Regional variability in dust-on-snow processes and impacts in the Upper Colorado River Basin
S. McKenzie Skiles, Thomas H. Painter, Jayne Belnap, Lacey Holland, Richard L. Reynolds, Harland L. Goldstein, J. Lin
2015, Hydrological Processes (29) 5397-5413
Dust deposition onto mountain snow cover in the Upper Colorado River Basin frequently occurs in the spring when wind speeds and dust emission peaks on the nearby Colorado Plateau. Dust loading has increased since the intensive settlement in the western USA in the mid 1880s. The effects of dust-on-snow have...
User’s guide to the North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database 2.0
Gary S. Drew, John F. Piatt, Martin Renner
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1123
The North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) was created in 2005 to consolidate data on the oceanic distribution of marine bird species in the North Pacific. Most of these data were collected on surveys by counting species within defined areas and at known locations (that is, on strip transects). The...
LANDFIRE
Stephen G. Zahn
2015, Fact Sheet 2015-3047
LANDFIRE, also known as the Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools Program, is a vegetation, fire, and fuel characteristic mapping program managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior. LANDFIRE represents the first, and only, complete, nationally consistent collection of spatial...
Methodology for assessing quantities of water and proppant injection, and water production associated with development of continuous petroleum accumulations
Seth S. Haines
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1117
The quantities of water and hydraulic fracturing proppant required for producing petroleum (oil, gas, and natural gas liquids) from continuous accumulations, and the quantities of water extracted during petroleum production, can be quantitatively assessed using a probabilistic approach. The water and proppant assessment methodology builds on the U.S. Geological Survey...
Water levels of the Ozark aquifer in northern Arkansas, 2013
Tony P. Schrader
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5088
The Ozark aquifer is the largest aquifer, both in area of outcrop and thickness, and the most important source of freshwater in the Ozark Plateaus physiographic province, supplying water to northern Arkansas, southeastern Kansas, southern Missouri, and northeastern Oklahoma. The study area includes 16 Arkansas counties lying completely or partially...
Formation of mercury sulfide from Hg(II)−thiolate complexes in natural organic matter
Alain Manceau, Cyprien Lemouchi, Mironel Enescu, Anne-Claire Gaillot, Martine Lanson, Valerie Magnin, Pieter Glatzel, Brett Poulin, Joseph N. Ryan, George R. Aiken, Isabelle Gautier-Lunea, Kathryn L. Nagy
2015, Environmental Science & Technology (49) 9787-9796
Methylmercury is the environmental form of neurotoxic mercury that is biomagnified in the food chain. Methylation rates are reduced when the metal is sequestered in crystalline mercury sulfides or bound to thiol groups in macromolecular natural organic matter. Mercury sulfide minerals are known to nucleate in anoxic zones, by reaction...
The effects of numerical-model complexity and observation type on estimated porosity values
Jeffrey Starn, Amvrossios C. Bagtzoglou, Christopher T. Green
2015, Hydrogeology Journal (23) 1121-1128
The relative merits of model complexity and types of observations employed in model calibration are compared. An existing groundwater flow model coupled with an advective transport simulation of the Salt Lake Valley, Utah (USA), is adapted for advective transport, and effective porosity is adjusted until simulated tritium concentrations match concentrations...
Coastal vertebrate exposure to predicted habitat changes due to sea level rise
Elizabeth A. Hunter, Nathan P. Nibbelink, Clark R. Alexander, Kyle Barrett, Lara F. Mengak, Rachel Guy, Clinton T. Moore, Robert J. Cooper
2015, Environmental Management 1-10
Sea level rise (SLR) may degrade habitat for coastal vertebrates in the Southeastern United States, but it is unclear which groups or species will be most exposed to habitat changes. We assessed 28 coastal Georgia vertebrate species for their exposure to potential habitat changes due to SLR using output from...
Design, analysis, and interpretation of field quality-control data for water-sampling projects
David K. Mueller, Terry L. Schertz, Jeffrey D. Martin, Mark W. Sandstrom
2015, Techniques and Methods 4-C4
The process of obtaining and analyzing water samples from the environment includes a number of steps that can affect the reported result. The equipment used to collect and filter samples, the bottles used for specific subsamples, any added preservatives, sample storage in the field, and shipment to the laboratory have...
