Fluctuating survival selection explains variation in avian group size
Charles B. Brown, Mary Bomberger Brown, Erin A. Roche, Valerie A O'brien, Catherine E. Page
2016, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (113) 5113-518
Most animal groups vary extensively in size. Because individuals in certain sizes of groups often have higher apparent fitness than those in other groups, why wide group size variation persists in most populations remains unexplained. We used a 30-y mark–recapture study of colonially breeding cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) to show...
Postseismic gravity change after the 2006–2007 great earthquake doublet and constraints on the asthenosphere structure in the central Kuril Islands
Shin-Chan Han, Jeanne Sauber, Frederick Pollitz
2016, Geophysical Research Letters (43) 3169-3177
Large earthquakes often trigger viscoelastic adjustment for years to decades depending on the rheological properties and the nature and spatial extent of coseismic stress. The 2006 Mw8.3 thrust and 2007 Mw8.1 normal fault earthquakes of the central Kuril Islands resulted in significant postseismic gravity change in Gravity Recovery and Climate...
A revised surface age for the North Polar Layered Deposits of Mars
Margaret E. Landis, Shane Byrne, Ingrid J. Daubar, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, Colin M. Dundas
2016, Geophysical Research Letters (43) 3060-3068
The North Polar Layered Deposits (NPLD) of Mars contain a complex stratigraphy that has been suggested to retain a record of past eccentricity- and obliquity-forced climate changes. The surface accumulation rate in the current climate can be constrained by the crater retention age. We scale NPLD crater diameters to account...
Estimates of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) diet in Lake Ontario using two and three isotope mixing models
Scott F. Colborne, Scott A. Rush, Gordon Paterson, Timothy B. Johnson, Brian F. Lantry, Aaron T. Fisk
2016, Journal of Great Lakes Research (42) 695-702
Recent development of multi-dimensional stable isotope models for estimating both foraging patterns and niches have presented the analytical tools to further assess the food webs of freshwater populations. One approach to refine predictions from these analyses is to include a third isotope to the more common two-isotope carbon and nitrogen...
Volcanic lightning and plume behavior reveal evolving hazards during the April 2015 eruption of Calbuco volcano, Chile
Alexa R. Van Eaton, Alvaro Amigo, Daniel Bertin, Larry G. Mastin, Raul E Giacosa, Jeronimo Gonzalez, Oscar Valderrama, Karen Fontijn, Sonja A Behnke
2016, Geophysical Research Letters (43) 3563-3571
Soon after the onset of an eruption, model forecasts of ash dispersal are used to mitigate the hazards to aircraft, infrastructure and communities downwind. However, it is a significant challenge to constrain the model inputs during an evolving eruption. Here we demonstrate that volcanic lightning may be used in tandem...
Total dissolved gas and water temperature in the lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, water year 2015
Heather M. Bragg, Matthew W. Johnston
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1212
Significant Findings An analysis of total-dissolved-gas (TDG) and water-temperature data collected at eight fixed monitoring stations on the lower Columbia River in Oregon and Washington in water year 2015 indicated the following: All but 1 of the 85 TDG sensor laboratory checks that were performed after field deployment were within ±0.5-percent saturation...
Geologic map of the Rio Rico and Nogales 7.5’ quadrangles, Santa Cruz County, Arizona
William R. Page, Christopher M. Menges, Floyd Gray, Margaret E. Berry, Mark W. Bultman, Michael A. Cosca, D. Paco VanSistine
2016, Scientific Investigations Map 3354
The Rio Rico and Nogales (Arizona) 1:24,000-scale quadrangles are located in the Basin and Range Province of southern Arizona, and the southern edge of the map is the international border with Sonora, Mexico. The major urban area is Nogales, a bi-national city known as “the gateway to Mexico.” Rocks exposed...
A new organic reference material, L-glutamic acid, USGS41a, for δ13C and δ15N measurements − a replacement for USGS41
Haiping Qi, Tyler B. Coplen, Stanley J. Mroczkowski, Willi A. Brand, Lauren Brandes, Heike Geilmann, Arndt Schimmelmann
2016, Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry (30) 859-866
RationaleThe widely used l-glutamic acid isotopic reference material USGS41, enriched in both 13C and 15N, is nearly exhausted. A new material, USGS41a, has been prepared as a replacement for USGS41.MethodsUSGS41a was prepared by dissolving analytical grade l-glutamic acid enriched in 13C and 15N together with l-glutamic acid...
