Applied Geochemistry Special Issue on Environmental geochemistry of modern mining
Robert R. Seal II, D. Kirk Nordstrom
2015, Applied Geochemistry (57) 1-2
Environmental geochemistry is an integral part of the mine-life cycle, particularly for modern mining. The critical importance of environmental geochemistry begins with pre-mining baseline characterization and the assessment of environmental risks related to mining, continues through active mining especially in water and waste management practices, and culminates in mine...
Trophic ontogeny of fluvial Bull Trout and seasonal predation on Pacific Salmon in a riverine food web
Erin D. Lowery, David A. Beauchamp
2015, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (144) 724-741
Bull Trout Salvelinus confluentus are typically top predators in their host ecosystems. The Skagit River in northwestern Washington State contains Bull Trout and Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytschapopulations that are among the largest in the Puget Sound region and also contains a regionally large population of steelhead O. mykiss (anadromous Rainbow Trout). All three species are...
Plant-plant interactions in a subtropical mangrove-to-marsh transition zone: effects of environmental drivers
Rebecca J. Howard, Ken W. Krauss, Nicole Cormier, Richard H. Day, Janelda M. Biagas, Larry K. Allain
2015, Journal of Vegetation Science (26) 1198-1211
Questions Does the presence of herbaceous vegetation affect the establishment success of mangrove tree species in the transition zone between subtropical coastal mangrove forests and marshes? How do plant–plant interactions in this transition zone respond to variation in two primary coastal environmental drivers? Location Subtropical coastal region...
Biogeochemical aspects of uranium mineralization, mining, milling, and remediation
Kate M. Campbell, Tanya J. Gallegos, Edward R. Landa
2015, Applied Geochemistry (57) 206-235
Natural uranium (U) occurs as a mixture of three radioactive isotopes: 238U, 235U, and 234U. Only 235U is fissionable and makes up about 0.7% of natural U, while 238U is overwhelmingly the most abundant at greater than 99% of the total mass of U. Prior to the 1940s, U...
A multi-proxy record of hydroclimate, vegetation, fire, and post-settlement impacts for a subalpine plateau, Central Rocky Mountains U.S.A
Lesleigh Anderson, Andrea Brunelle, Robert S. Thompson
2015, The Holocene (25) 932-943
Apparent changes in vegetation distribution, fire, and other disturbance regimes throughout western North America have prompted investigations of the relative importance of human activities and climate change as potential causal mechanisms. Assessing the effects of Euro-American settlement is difficult because climate changes occur on multi-decadal to centennial time scales and...
Effects of the light goose conservation order on non-target waterfowl distribution during spring migration
Andrew J. Dinges, Elisabeth B. Webb, Mark P. Vrtiska
2015, Wildlife Biology (21) 88-97
The Light Goose Conservation Order (LGCO) was initiated in 1999 to reduce mid-continent populations of light geese (lesser snow geese Chen caerulescens and Ross's geese C. rossi). However, concern about potential for LGCO activities (i.e. hunting activities) to negatively impact non-target waterfowl species during spring migration in the Rainwater Basin (RWB) of Nebraska...
Roost selection by Rafinesque’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinus rafinesquii) in a pristine habitat at three spatial scales
Jessica S. Lucas, Susan C. Loeb, Patrick G.R. Jodice
2015, Acta Chiropterologica (17) 131-141
Although several studies have described roost use by Rafinesque's big-eared bats (Corynorhinus rafinesquii), few studies have examined roost selection. We examined roost use and selection by Rafinesque's big-eared bat at the tree, stand, and landscape scales during the maternity season in pristine old-growth habitat in the Coastal Plain of South...
Observation of sandhill cranes' (Grus canadensis) flight behavior in heavy fog
Eileen M. Kirsch, Mike J. Wellik, Manuel J. Suarez, Robert H. Diehl, Jim Lutes, Wendy Woyczik, Jon Krapfl, Richard S. Sojda
2015, Wilson Journal of Ornithology (127) 281-288
The behaviors of birds flying in low visibility conditions remain poorly understood. We had the opportunity to monitor Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) flying in heavy fog with very low visibility during a comprehensive landscape use study of refuging cranes in the Horicon Marsh in southeastern Wisconsin. As part of the...