When do we need more data? A primer on calculating the value of information for applied ecologists
Stefano Canessa, Gurutzeta Guillera-Arroita, Jose J. Lahoz-Monfort, Darren M Southwell, Doug P. Armstrong, Iadine Chades, Robert C Lacy, Sarah J. Converse
2015, Methods in Ecology and Evolution (6) 1219-1228
Applied ecologists continually advocate further research, under the assumption that obtaining more information will lead to better decisions. Value of information (VoI) analysis can be used to quantify how additional information may improve management outcomes: despite its potential, this method is still underused in environmental decision-making. We...
Hazards Data Distribution System (HDDS)
Brenda Jones, Rynn M. Lamb
2015, Fact Sheet 2015-3048
When emergencies occur, first responders and disaster response teams often need rapid access to aerial photography and satellite imagery that is acquired before and after the event. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hazards Data Distribution System (HDDS) provides quick and easy access to pre- and post-event imagery and geospatial datasets...
Mapping of coal quality using stochastic simulation and isometric logratio transformation with an application to a Texas lignite
Ricardo A. Olea, James A. Luppens
2015, International Journal of Coal Geology (152) 80-93
Coal is a chemically complex commodity that often contains most of the natural elements in the periodic table. Coal constituents are conventionally grouped into four components (proximate analysis): fixed carbon, ash, inherent moisture, and volatile matter. These four parts, customarily measured as weight losses and expressed as percentages, share all...
Influence of sectioning location on age estimates from common carp dorsal spines
Carson J. Watkins, Zachary B. Klein, Marc M. Terrazas, Michael C. Quist
2015, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (35) 690-697
Dorsal spines have been shown to provide precise age estimates for Common CarpCyprinus carpio and are commonly used by management agencies to gain information on Common Carp populations. However, no previous studies have evaluated variation in the precision of age estimates obtained from different sectioning locations along Common Carp dorsal spines....
Truth, models, model sets, AIC, and multimodel inference: a Bayesian perspective
Richard J. Barker, William A. Link
2015, Journal of Wildlife Management (79) 730-738
Statistical inference begins with viewing data as realizations of stochastic processes. Mathematical models provide partial descriptions of these processes; inference is the process of using the data to obtain a more complete description of the stochastic processes. Wildlife and ecological scientists have become increasingly concerned with the conditional nature of...
Rapid water quality change in the Elwha River estuary complex during dam removal
Melissa M. Foley, Jeffrey J. Duda, Matthew M. Beirne, Rebecca Paradis, Andrew Ritchie, Jonathan A. Warrick
2015, Limnology and Oceanography (60) 1719-1732
Dam removal in the United States is increasing as a result of structural concerns, sedimentation of reservoirs, and declining riverine ecosystem conditions. The removal of the 32 m Elwha and 64 m Glines Canyon dams from the Elwha River in Washington, U.S.A., was the largest dam removal project in North...
Comparing spatial capture–recapture modeling and nest count methods to estimate orangutan densities in the Wehea Forest, East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Stephanie N. Spehar, Brent Loken, Yaya Rayadin, J. Andrew Royle
2015, Biological Conservation (191) 185-193
Accurate information on the density and abundance of animal populations is essential for understanding species' ecology and for conservation planning, but is difficult to obtain. The endangered orangutan (Pongo spp.) is an example; due to its elusive behavior and low densities, researchers have relied on methods...
Derivation and application of the energy dissipation factor in the design of fishways
Brett Towler, Kevin Mulligan, Alexander J. Haro
2015, Ecological Engineering (83) 208-217
Reducing turbulence and associated air entrainment is generally considered advantageous in the engineering design of fish passage facilities. The well-known energy dissipation factor, or EDF, correlates with observations of the phenomena. However, inconsistencies in EDF forms exist and the bases for volumetric energy dissipation rate criteria are often misunderstood. A...
Genetic characterization of hybridization between native and invasive bittersweet vines (Celastrus spp.)
