey A. Spendelow, Patricia Szczys
2016, Ibis (158) 327-334
Unequal sex ratios can reduce the productivity of animal populations and are especially prevalent among endangered species. A cohort of 333 Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii chicks at a site where the adult sex ratio was skewed towards females was sexed at hatching and followed through fledging and return to the breeding area,...
Ecology, distribution, and predictive occurrence modeling of Palmers chipmunk (Tamias palmeri): a high-elevation small mammal endemic to the Spring Mountains in southern Nevada, USA
Chris E. Lowrey, Kathleen M. Longshore, Brett R. Riddle, Stacy Mantooth
2016, Journal of Mammalogy (97) 1033-1043
Although montane sky islands surrounded by desert scrub and shrub steppe comprise a large part of the biological diversity of the Basin and Range Province of southwestern North America, comprehensive ecological and population demographic studies for high-elevation small mammals within these areas are rare. Here, we examine the ecology and...
Prioritizing avian species for their risk of population-level consequences from wind energy development
Julie A. Beston, James E. Diffendorfer, Scott Loss, Douglas H. Johnson
2016, PLoS ONE (11) Article e0150813
Recent growth in the wind energy industry has increased concerns about its impacts on wildlife populations. Direct impacts of wind energy include bird and bat collisions with turbines whereas indirect impacts include changes in wildlife habitat and behavior. Although many species may withstand these effects, species that are long-lived with...
Stress in mangrove forests: early detection and preemptive rehabilitation are essential for future successful worldwide mangrove forest management
Roy R Lewis, Eric C Milbrandt, Benjamin Brown, Ken W. Krauss, Andre S. Rovai, James W. Beever, Laura L Flynn
2016, Marine Pollution Bulletin (109) 764-771
Mangrove forest rehabilitation should begin much sooner than at the point of catastrophic loss. We describe the need for “mangrove forest heart attack prevention”, and how that might be accomplished in a general sense by embedding plot and remote sensing monitoring within coastal management plans. The major cause of mangrove...
Online induction heating for determination of isotope composition of woody stem water with laser spectrometry: A methods assessment
Brynne E. Lazarus, Matthew J. Germino, Jessica L. Vander Veen
2016, Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies (52) 309-325
Application of stable isotopes of water to studies of plant–soil interactions often requires a substantial preparatory step of extracting water from samples without fractionating isotopes. Online heating is an emerging approach for this need, but is relatively untested and major questions of how to best deliver standards and assess interference...
Does water chemistry limit the distribution of New Zealand mud snails in Redwood National Park?
Ryan Vazquez, Darren M. Ward, Adam J. Sepulveda
2016, Biological Invasions (18) 1523-1531
New Zealand mud snails (NZMS) are exotic mollusks present in many waterways of the western United States. In 2009, NZMS were detected in Redwood Creek in Redwood National Park, CA. Although NZMS are noted for their ability to rapidly increase in abundance and colonize new areas, after more than 5 years...
The differing biogeochemical and microbial signatures of glaciers and rock glaciers
Timothy S. Fegel, Jill Baron, Andrew G. Fountain, Gunnar F. Johnson, Edward K. Hall
2016, Journal of Geophysical Research G: Biogeosciences (121) 919-932
Glaciers and rock glaciers supply water and bioavailable nutrients to headwater mountain lakes and streams across all regions of the American West. Here we present a comparative study of the metal, nutrient, and microbial characteristics of glacial and rock glacial influence on headwater ecosystems in three mountain ranges of the...
Organic contaminants in Great Lakes tributaries: Prevalence and potential aquatic toxicity
Austin K. Baldwin, Steven R. Corsi, Laura A. De Cicco, Peter L. Lenaker, Michelle A. Lutz, Daniel J. Sullivan, Kevin D. Richards
2016, Science of the Total Environment (554-555) 42-52
Organic compounds used in agriculture, industry, and households make their way into surface waters through runoff, leaking septic-conveyance systems, regulated and unregulated discharges, and combined sewer overflows, among other sources. Concentrations of these organic waste compounds (OWCs) in some Great Lakes tributaries indicate a high potential for adverse impacts on...
Using science-policy integration to improve ecosystem science and inform decision-making: Lessons from U.S. LTERs
Pamela H. Templer, Kathleen Fallon Lambert, Marissa Weiss, Jill Baron, Charles T. Driscoll, David R. Foster
2016, Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America (97) 123-128
This Special Session took place on 12 August 2015 at the 100th Meeting of the Ecological Society of America in Baltimore, Maryland, and was conceived of and coordinated by the Science Policy Exchange. The Science Policy Exchange (SPE) is a boundary- spanning organization established to work at the interface of...
