Processes of arroyo filling in northern New Mexico, USA
Jonathan M. Friedman, Kirk R. Vincent, Eleanor R. Griffin, Michael L. Scott, Patrick B. Shafroth, Gregor T. Auble
2015, Geological Society of America Bulletin (127) 621-640
We documented arroyo evolution at the tree, trench, and arroyo scales along the lower Rio Puerco and Chaco Wash in northern New Mexico, USA. We excavated 29 buried living woody plants and used burial signatures in their annual rings to date stratigraphy in four trenches across the arroyos. Then, we...
Dietary mercury exposure to endangered California Clapper Rails in San Francisco Bay
Michael L. Casazza, Mark A. Ricca, Cory T. Overton, John Y. Takekawa, Angela Merritt, Joshua T. Ackerman
2015, Marine Pollution Bulletin (86) 254-260
California Clapper Rails (Rallus longirostris obsoletus) are an endangered waterbird that forage in tidal-marsh habitats that pose risks from mercury exposure. We analyzed total mercury (Hg) in six macro-invertebrate and one fish species representing Clapper Rail diets from four tidal-marshes in San Francisco Bay, California. Mercury concentrations among individual taxa...
Potential future land use threats to California's protected areas
Tamara Sue Wilson, Benjamin Michael Sleeter, Adam Wilkinson Davis
2015, Regional Environmental Change (15) 1051-1064
Increasing pressures from land use coupled with future changes in climate will present unique challenges for California’s protected areas. We assessed the potential for future land use conversion on land surrounding existing protected areas in California’s twelve ecoregions, utilizing annual, spatially explicit (250 m) scenario projections of land use for...
Patterns in diurnal airspace use by migratory landbirds along an ecological barrier
Anna C. Peterson, Gerald J. Niemi, Douglas H. Johnson
2015, Ecological Applications (25) 673-684
Migratory bird populations and survival are affected by conditions experienced during migration. While many studies and conservation and management efforts focus on terrestrial stoppage and staging areas, the aerial environment through which migrants move also is subjected to anthropogenic impacts with potential consequences to migratory movement and survival. During autumn...
A century of ocean warming on Florida Keys coral reefs: historic in situ observations
Ilsa B. Kuffner, Barbara H. Lidz, J. Harold Hudson, Jeffery S. Anderson
2015, Estuaries and Coasts (38) 1085-1096
There is strong evidence that global climate change over the last several decades has caused shifts in species distributions, species extinctions, and alterations in the functioning of ecosystems. However, because of high variability on short (i.e., diurnal, seasonal, and annual) timescales as well as the recency of a comprehensive instrumental...
The unseen iceberg: Plant roots in arctic tundra
Colleen M. Iverson, Victoria L. Sloan, Patrick F. Sullivan, E.S. Euskirchen, A. David McGuire, Richard J. Norby, Anthony P. Walker, Jeffrey M. Warren, Stan D. Wullschleger
2015, New Phytologist (205) 34-58
Plant roots play a critical role in ecosystem function in arctic tundra, but root dynamics in these ecosystems are poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we synthesized available literature on tundra roots, including their distribution, dynamics and contribution to ecosystem carbon and nutrient fluxes, and highlighted key aspects of...
A protocol for coordinating post-tsunami field reconnaissance efforts in the USA
Rick I. Wilson, Nathan J. Wood, Laura Kong, Michael V. Shulters, Kevin D. Richards, Paula Dunbar, Tamura, Edward J. Young
2015, Natural Hazards (75) 2153-2165
In the aftermath of a catastrophic tsunami, much is to be learned about tsunami generation and propagation, landscape and ecological changes, and the response and recovery of those affected by the disaster. Knowledge of the impacted area directly helps response and relief personnel in their efforts to reach and care...
Assessing the magnitude and timing of anthropogenic warming of a shallow aquifer: example from Virginia Beach, USA
John R. Eggleston, Kurt J. McCoy
2015, Hydrogeology Journal (23) 105-120
Groundwater temperature measurements in a shallow coastal aquifer in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, suggest groundwater warming of +4.1 °C relative to deeper geothermal gradients. Observed warming is related to timing and depth of influence of two potential thermal drivers—atmospheric temperature increases and urbanization. Results indicate that up to 30 % of groundwater...
Incorporating climate change and morphological uncertainty into coastal change hazard assessments
Heather M. Baron, Peter Ruggiero, Nathan J. Wood, Erica L. Harris, Jonathan Allan, Paul D. Komar, Patrick Corcoran
2015, Natural Hazards (75) 2081-2102
Documented and forecasted trends in rising sea levels and changes in storminess patterns have the potential to increase the frequency, magnitude, and spatial extent of coastal change hazards. To develop realistic adaptation strategies, coastal planners need information about coastal change hazards that recognizes the dynamic temporal and spatial scales of...
