Status assessment of the Endangered snow leopard Panthera uncia and other large mammals in the Kyrgyz Alay, using community knowledge corrected for imperfect detection
Julia Taubmann, Koustubh Sharma, Kubanychbek Zhumabai Uulu, James E. Hines, Charudutt Mishra
2015, Oryx (50) 220-230
The Endangered snow leopard Panthera uncia occurs in the Central Asian Mountains, which cover c. 2 million km2. Little is known about its status in the Kyrgyz Alay Mountains, a relatively narrow stretch of habitat connecting the southern and northern...
Synoptic evaluation of scale-dependent metrics for hydrographic line feature geometry
Larry V. Stanislawski, Barbara P. Buttenfield, Paulo Raposo, Madeline Cameron, Jeff T. Falgout
2015, Conference Paper, 18th ICA Workshop on Generalisation and Multiple Representation
Methods of acquisition and feature simplification for vector feature data impact cartographic representations and scientific investigations of these data, and are therefore important considerations for geographic information science (Haunert and Sester 2008). After initial collection, linear features may be simplified to reduce excessive detail or to furnish a reduced-scale version...
Thermokarst lake methanogenesis along a complete talik profile
J.K. Heslop, K.M. Walter Anthony, A. Sepulveda-Jauregui, K. Martinez-Cruz, A. Bondurant, G. Grosse, Miriam C. Jones
2015, Biogeosciences (12) 4317-4331
Thermokarst (thaw) lakes emit methane (CH4) to the atmosphere formed from thawed permafrost organic matter (OM), but the relative magnitude of CH4 production in surface lake sediments vs. deeper thawed permafrost horizons is not well understood. We assessed anaerobic CH4 production potentials from various depths along a 590 cm long...
Bayesian models: A statistical primer for ecologists
N. Thompson Hobbs, Mevin Hooten
2015, Book
Bayesian modeling has become an indispensable tool for ecological research because it is uniquely suited to deal with complexity in a statistically coherent way. This textbook provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the latest Bayesian methods—in language ecologists can understand. Unlike other books on the subject, this one emphasizes...
Estimating bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) abundance using noninvasive sampling at a mineral lick within a National Park Wilderness Area
Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Mary Kay Watry, Laura E. Ellison, Michael A. Schwarz, Gordon Luikart
2015, Western North American Naturalist (75) 181-191
Conservation of species requires accurate population estimates. We used genetic markers from feces to determine bighorn sheep abundance for a herd that was hypothesized to be declining and in need of population status monitoring. We sampled from a small but accessible portion of the population's range where animals naturally congregate...
Concentrations and distributions of metals associated with dissolved organic matter from the Suwannee River (GA, USA)
M. Keshia Kuhn, Elisabeth Neubauer, Thilo Hofmann, Frank von der Kammer, George R. Aiken, Patricia A. Maurice
2015, Environmental Engineering Science (32) 54-65
Concentrations and distributions of metals in Suwannee River (SR) raw filtered surface water (RFSW) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) processed by reverse osmosis (RO), XAD-8 resin (for humic and fulvic acids [FA]), and XAD-4 resin (for “transphilic” acids) were analyzed by asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AsFlFFF). SR samples were compared...
Nutritional stress affects corticosterone deposition in feathers of Caspian tern chicks
Allison G. L. Patterson, Alexander S. Kitaysky, Donald E. Lyons, Daniel D. Roby
2015, Journal of Avian Biology (46) 18-24
Stressful environmental conditions affect the adrenocortical function of developing animals, which can have consequences for their fitness. Discovery of the avian stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) in feathers has the potential to broaden the application of endocrine research in ecological and evolutionary studies of wild birds by providing a long-term measure...
PhreeqcRM: A reaction module for transport simulators based on the geochemical model PHREEQC
David L. Parkhurst, Laurin Wissmeier
2015, Advances in Water Resources (83) 176-189
PhreeqcRM is a geochemical reaction module designed specifically to perform equilibrium and kinetic reaction calculations for reactive transport simulators that use an operator-splitting approach. The basic function of the reaction module is to take component concentrations from the model cells of the transport simulator, run geochemical reactions, and...
