Watching the dark: New surveillance cameras are changing bat research
Paul M. Cryan, P. Marcos Gorresen
2014, BATS Magazine (32) 2-4
It is, according to an old proverb, “better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” And those of us trying to discover new insights into the mysterious lives of bats often do a lot of cursing in the darkness. Bats do most things under cover of night, and...
Shaking from injection-induced earthquakes in the central and eastern United States
Susan E. Hough
2014, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (104) 2619-2626
In this study I consider the ground motions generated by 11 moderate (Mw4.0-5.6) earthquakes in the central and eastern United States that are thought or suspected to be induced by fluid injection. Using spatially rich intensity data from the USGS “Did You Feel It?” system, I show that the...
Mercury deposition and methylmercury formation in Narraguinnep Reservoir, southwestern Colorado, USA
John E. Gray, Mark E. Hines, Harland L. Goldstein, Richard L. Reynolds
2014, Applied Geochemistry (50) 82-90
Narraguinnep Reservoir in southwestern Colorado is one of several water bodies in Colorado with a mercury (Hg) advisory as Hg in fish tissue exceed the 0.3 μg/g guideline to protect human health recommended by the State of Colorado. Concentrations of Hg and methyl-Hg were measured in reservoir bottom sediment and...
Effects of disturbance and climate change on ecosystem performance in the Yukon River Basin boreal forest
Bruce K. Wylie, Matthew B. Rigge, Brian Brisco, Kevin Mrnaghan, Jennifer R. Rover, Jordan Long
2014, Remote Sensing (6) 9145-9169
A warming climate influences boreal forest productivity, dynamics, and disturbance regimes. We used ecosystem models and 250 m satellite Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data averaged over the growing season (GSN) to model current, and estimate future, ecosystem performance. We modeled Expected Ecosystem Performance (EEP), or anticipated productivity, in undisturbed...
Depletion and capture: revisiting “The source of water derived from wells"
Leonard F. Konikow, Stanley A. Leake
2014, Groundwater (52) 100-111
A natural consequence of groundwater withdrawals is the removal of water from subsurface storage, but the overall rates and magnitude of groundwater depletion and capture relative to groundwater withdrawals (extraction or pumpage) have not previously been well characterized. This study assesses the partitioning of long-term cumulative withdrawal volumes into fractions...
Seismological and geodetic constraints on the 2011 Mw5.3 Trinidad, Colorado earthquake and induced deformation in the Raton Basin
William D. Barnhart, Harley M. Benz, Gavin P. Hayes, Justin L. Rubinstein, E. Bergman
2014, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (119) 7923-7933
The Raton Basin of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico is an actively produced hydrocarbon basin that has experienced increased seismicity since 2001, including the August 2011 Mw5.3 Trinidad normal faulting event. Following the 2011 earthquake, regional seismic observations were used to relocate 21 events, including the 2011 main shock,...
Characterizing recent and projecting future potential patterns of mountain pine beetle outbreaks in the Southern Rocky Mountains
Lu Liang, Todd Hawbaker, Yanlei Chen, Zhi-Liang Zhu, Peng Gong
2014, Applied Geography (55) 165-175
The recent widespread mountain pine beetle (MPB) outbreak in the Southern Rocky Mountains presents an opportunity to investigate the relative influence of anthropogenic, biologic, and physical drivers that have shaped the spatiotemporal patterns of the outbreak. The aim of this study was to quantify the landscape-level drivers that explained the...
Can mercury in fish be reduced by water level management? Evaluating the effects of water level fluctuation on mercury accumulation in yellow perch (Perca flavescens)
James H. Larson, Ryan P. Maki, Brent C. Knights, Brian R. Gray
2014, Ecotoxicology (23) 1555-1563
Mercury (Hg) contamination of fisheries is a major concern for resource managers of many temperate lakes. Anthropogenic Hg contamination is largely derived from atmospheric deposition within a lake’s watershed, but its incorporation into the food web is facilitated by bacterial activity in sediments. Temporal variation in Hg content of fish...
Behavior of bats at wind turbines
Paul M. Cryan, P. Marcos Gorresen, Cris D. Hine, Michael Schirmacher, Robert H. Diehl, Manuela M. Huso, David T.S. Hayman, Paul D. Fricker, Frank J. Bonaccorso, Douglas H. Johnson, Kevin W. Heist, David C. Dalton
2014, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (111) 15126-15131
Wind turbines are causing unprecedented numbers of bat fatalities. Many fatalities involve tree-roosting bats, but reasons for this higher susceptibility remain unknown. To better understand behaviors associated with risk, we monitored bats at three experimentally manipulated wind turbines in Indiana, United States, from July 29 to October 1, 2012, using...