Age and growth of round gobies in Lake Michigan, with preliminary mortality estimation
Bin Huo, Charles P. Madenjian, Cong X. Xie, Yingming Zhao, Timothy P. O’Brien, Sergiusz J. Czesny
2015, Journal of Great Lakes Research (40) 712-720
The round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) is a prevalent invasive species throughout Lake Michigan, as well as other Laurentian Great Lakes, yet little information is available on spatial variation in round goby growth within one body of water. Age and growth of round goby at three areas of Lake Michigan were...
Variations in population vulnerability to tectonic and landslide-related tsunami hazards in Alaska
Nathan J. Wood, Jeff Peters
2015, Natural Hazards (75) 1811-1831
Effective tsunami risk reduction requires an understanding of how at-risk populations are specifically vulnerable to tsunami threats. Vulnerability assessments primarily have been based on single hazard zones, even though a coastal community may be threatened by multiple tsunami sources that vary locally in terms of inundation extents and wave arrival...
Comparing methods for estimating larval sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) density in the St. Marys River for the purposes of control
Jason M. Robinson, Michael J. Wilberg, Jean V. Adams, Michael L. Jones
2015, Journal of Great Lakes Research (40) 739-747
The St. Marys River is a major producer of parasitic sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) to Lake Huron making it an important area for larval control. Bayluscide treatments are conducted in areas of high larval density requiring density estimation at fine spatial scales to inform treatment...
Propagation of hybrid Devils Hole Pupfish × Ash Meadows Amargosa Pupfish
Olin Feuerbacher, Justin A. Mapula, Scott A. Bonar
2015, North American Journal of Aquaculture (77) 513-523
Recent censuses of Devils Hole Pupfish Cyprinodon diabolis revealed that fewer than 100 individuals currently remain in the wild. Captive propagation is among actions being considered to prevent their extinction, but no pure-strain Devils Hole Pupfish were available for broodstock. To help provide emergency information, we investigated techniques to propagate their most...
Modeling long-term trends of chlorinated ethene contamination at a public supply well
Francis H. Chapelle, Leon J. Kauffman, Mark A. Widdowson
2015, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (51) 1-13
A mass-balance solute-transport modeling approach was used to investigate the effects of dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) volume, composition, and generation of daughter products on simulated and measured long-term trends of chlorinated ethene (CE) concentrations at a public supply well. The model was built by telescoping a calibrated regional three-dimensional...
Effects of wildfire on sea otter (Enhydra lutris) gene transcript profiles
Lizabeth Bowen, A. Keith Miles, Crystal A. Kolden, Justin A. Saarinen, James L. Bodkin, Michael J. Murray, M. Tim Tinker
2015, Marine Mammal Science (31) 191-210
Wildfires have been shown to impact terrestrial species over a range of temporal scales. Little is known, however, about the more subtle toxicological effects of wildfires, particularly in downstream marine or downwind locations from the wildfire perimeter. These down-current effects may be just as substantial as those effects within the...
Trophic state in Voyageurs National Park lakes before and after implementation of a revised water-level management plan
Victoria G. Christensen, Ryan P. Maki
2015, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (51) 99-111
We compiled Secchi depth, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll a (Chla) data from Voyageurs National Park lakes and compared datasets before and after a new water-level management plan was implemented in January 2000. Average Secchi depth transparency improved (from 1.9 to 2.1 m, p = 0.020) between 1977-1999 and 2000-2011 in...
The role of citzens in detecting and responding to a rapid marine invasion
Stephen B. Scyphers, Sean P. Powers, J. Lad Akins, J. Marcus Drymon, Charles M. Martin, Zeb H. Schobernd, Pamela J. Schofield, Robert L. Shipp, Theodore S. Switzer
2015, Conservation Letters (8) 242-250
Documenting and responding to species invasions requires innovative strategies that account for ecological and societal complexities. We used the recent expansion of Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) throughout northern Gulf of Mexico coastal waters to evaluate the role of stakeholders in documenting and responding to a rapid marine invasion. We coupled...
Standardization of reflectance measurements in dispersed organic matter: results of an exercise to improve interlaboratory agreement
Paul C. Hackley, Carla Viviane Araujo, Angeles G. Borrego, Antonis Bouzinos, Brian Cardott, Alan C. Cook, Cortland Eble, Deolinda Flores, Thomas Gentzis, Paula Alexandra Goncalves, Joao Graciano Mendonca Filho, Maria Hamor-Vido, Iwona Jelonek, Kees Kommeren, Wayne Knowles, Jolanta Kus, Maria Mastalerz, Taissa Rego Menezes, Jane Newman, Mark Pawlewicz, Walter Pickel, Judith Potter, Paddy Ranasinghe, Harold Read, Julito Reyes, Genaro De La Rosa Rodriguez, Igor Viegas Alves Fernandes de Souza, Isabel Suarez-Ruiz, Ivana Sykorova, Brett J. Valentine
2015, Marine and Petroleum Geology (59) 22-34
Vitrinite reflectance generally is considered the most robust thermal maturity parameter available for application to hydrocarbon exploration and petroleum system evaluation. However, until 2011 there was no standardized methodology available to provide guidelines for vitrinite reflectance measurements in shale. Efforts to correct this deficiency resulted in publication of ASTM D7708:...