Notes on the origin of copromacrinite based on nitrogen functionalities and δ13C and δ15N determined on samples from the Peach Orchard coal bed, southern Magoffin County, Kentucky
Bruno Valentim, Manuel Algarra, Alexandra Guedes, Leslie F. Ruppert, James C. Hower
2016, International Journal of Coal Geology (160-161) 63-72
This paper represents the first attempt to show, by means other than just petrographic ones, that one type of macrinite, herein designated copromacrinite, may result from macrofauna feces. For that purpose a combination of coal petrography, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and elemental-analysis continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry methods were used...
Fish community response to dam removal in a Maine coastal river tributary
Joseph D. Zydlewski, Robert S. Hogg, Stephen M. Coghlan Jr., Cory Gardner
2016, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (144) 445-455
Sedgeunkedunk Stream, a third-order tributary to the Penobscot River in Maine, historically has supported several anadromous fishes including Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar, Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus, and Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus. Two small dams constructed in the 1800s reduced or eliminated spawning runs entirely. In 2009, efforts to restore marine–freshwater connectivity...
Dairy-impacted wastewater is a source of iodinated disinfection byproducts in the environment
Michelle Hladik, Laura E. Hubbard, Dana W. Kolpin, Michael J. Focazio
2016, Environmental Science & Technology (3) 190-193
Iodinated disinfection byproducts (DBPs) are among the most toxic DBPs, but they are not typically measured in treated water. Iodinated DBPs can be toxic to humans, and they also have the potential to affect aquatic communities. Because of the specific use of iodine and iodine-containing compounds in dairies, such livestock...
Host contact and shedding patterns clarify variation in pathogen exposure and transmission in threatened tortoise Gopherus agassizii: implications for disease modelling and management
Christina M. Aiello, Kenneth E. Nussear, Todd C. Esque, Patrick G. Emblidge, Pratha Sah, Shweta Bansal, Peter J. Hudson
2016, Journal of Animal Ecology (85) 829-842
Summary Most directly transmitted infections require some form of close contact between infectious and susceptible hosts to spread. Often disease models assume contacts are equal and use mean field estimates of transmission probability for all interactions with infectious hosts. Such methods may inaccurately describe transmission when interactions differ...
Using climate, energy, and spatial-based hypotheses to interpret macroecological patterns of North America chelonians
Joshua R. Ennen, Mickey Agha, Wilfredo A. Matamoros, Sarah C. Hazzard, Jeffrey E. Lovich
2016, Canadian Journal of Zoology (94) 453-461
Our study investigates how factors, such as latitude, productivity, and several environmental variables, influence contemporary patterns of the species richness in North American turtles. In particular, we test several hypotheses explaining broad-scale species richness patterns on several species richness data sets: (i) total turtles, (ii) freshwater turtles only, (iii) aquatic...
3D Elevation Program—Virtual USA in 3D
Vicki Lukas, J. M. Stoker
2016, Fact Sheet 2016-3022
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) uses a laser system called ‘lidar’ (light detection and ranging) to create a virtual reality map of the Nation that is very accurate. 3D maps have many uses with new uses being discovered all the time. ...
Perchlorate and selected metals in water and soil within Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota, 2011–15
Galen K. Hoogestraat, Barbara L. Rowe
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5030
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is located in the east-central part of the Black Hills area of South Dakota and is challenged to provide drinking water to about 3 million annual visitors and year-round park personnel. An environmental concern to water resources within Mount Rushmore National Memorial has been the annual...
Role of habitat complexity in predator-prey dynamics between an introduced fish and larval Long-toed Salamanders (Ambystoma macrodactylum)
Erin K Kenison, Andrea R. Litt, David S. Pilliod, Tom E McMahon
2016, Canadian Journal of Zoology (94) 243-249
Predation by nonnative fishes has reduced abundance and increased extinction risk for amphibian populations worldwide. Although rare, fish and palatable amphibians have been observed to coexist where aquatic vegetation and structural complexity provide suitable refugia. We examined whether larval long-toed salamanders (Ambystoma macrodactylum Baird, 1849) increased use of vegetation cover...