Bat flight and zoonotic viruses
Thomas J. O’Shea, Paul M. Cryan, Andrew A. Cunningham, Anthony R. Fooks, David T.S. Hayman, Angela D. Luis, Alison J. Peel, Raina K. Plowright, James L.N. Wood
2014, Emerging Infectious Diseases (20) 741-745
Bats are sources of high viral diversity and high-profile zoonotic viruses worldwide. Although apparently not pathogenic in their reservoir hosts, some viruses from bats severely affect other mammals, including humans. Examples include severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses, Ebola and Marburg viruses, and Nipah and Hendra viruses. Factors underlying high viral...
Evaluation of the National Gap Analysis Program (GAP): survey of users of GAP data: report to respondents
Joan M. Ratz
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1166
This report provides a summary of responses to the questions included in a survey of individuals who use or have used data created and provided by the U.S. Geological Survey National Gap Analysis Program (GAP). The survey was commissioned by the GAP main office and was conducted by U.S. Geological...
U.S. Geological Survey quality-assurance plan for continuous water-quality monitoring in Kansas, 2014
Trudy J. Bennett, Jennifer L. Graham, Guy M. Foster, Mandy L. Stone, Kyle E. Juracek, Teresa J. Rasmussen, James E. Putnam
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1151
A quality-assurance plan for use in conducting continuous water-quality monitoring activities has been developed for the Kansas Water Science Center in accordance with guidelines set forth by the U.S. Geological Survey. This quality-assurance plan documents the standards, policies, and procedures used by the U.S. Geological Survey in Kansas for activities...
Caution on the use of NBS 30 biotite for hydrogen-isotope measurements with on-line high-temperature conversion systems
Haiping Qi, Tyler B. Coplen, Gerard Olack, Torsten W. Vennemann
2014, Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry (28) 1987-1994
RATIONALEThe supply of NBS 30 biotite is nearly exhausted. During measurements of NBS 30 and potential replacements, reproducible δ2HVSMOW-SLAP values could not be obtained by three laboratories using high-temperature conversion (HTC) systems. The cause of this issue has been investigated using the silver-tube technique for hydrogen-isotope measurements of water.METHODSThe δ2HVSMOW-SLAP...
Bird mortality during nocturnal migration over Lake Michigan: A case study
Robert H. Diehl, John M. Bates, David E. Willard, Thomas P. Gnoske
2014, Wilson Journal of Ornithology (126) 19-29
Millions of birds die each year during migration. Most of this mortality goes unobserved and conditions surrounding the actual events are often not thoroughly documented. We present a case study of substantial migrant casualties along the shores of southwestern Lake Michigan during May 1996 when we found 2,981 dead birds...
Hydrogeology, water resources, and water budget of the upper Rio Hondo Basin, Lincoln County, New Mexico, 2010
Michael J. Darr, Kurt J. McCoy, Gordon W. Rattray, Roger A. Durall
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5153
The upper Rio Hondo Basin occupies a drainage area of 585 square miles in south-central New Mexico and comprises three general hydrogeologic terranes: the higher elevation “Mountain Block,” the “Central Basin” piedmont area, and the lower elevation “Hondo Slope.” As many as 12 hydrostratigraphic units serve as aquifers locally and...
Seismicity of the Earth 1900-2013 offshore British Columbia-southeastern Alaska and vicinity
Gavin P. Hayes, Gregory M. Smoczyk, Jonathan G. Ooms, Daniel E. McNamara, Kevin P. Furlong, Harley M. Benz, Antonio H. Villasenor
2014, Open-File Report 2010-1083-O
The tectonics of the Pacific margin of North America between Vancouver Island and south-central Alaska are dominated by the northwest motion of the Pacific plate with respect to the North America plate at a velocity of approximately 50 mm/yr. In the south of this mapped region, convergence between the northern...
Guidelines for use of fishes in research: Revised and expanded
Jill A. Jenkins, Henry L. Bart Jr., James D. Bowker, Paul R. Bowser, J. Randy MacMillan, John G. Nickum, Joseph W. Rachlin, James D. Rose, Peter W. Sorensen, Barbara E. Warkentine, Greg W. Whitledge
2014, Fisheries (39) 415-416
The Guidelines for the Use of Fishes in Research (2014; 2014 Guidelines), now available through the American fisheries Society (AFS) website and in print from the AFS bookstore, is a resource to aid researchers and regulatory authorities regarding responsible, scientifically valid research on fish and aquatic wildlife. The Guidelines...