Biogeochemical environments of streambed-sediment pore waters with and without arsenic enrichment in a sedimentary rock terrain, New Jersey Piedmont, USA
Adam C. Mumford, Julia L. Barringer, Pamela A. Reilly, Dennis D. Eberl, Alex E. Blum, Lily Y. Young
2015, Science of the Total Environment (505) 1350-1360
Release of arsenic (As) from sedimentary rocks has resulted in contamination of groundwater in aquifers of the New Jersey Piedmont Physiographic Province, USA; the contamination also may affect the quality of the region's streamwater to which groundwater discharges. Biogeochemical mechanisms involved in the release process were investigated in the streambeds...
Pore characteristics of Wilcox Group Coal, U.S. Gulf Coast Region: Implications for the occurrence of coalbed gas
Sharon M. Swanson, Maria D. Mastalerz, Mark Engle, Brett J. Valentine, Peter D. Warwick, Paul C. Hackley, Harvey E. Belkin
2015, International Journal of Coal Geology (139) 80-94
Pore characteristics of 27 subbituminous coal samples (16 mesh splits) from the Paleocene–Eocene Wilcox Group of north Louisiana (Ouachita and Caldwell Parishes) and south Texas (Zavala County) were examined in relation to desorbed gas content. Coal gas of the Wilcox Group is primarily biogenic in origin; thermogenic gas also may be present...
Predicted effects of future climate warming on thermal habitat suitability for Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens, Rafinesque, 1817) in rivers in Wisconsin, USA
John D. Lyons, Jana S. Stewart
2015, Journal of Applied Ichthyology (30) 1508-1513
The Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens, Rafinesque, 1817) may be threatened by future climate warming. The purpose of this study was to identify river reaches in Wisconsin, USA, where they might be vulnerable to warming water temperatures. In Wisconsin, A. fulvescens is known from 2291 km of large-river habitat that has...
Please don't misuse the museum: 'declines' may be statistical
Evan H. Campbell Grant
2015, Global Change Biology (21) 1018-1024
Detecting declines in populations at broad spatial scales takes enormous effort, and long-term data are often more sparse than is desired for estimating trends, identifying drivers for population changes, framing conservation decisions or taking management actions. Museum records and historic data can be available at large scales across multiple decades,...
Spatial complexity reduces interaction strengths in the meta-food web of a river floodplain mosaic
James Ryan Bellmore, Colden Vance Baxter, Patrick J. Connolly
2015, Ecology (96) 274-283
Theory states that both the spatial complexity of landscapes and the strength of interactions between consumers and their resources are important for maintaining biodiversity and the 'balance of nature.' Spatial complexity is hypothesized to promote biodiversity by reducing potential for competitive exclusion; whereas, models show weak trophic interactions can enhance...
Evaluating the predictive performance of empirical estimators of natural mortality rate using information on over 200 fish species
Amy Y. Then, John M Hoenig, Norman G. Hall, David A. Hewitt
2015, ICES Journal of Marine Science (72) 82-92
Many methods have been developed in the last 70 years to predict the natural mortality rate, M, of a stock based on empirical evidence from comparative life history studies. These indirect or empirical methods are used in most stock assessments to (i) obtain estimates of M in the absence of direct information, (ii)...
Nonlesions, misdiagnoses, missed diagnoses, and other interpretive challenges in fish histopathology studies: a guide for investigators, authors, reviewers, and readers
Jeffrey C. Wolf, Wes A. Baumgartner, Vicki Blazer, Alvin C. Camus, Jeffrey A. Engelhardt, John W. Fournie, Salvatore Frasca Jr., David B. Groman, Michael L. Kent, Lester H. Khoo, Jerry M. Law, Eric D. Lombardini, Christine Ruehl-Fehlert, Helmut E. Segner, Stephen A. Smith, Jan M. Spitsbergen, Klaus Weber, Marilyn J. Wolfe
2015, Toxicologic Pathology (43) 297-325
Differentiating salient histopathologic changes from normal anatomic features or tissue artifacts can be decidedly challenging, especially for the novice fish pathologist. As a consequence, findings of questionable accuracy may be reported inadvertently, and the potential negative impacts of publishing inaccurate histopathologic interpretations are not always fully appreciated. The objectives of...