Application of lime (CaCO3) to promote forest recovery from severe acidification increases potential for earthworm invasion
Caitlin Homan, Colin M Beirer, Timothy S McCay, Gregory B. Lawrence
2016, Forest Ecology and Management (368) 39-44
The application of lime (calcium carbonate) may be a cost-effective strategy to promote forest ecosystem recovery from acid impairment, under contemporary low levels of acidic deposition. However, liming acidified soils may create more suitable habitat for invasive earthworms that cause significant damage to forest floor communities and may disrupt ecosystem...
Assessment of undiscovered hydrocarbon resources of sub-Saharan Africa
Michael E. Brownfield
2016, Data Series 69-GG
Introduction The main objective of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National and Global Petroleum Assessment Project is to assess the potential for undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and natural gas resources of the United States and the world (U.S. Geological Survey World Conventional Resources Assessment Team, 2012). The USGS updated assessments that...
Impacts of introduced Rangifer on ecosystem processes of maritime tundra on subarctic islands
Mark A. Ricca, A. Keith Miles, Dirk H. Van Vuren, Valerie T. Eviner
2016, Ecosphere (7) Article e01219
Introductions of mammalian herbivores to remote islands without predators provide a natural experiment to ask how temporal and spatial variation in herbivory intensity alter feedbacks between plant and soil processes. We investigated ecosystem effects resulting from introductions of Rangifer tarandus (hereafter “Rangifer”) to native mammalian predator- and herbivore-free islands in the Aleutian...
The role of competition – colonization tradeoffs and spatial heterogeneity in promoting trematode coexistence
Erin A. Mordecai, Alejandra G. Jaramillo, Jacob E. Ashford, Ryan F. Hechinger, Kevin D. Lafferty
2016, Ecology (97) 1484-1496
Competition – colonization tradeoffs occur in many systems, and theory predicts that they can strongly promote species coexistence. However, there is little empirical evidence that observed competition – colonization tradeoffs are strong enough to maintain diversity in natural systems. This is due in part to a mismatch between theoretical assumptions...
Changing regional emissions of airborne pollutants reflected in the chemistry of snowpacks and wetfall in the Rocky Mountain region, USA, 1993–2012
George P. Ingersoll, Debra C. Miller, Kristi H. Morris, Jill A. McMurray, Garrett M. Port, Brian Caruso
2016, Water, Air, & Soil Pollution (227) 1-18
Wintertime precipitation sample data from 55 Snowpack sites and 17 National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP)/National Trends Network Wetfall sites in the Rocky Mountain region were examined to identify long-term trends in chemical concentration, deposition, and precipitation using Regional and Seasonal Kendall tests. The Natural Resources Conservation Service snow-telemetry...
Interannual and long-term changes in the trophic state of a multibasin lake: Effects of morphology, climate, winter aeration, and beaver activity
Dale M. Robertson, William Rose, Paul C. Reneau
2016, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (73) 445-460
Little St. Germain Lake (LSG), a relatively pristine multibasin lake in Wisconsin, USA, was examined to determine how morphologic (internal), climatic (external), anthropogenic (winter aeration), and natural (beaver activity) factors affect the trophic state (phosphorus, P; chlorophyll, CHL; and Secchi depth, SD) of each of its basins. Basins intercepting the...