Geologic map of Mauritania (phase V, deliverables 51a, 51b, and 51c)
Dwight Bradley, Holly Motts, John D. Horton, Stuart A. Giles, Cliff D. Taylor
2015, Open-File Report 2013-1280-A1
In 1996, at the request of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, a team of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists produced a strategic plan for the acquisition, improvement and modernization of multidisciplinary sets of data to support the growth of the Mauritanian minerals sector and to highlight the...
Mineral potential for incompatible element deposits hosted in pegmatites, alkaline rocks, and carbonatites in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (phase V, deliverable 87)
Cliff D. Taylor, Stuart A. Giles
2015, Open-File Report 2013-1280-Q
Review of PRISM-I documents and the National inventory of mineral occurrences suggests that resources of U, Th, Nb, Ta, Be, rare earth elements (REEs) and fluorite are known in Mauritania and have been exploited in the past at the Bou Naga alkaline complex. Several different deposit types are indicated by...
Bioenergetics modeling of percid fishes
Charles P. Madenjian
Patrick Kestemont, Konrad Dabrowski, Robert C. Summerfelt, editor(s)
2015, Book chapter, Biology and culture of percid fishes
A bioenergetics model for a percid fish represents a quantitative description of the fish’s energy budget. Bioenergetics modeling can be used to identify the important factors determining growth of percids in lakes, rivers, or seas. For example, bioenergetics modeling applied to yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in the western...
Database of mineral deposits in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (phase V, deliverables 90 and 91)
Erin E. Marsh, Eric D. Anderson
2015, Open-File Report 2013-1280-S
Three ore deposits databases from previous studies were evaluated and combined with new known mineral occurrences into one database, which can now be used to manage information about the known mineral occurrences of Mauritania. The Microsoft Access 2010 database opens with the list of tables and forms held within the...
Landsat maps (phase V, deliverable 60), ASTER maps (phase V, deliverable 62), ASTER_DEM maps (phase V, deliverable 63), and spectral remote sensing in support of PRISM-II mineral resource assessment project, Islamic Republic of Mauritania (phase V, deliverables 61 and 64)
Barnaby W. Rockwell, Daniel H. Knepper, John D. Horton
2015, Open-File Report 2013-1280-E
Multispectral satellite data acquired by the Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) sensors were processed and interpreted in support of the PRISM-II project (Second Projet de Renforcement Institutionnel du Secteur Minier de la Republique Islamique...
Climate change in the Northeast and Midwest United States
Alexander Bryan, Ambarish Karmalkar, Ethan Coffel, Liang Ning, Radley M. Horton, Eleonora Demaria, Fanxing Fan, Raymond S. Bradley, Richard Palmer
2015, Report, Integrating climate change into northeast and midwest State Wildlife Action Plans
The climate is changing rapidly in ways that have already impacted wildlife and their habitats. Here, we present a summary of the observed past and projected future climate changes in the region that are relevant to wildlife and ecosystems, as well as what we know and don’t know in order...
Permissive tracts for sediment-hosted lead-zinc-silver deposits in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (phase V, deliverable 73)
Jeffrey L. Mauk
2015, Open-File Report 2013-1280-J
Although Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) deposits have not been recognized in Mauritania there are permissive tracts for these deposits in the regionally extensive Proterozoic carbonate rocks of the Taoudeni Basin. Permissive tracts for undiscovered MVT Pb-Zn-Ag deposits in the Proterozoic carbonate units are supported by the occurrences of MVT mineral and...
How are your berries? Perspectives of Alaska’s environmental managers on trends in wild berry abundance
Jerry W. Hupp, Michael Brubaker, Kira S. Wilkinson, Jennifer Williamson
2015, International Journal of Circumpolar Health (74)
Background: Wild berries are a valued traditional food in Alaska. Phytochemicals in wild berries may contribute to the prevention of vascular disease, cancer and cognitive decline, making berry consumption important to community health in rural areas. Little was known regarding which species of berries were important to...