David N. Zaya, Stacey A. Leicht-Young, Noel B. Pavlovic, Kevin A. Feldheim, Mary V. Ashley
2015, Biological Invasions (17) 2975-2988
Hybridization associated with species introductions can accelerate the decline of native species. The main objective of this study was to determine if the decline of a North American liana (American bittersweet, Celastrus scandens) in the eastern portion of its range is related to hybridization with an introduced congener (oriental bittersweet,...
Etheostoma brevirostrum (Holiday Darter)
Noel M. Burkhead
2015, Book chapter, Freshwater information network: Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute
The life history of the Holiday Darter is incompletely known. Only reproductive behavior (Johnston and Shute 1997; Anderson 2009), habitat use, and spawning seasons (Anderson 2009) have been studied. However, based on similarity of life history attributes among snubnose darters (Carney and Burr 1989; Johnston and Haag 1996; Khudamrongsawat et...
Geologic and hydrostratigraphic map of the Anhalt, Fischer, and Spring Branch 7.5-minute quadrangles, Blanco, Comal, and Kendall Counties, Texas
Allan K. Clark, Robert R. Morris
2015, Scientific Investigations Map 3333
This report describes the geology and hydrostratigraphy of the Edwards and Trinity Groups in the Anhalt, Fischer, and Spring Branch 7.5-minute quadrangles, Blanco, Comal, and Kendall Counties, Texas. The hydrostratigraphy was defined based on variations in the amount and type of porosity of each lithostratigraphic unit, which varies depending on...
Estimating the abundance of the Southern Hudson Bay polar bear subpopulation with aerial surveys
Martyn E. Obbard, Seth P. Stapleton, Kevin R. Middel, Isabelle Thibault, Vincent Brodeur, Charles Jutras
2015, Polar Biology (38) 1713-1725
The Southern Hudson Bay (SH) polar bear subpopulation occurs at the southern extent of the species’ range. Although capture–recapture studies indicate abundance was likely unchanged between 1986 and 2005, declines in body condition and survival occurred during the period, possibly foreshadowing a future decrease in abundance. To obtain a current...
Holocene climate variability in Texas, USA: An integration of existing paleoclimate data and modeling with a new, high-resolution speleothem record
Corinne I. Wong, Jay L. Banner, MaryLynn Musgrove
2015, Quaternary Science Reviews (127) 155-173
Delineating the climate processes governing precipitation variability in drought-prone Texas is critical for predicting and mitigating climate change effects, and requires the reconstruction of past climate beyond the instrumental record. We synthesize existing paleoclimate proxy data and climate simulations to provide an overview of climate variability in Texas during the...
Statistical guidelines for assessing marine avian hotspots and coldspots: A case study on wind energy development in the U.S. Atlantic Ocean
Elise F. Zipkin, Brian P. Kinlan, Allison Sussman, Diana Rypkema, Mark Wimer, Allan F. O’Connell
2015, Biological Conservation (191) 216-223
Estimating patterns of habitat use is challenging for marine avian species because seabirds tend to aggregate in large groups and it can be difficult to locate both individuals and groups in vast marine environments. We developed an approach to estimate the statistical power of discrete survey events to identify species-specific...
Renewed inflation of Long Valley Caldera, California (2011 to 2014)
Emily Montgomery-Brown, Charles W. Wicks Jr., Peter F. Cervelli, John O. Langbein, Jerry L. Svarc, David R. Shelly, David P. Hill, Michael Lisowski
2015, Geophysical Research Letters (42) 5250-5257
Slow inflation began at Long Valley Caldera in late 2011, coinciding with renewed swarm seismicity. Ongoing deformation is concentrated within the caldera. We analyze this deformation using a combination of GPS and InSAR (TerraSAR-X) data processed with a persistent scatterer technique. The extension rate of the dome-crossing baseline during this...
Didymosphenia geminata in the Upper Esopus Creek: current status, variability, and controlling factors
Scott D. George, Barry P. Baldigo
2015, PLoS ONE (10) 1-20
In May of 2009, the bloom-forming diatom Didymosphenia geminata was first identified in the Upper Esopus Creek, a key tributary to the New York City water-supply and a popular recreational stream. The Upper Esopus receives supplemental flows from the Shandaken Portal, an underground aqueduct delivering waters from a nearby basin. The presence...