Geomorphic and geologic controls of geohazards induced by Nepal’s 2015 Gorkha earthquake
J.S. Kargel, G.J. Leonard, D. H. Shugar, U. K. Haritashya, A. Bevington, E.J. Fielding, K. Fujita, M. Geertsema, E. S. Miles, J. Steiner, E. Anderson, S. Bajracharya, G.W. Bawden, D. F. Breashears, A. Byers, B. Collins, M. R. Dhital, A. Donnellan, T. L. Evans, M. L. Geai, M. T. Glasscoe, D. Green, D. R. Gurung, R. Heijenk, A. Hilborn, K. Hudnut, C. Huyck, W. W. Immerzeel, Jiang Li, R. Jibson, A. Kaab, N. R. Khanal, D. Kirschbaum, P. D. A. Kraaijenbrink, D. Lamsal, Liu Shiyin, Lv Mingyang, D. McKinney, N. K. Nahirnick, Nan Zhuotong, S. Ojha, J. Olsenholler, T. H. Painter, M. Pleasants, K. C. Pratima, Q. I. Yuan, B.H. Raup, D. Regmi, D. R. Rounce, A. Sakai, Shangguan Donghui, J. M. Shea, A. B. Shrestha, A. Shukla, D. Stumm, M. van der Kooij, K. Voss, Wang Xin, B. Weihs, Wu Lizong, Yao Xiaojun, M. R. Yoder, N. Young
2016, Science (351)
The Gorkha earthquake (magnitude 7.8) on 25 April 2015 and later aftershocks struck South Asia, killing ~9000 people and damaging a large region. Supported by a large campaign of responsive satellite data acquisitions over the earthquake disaster zone, our team undertook a satellite image survey of the earthquakes’ induced geohazards...
Uncertainty in Vs30-based site response
Eric M. Thompson, David J. Wald
2016, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (106) 453-463
Methods that account for site response range in complexity from simple linear categorical adjustment factors to sophisticated nonlinear constitutive models. Seismic‐hazard analysis usually relies on ground‐motion prediction equations (GMPEs); within this framework site response is modeled statistically with simplified site parameters that include the time‐averaged shear‐wave velocity to 30 m (VS30)...
Effects of streamflows on stream-channel morphology in the eastern Niobrara National Scenic River, Nebraska, 1988–2010
Nathaniel J. Schaepe, Jason S. Alexander, Kiernan Folz-Donahue
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5004
The Niobrara River is an important and valuable economic and ecological resource in northern Nebraska that supports ecotourism, recreational boating, wildlife, fisheries, agriculture, and hydroelectric power. Because of its uniquely rich resources, a 122-kilometer reach of the Niobrara River was designated as a National Scenic River in 1991, which has...
The effect of suspended sediment and color on ultraviolet spectrophotometric nitrate sensors
Teri T. Snazelle
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1014
Four commercially available ultraviolet nitrate spectrophotometric sensors were evaluated by the U.S. Geological Survey Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility (HIF) to determine the effects of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) on sensor accuracy. The evaluated sensors were: the Hach NITRATAX plus sc (5-millimeters (mm) path length), Hach...
Spatially explicit rangeland erosion monitoring using high-resolution digital aerial imagery
Jeffrey K. Gillan, Jason W. Karl, Nichole N. Barger, Ahmed Elaksher, Michael C. Duniway
2016, Rangeland Ecology and Management (69) 95-107
Nearly all of the ecosystem services supported by rangelands, including production of livestock forage, carbon sequestration, and provisioning of clean water, are negatively impacted by soil erosion. Accordingly, monitoring the severity, spatial extent, and rate of soil erosion is essential for long-term sustainable management. Traditional field-based methods of monitoring erosion...
Hydrologic conditions, recharge, and baseline water quality of the surficial aquifer system at Jekyll Island, Georgia, 2012-13
Debbie W. Gordon, Lynn J. Torak
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1017
An increase of groundwater withdrawals from the surficial aquifer system on Jekyll Island, Georgia, prompted an investigation of hydrologic conditions and water quality by the U.S. Geological Survey during October 2012 through December 2013. The study demonstrated the importance of rainfall as the island’s main source of recharge to maintain...
Predictability of horizontal water vapor transport relative to precipitation: Enhancing situational awareness for forecasting western U.S. extreme precipitation and flooding
David A. Lavers, Duane E. Waliser, F. Martin Ralph, Michael D. Dettinger
2016, Geophysical Research Letters (43) 2275-2282
The western United States is vulnerable to socioeconomic disruption due to extreme winter precipitation and floods. Traditionally, forecasts of precipitation and river discharge provide the basis for preparations. Herein we show that earlier event awareness may be possible through use of horizontal water vapor transport (integrated vapor transport (IVT)) forecasts....
Slow-moving and far-travelled dense pyroclastic flows during the Peach Spring super-eruption
Olivier Roche, David C. Buesch, Greg A. Valentine
2016, Nature Communications (7) 1-8
Explosive volcanic super-eruptions of several hundred cubic kilometres or more generate long run-out pyroclastic density currents the dynamics of which are poorly understood and controversial. Deposits of one such event in the southwestern USA, the 18.8 Ma Peach Spring Tuff, were formed by pyroclastic flows that travelled >170 km...