Sediment source apportionment in Laurel Hill Creek, PA, using Bayesian chemical mass balance and isotope fingerprinting
Heather Stewart, Arash Massoudieh, Allen C. Gellis
2015, Hydrological Processes (29) 2545-2560
A Bayesian chemical mass balance (CMB) approach was used to assess the contribution of potential sources for fluvial samples from Laurel Hill Creek in southwest Pennsylvania. The Bayesian approach provides joint probability density functions of the sources' contributions considering the uncertainties due to source and fluvial sample heterogeneity and measurement...
Newberry Volcano's youngest lava flows
Joel E. Robinson, Julie M. Donnelly-Nolan, Robert A. Jensen
2015, Scientific Investigations Map 3329
Most of Newberry Volcano's youngest lava flows are found within the Newberry National Volcanic Monument in central Oregon. Established November 5, 1990, the monument is managed by the U.S. Forest Service as part of the Deschutes National Forest. Since 2011, a series of aerial surveys over the monument collected elevation...
Phytoplankton blooms in estuarine and coastal waters: Seasonal patterns and key species
Jacob Carstensen, Riina Klais, James E. Cloern
2015, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science (162) 98-109
Phytoplankton blooms are dynamic phenomena of great importance to the functioning of estuarine and coastal ecosystems. We analysed a unique (large) collection of phytoplankton monitoring data covering 86 coastal sites distributed over eight regions in North America and Europe, with the aim of investigating common patterns in the seasonal timing...
When Siberia came to the Netherlands: The response of continental black-tailed godwits to a rare spring weather event
Nathan R. Senner, Mo A. Verhoeven, Jose M. Abad-Gomez, Jorge S. Gutierrez, Jos C. E. W. Hooijmeijer, Rosemarie Kentie, Jose A. Masero, T. Lee Tibbitts, Theunis Piersma
2015, Journal of Animal Ecology (84) 1164-1176
Summary Extreme weather events have the potential to alter both short- and long-term population dynamics as well as community- and ecosystem-level function. Such events are rare and stochastic, making it difficult to fully document how organisms respond to them and predict the repercussions of similar events in...
The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Connecticut
William J. Carswell Jr.
2015, Fact Sheet 2015-3036
Elevation data are essential to a broad range of applications, including forest resources management, wildlife and habitat management, national security, recreation, and many others. For the State of Connecticut, elevation data are critical for coastal zone management, flood risk management, natural resources conservation, agriculture and precision farming, sea level rise...
Continuous monitoring of sediment and nutrients in the Illinois River at Florence, Illinois, 2012-13
Paul J. Terrio, Timothy D. Straub, Marian M. Domanski, Nicholas A. Siudyla
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5040
The Illinois River is the largest river in Illinois and is the primary contributing watershed for nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended-sediment loading to the upper Mississippi River from Illinois. In addition to streamflow, the following water-quality constituents were monitored at the Illinois River at Florence, Illinois (U.S. Geological Survey station number...
Water resources of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
Vincent E. White, Lawrence B. Prakken
2015, Fact Sheet 2015-3001
Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on...
Soil- and groundwater-quality data for petroleum hydrocarbon compounds within Fuels Area C, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, 2014
David A. Bender, Barbara L. Rowe
2015, Data Series 939
Ellsworth Air Force Base is an Air Combat Command located approximately 10 miles northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota. Ellsworth Air Force Base occupies about 6,000 acres within Meade and Pennington Counties, and includes runways, airfield operations, industrial areas, housing, and recreational facilities. Fuels Area C within Ellsworth Air Force...