Land subsidence in the San Joaquin Valley, California, USA, 2007-14
Michelle Sneed, Justin T. Brandt
2015, Proceedings of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (372) 23-27
Rapid land subsidence was recently measured using multiple methods in two areas of the San Joaquin Valley (SJV): between Merced and Fresno (El Nido), and between Fresno and Bakersfield (Pixley). Recent land-use changes and diminished surface-water availability have led to increased groundwater pumping, groundwater-level declines, and land subsidence. Differential...
Annual Report: 2014: Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC)
Linda A. Weir, P. Nanjappa, J.J. Apodaca, J. Williams
2015, Report
Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) was established in 1999 to address the widespread declines, extinctions, and range reductions of amphibians and reptiles, with a focus on conservation of taxa and habitats in North America. Amphibians and reptiles are affected by a broad range of human activities, both as...
Evidence for intercontinental parasite exchange through molecular detection and characterization of haematozoa in northern pintails (Anas acuta) sampled throughout the North Pacific Basin
Andrew M. Ramey, Joel A. Schmutz, John A. Reed, Go Fujita, Bradley D. Scotton, Bruce Casler, Joseph P. Fleskes, Kan Konishi, Kiyoshi Uchida, Michael J. Yabsley
2015, International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife (4) 11-21
Empirical evidence supports wild birds as playing a role in the interhemispheric exchange of bacteria and viruses; however, data supporting the redistribution of parasites among continents are limited. In this study, the hypothesis that migratory birds contribute to the redistribution of parasites between continents was tested by sampling northern pintails...
Field measurement and analysis of climatic factors affecting dune mobility near Grand Falls on the Navajo Nation, southwestern United States
Rian Bogle, Margaret Hiza Redsteer, John M. Vogel
2015, Geomorphology (228) 41-51
Aeolian sand covers extensive areas of the Navajo Nation in the southwestern United States. Much of this sand is currently stabilized by vegetation, although many drier parts of these Native lands also have active and partly active dunes. Current prolonged drought conditions that started in the mid-1990s are producing significant...
Book review: Field guide to the common grasses of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska
Amy J. Symstad
2015, Prairie Naturalist (47) 53
Grass identification is not for the faint of heart, especially when one has to rely on dichotomous keys using terms like “glume” and “flexuous pedicels.” A good, illustrated field guide that avoids such specialized terms is invaluable for ranchers, amateur naturalists, landscapers, and a variety of grassland professionals that aren’t...
Getting out of harm's way - evacuation from tsunamis
Jeanne M. Jones, Nathan J. Wood, Leslie C. Gordon
2015, Sound Waves: Coastal science and research news from across the USGS (2015)
Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have developed a new mapping tool, the Pedestrian Evacuation Analyst, for use by researchers and emergency managers to estimate how long it would take for someone to travel on foot out of a tsunami-hazard zone. The ArcGIS software extension, released in September 2014,...
Uranium in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (phase V, deliverable 81)
Gregory Fernette
2015, Open-File Report 2013-1280-N
Mauritania has 80 known uranium mineral occurrences and is the current focus of active exploration for uranium by a number of private companies. Seventeen occurrences have had resource estimates published and can be considered as mineral deposits. Fourteen of these are calcrete-type deposits with a total resource of 138.3 million...
Iron oxide copper-gold deposits in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (phase V, deliverable 79)
Gregory Fernette
2015, Open-File Report 2013-1280-M
Mauritania hosts one significant copper-gold deposit, Guelb Moghrein and several occurrences, which have been categorized as iron oxide copper-gold (IOCG) deposits but which are atypical in some important respects. Nonetheless, Guelb Moghrein is an economically significant mineral deposit and an attractive exploration target. The deposit is of Archean age and...
Effects of rapid urbanization on streamflow, erosion, and sedimentation in a desert stream in the American Southwest
John W. Whitney, Patrick A. Glancy, Susan E. Buckingham, Arthur C. Ehrenberg
2015, Anthropocene (10) 29-42
Rapid urbanization has resulted in a series of sequential effects on a desert stream in the American Southwest. Lower Las Vegas Wash was a dry wash characterized by infrequent flood deposition when Las Vegas, Nevada was established in 1905. Wastewater effluent was discharged into the wash in low volumes for...