Natural inactivation of Escherichia coli in anoxic and reduced groundwater
John T. Lisle
2016, Journal of Applied Microbiology (120) 1739-1750
Aims Inactivation rates of E. coli in groundwater have most often been determined in aerobic and oxidized systems. This study examined E. coli inactivation rates in anaerobic and extremely reduced groundwater systems that have been identified as recharge zones. Methods and Results Groundwater from six artesian wells was diverted to above ground, flow through mesocosms that contained...
Forest cover changes due to hydrocarbon extraction disturbance in central Pennsylvania (2004–2010)
Coral Roig-Silva, E. Terrence Slonecker, Lesley Milheim, Jesse R. Ballew, S. Gail Winters
2016, Journal of Maps (12) 131-138
The state of Pennsylvania has a long history of oil and gas extraction. In recent years with advances in technology such as hydraulic fracturing, hydrocarbon sources that were not profitable in the past are now being exploited. Here, we present an assessment of the cumulative impact of oil and gas...
Proposed Auxiliary Boundary Stratigraphic Section and Point (ASSP) for the base of the Ordovician System at Lawson Cove, Utah, USA
James F. Miller, Kevin R. Evans, Raymond L. Ethington, Rebecca Freeman, James D. Loch, John E. Repetski, Robert Ripperdan, John F. Taylor
2016, Stratigraphy (12) 219-236
The Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Ordovician System is at the First Appearance Datum (FAD) of the conodont Iapetognathus fluctivagus at Green Point in Newfoundland, Canada. Strata there are typical graptolitic facies that were deposited near the base of the continental slope.We propose...
Processing of multichannel seismic reflection data acquired in 2013 for seismic investigations of gas hydrates in the Gulf of Mexico
John J. Miller, Warren F. Agena, Seth S. Haines, Patrick E. Hart
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1037
As part of a cooperative effort among the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, two grids of two-dimensional multichannel seismic reflection data were acquired in the Gulf of Mexico over lease blocks Green Canyon 955...
Flood-inundation maps for a 9.1-mile reach of the Coast Fork Willamette River near Creswell and Goshen, Lane County, Oregon
Glen W. Hess, Tana Haluska
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5029
Digital flood-inundation maps for a 9.1-mile reach of the Coast Fork Willamette River near Creswell and Goshen, Oregon, were developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science...
A morphological review of subspecies of the Asian box turtle, Cuora amboinensis (Testudines, Geomydidae)
Carl H. Ernst, Arndt F. Laemmerzahl, Jeffrey E. Lovich
2016, Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington (129) 144-156
The turtle Cuora amboinensis has an extensive distribution covering most of southern mainland Asia, Indonesia, and extending to the Philippine Islands. Unlike many species, C. amboinensis occurs on both sides of Wallace's Line separating Asian and Australian flora and fauna. Four subspecies are currently recognized; Cuora a. kamaroma (southern continental Asia, Java and the northern Philippines...
Range expansion of moose in arctic Alaska linked to warming and increased shrub habitat
Ken D. Tape, David D. Gustine, Roger W. Reuss, Layne G. Adams, Jason A. Clark
2016, PLoS ONE (11) e0152636
Twentieth century warming has increased vegetation productivity and shrub cover across northern tundra and treeline regions, but effects on terrestrial wildlife have not been demonstrated on a comparable scale. During this period, Alaskan moose (Alces alces gigas) extended their range from the boreal forest into tundra riparian shrub habitat; similar...
Selected low-flow frequency statistics for continuous-record streamgages in Georgia, 2013
Anthony J. Gotvald
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5037
This report presents the annual and monthly minimum 1- and 7-day average streamflows with the 10-year recurrence interval (1Q10 and 7Q10) for 197 continuous-record streamgages in Georgia. Streamgages used in the study included active and discontinued stations having a minimum of 10 complete climatic years of record as of September...
Phosphorus removal from aquaculture effluents at the Northeast Fishery Center in Lamar, Pennsylvania using iron oxide sorption media
Philip Sibrell, Thomas Kehler
2016, Aquacultural Engineering (72-73) 45-52
Three different iron oxide-based sorption media samples were tested for removal of phosphorus (P) from fish hatchery effluents using fixed bed processing. Two of the media samples were derived from residuals produced by the treatment of acid mine drainage, which were then compared to granular ferric hydroxide (GFH), a commercially...