Integrated Environmental Modelling: Human decisions, human challenges
Pierre D. Glynn
2015, Geological Society of London Special Publications (408)
Integrated Environmental Modelling (IEM) is an invaluable tool for understanding the complex, dynamic ecosystems that house our natural resources and control our environments. Human behaviour affects the ways in which the science of IEM is assembled and used for meaningful societal applications. In particular, human biases and heuristics reflect adaptation...
The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Delaware
William J. Carswell Jr.
2015, Fact Sheet 2015-3031
Elevation data are essential to a broad range of applications, including forest resources management, wildlife and habitat management, national security, recreation, and many others. For the State of Delaware, elevation data are critical for agriculture and precision farming, river and stream resource management, natural resources conservation, flood risk management, coastal...
Fundamentals of carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR): a supporting document of the assessment methodology for hydrocarbon recovery using CO2-EOR associated with carbon sequestration
Mahendra K. Verma
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1071
The objective of this report is to provide basic technical information regarding the CO2-EOR process, which is at the core of the assessment methodology, to estimate the technically recoverable oil within the fields of the identified sedimentary basins of the United States. Emphasis is on CO2-EOR because this is currently...
Age, growth rates, and paleoclimate studies of deep sea corals
Nancy G Prouty, E. Brendan Roark, Allen Andrews, Laura Robinson, Tessa Hill, Owen Sherwood, Branwen Williams, Thomas P. Guilderson, Stewart Fallon
2015, Report, The state of deep-sea coral and sponge ecosystems of the United States: 2015
Deep-water corals are some of the slowest growing, longest-lived skeletal accreting marine organisms. These habitat-forming species support diverse faunal assemblages that include commercially and ecologically important organisms. Therefore, effective management and conservation strategies for deep-sea corals can be informed by precise and accurate age, growth rate, and lifespan characteristics for...
Development of conceptual ecological models linking management of the Missouri River to pallid sturgeon population dynamics
Robert B. Jacobson, Michael J. Parsley, Mandy L. Annis, Michael E. Colvin, Timothy L. Welker, Daniel A. James
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1038
This report documents the process of developing and refining conceptual ecological models (CEMs) for linking river management to pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) population dynamics in the Missouri River. The refined CEMs are being used in the Missouri River Pallid Sturgeon Effects Analysis to organize, document, and formalize an understanding of...
A stochastic bioenergetics model based approach to translating large river flow and temperature in to fish population responses: The pallid sturgeon example
Mark L. Wildhaber, Rima Dey, Christopher K. Wikle, Edward H. Moran, Christopher J. Anderson, Kristie J. Franz
2015, Geological Society of London Special Publications (408) 1-17
In managing fish populations, especially at-risk species, realistic mathematical models are needed to help predict population response to potential management actions in the context of environmental conditions and changing climate while effectively incorporating the stochastic nature of real world conditions. We provide a key component of such a model for...
Literature review of the potential effects of formalin on nitrogen oxidation efficiency of the biofilters of recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) for freshwater finfish
Kim T. Fredricks
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1097
A comprehensive literature review was done for the effects of formalin on biofilter function in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) using these databases: ISI/Web of Knowledge, Scopus, and Pubmed. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed as the literature review was conducted. The initial search produced 5,682 potential citations. Once the literature...
Literature review of the potential effects of hydrogen peroxide on nitrogen oxidation efficiency of the biofilters of recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) for freshwater finfish
Kim T. Fredricks
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1096
A comprehensive literature review was done for the effects of hydrogen peroxide (HP) on biofilter function in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) using these databases: ISI/Web of Knowledge, Scopus, and Pubmed. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed as the literature review was conducted. The initial search produced 5,748 potential citations. Once...
Fall spawning of Atlantic sturgeon in the Roanoke River, North Carolina
Joseph A. Smith, Joseph E. Hightower, H. Jared Flowers
2015, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (144) 48-54
In 2012, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared Atlantic Sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus to be threatened or endangered throughout its range in U.S. waters. Restoration of the subspecies will require much new information, particularly on the location and timing of spawning. We used a combination of acoustic telemetry and sampling...