Landbird trends in national parks of the North Coast and Cascades Network, 2005-12
James F. Saracco, Amanda L. Holmgren, Robert L. Wilkerson, Rodney B. Siegel, Robert C. Kuntz II, Kurt J. Jenkins, Patricia J. Happe, John R. Boetsch, Mark H. Huff
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1202
National parks in the North Coast and Cascades Network (NCCN) can fulfill vital roles as refuges for bird species dependent on late-successional forest conditions and as reference sites for assessing the effects of land-use and land-cover changes on bird populations throughout the larger Pacific Northwest region. Additionally, long-term monitoring of...
Visual pigments, oil droplets, lens, and cornea characterization in the whooping crane (Grus americana)
Megan L. Porter, Alexandra C. N. Kingston, Robert McCready, Evan G. Cameron, Christopher M. Hofmann, Lauren Suarez, Glenn H. Olsen, Thomas W. Cronin, Phyllis R. Robinson
2014, Journal of Experimental Biology (217) 3883-3890
Vision has been investigated in many species of birds, but few studies have considered the visual systems of large birds and the particular implications of large eyes and long-life spans on visual system capabilities. To address these issues we investigated the visual system of the whooping crane Grus americana (Gruiformes, Gruidae), which...
Global assessment of human losses due to earthquakes
Vitor Silva, Kishor S. Jaiswal, Graeme Weatherill, Helen Crowley
2014, Conference Paper
Current studies have demonstrated a sharp increase in human losses due to earthquakes. These alarming levels of casualties suggest the need for large-scale investment in seismic risk mitigation, which, in turn, requires an adequate understanding of the extent of the losses, and location of the most affected regions. Recent developments...
Assessing the value of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) in Everglades restoration: an ecosystem service approach
Leslie A. Richardson, Kelly Keefe, Christopher C. Huber, Laila Racevskis, Reynolds Gregg, Scott Thourot, Ian Miller
2014, Ecological Economics (107) 366-377
This study identifies a full range of ecosystem services that could be affected by a restoration project in the central Everglades and monetizes the economic value of a subset of these services using existing data. Findings suggest that the project will potentially increase many ecosystem services that have considerable economic...
Pesticides in groundwater of the United States: decadal-scale changes, 1993-2011
Patricia L. Toccalino, Robert J. Gilliom, Bruce D. Lindsey, Michael G. Rupert
2014, Groundwater (52) 112-125
The national occurrence of 83 pesticide compounds in groundwater of the United States and decadal-scale changes in concentrations for 35 compounds were assessed for the 20-year period from 1993–2011. Samples were collected from 1271 wells in 58 nationally distributed well networks. Networks consisted of shallow (mostly monitoring) wells in agricultural...
Long-term effects of seeding after wildfire on vegetation in Great Basin shrubland ecosystems
Kevin C. Knutson, David A. Pyke, Troy A. Wirth, Robert S. Arkle, David S. Pilliod, Matthew L. Brooks, Jeanne C. Chambers, James B. Grace
2014, Journal of Applied Ecology (51) 1414-1424
1. Invasive annual grasses alter fire regimes in shrubland ecosystems of the western USA, threatening ecosystem function and fragmenting habitats necessary for shrub-obligate species such as greater sage-grouse. Post-fire stabilization and rehabilitation treatments have been administered to stabilize soils, reduce invasive species spread and restore or establish sustainable ecosystems...
Groundwater-quality characteristics for the Wyoming Groundwater-Quality Monitoring Network, November 2009 through September 2012
Gregory K. Boughton
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5130
Groundwater samples were collected from 146 shallow (less than or equal to 500 feet deep) wells for the Wyoming Groundwater-Quality Monitoring Network, from November 2009 through September 2012. Groundwater samples were analyzed for physical characteristics, major ions and dissolved solids, trace elements, nutrients and dissolved organic carbon, uranium, stable isotopes...
Estimated monthly streamflows for selected locations on the Kabul and Logar Rivers, Aynak copper, cobalt, and chromium area of interest, Afghanistan, 1951-2010
Kevin C. Vining, Aldo V. Vecchia
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5157
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, used the stochastic monthly water-balance model and existing climate data to estimate monthly streamflows for 1951–2010 for selected streamgaging stations located within the Aynak copper, cobalt, and chromium area of interest...
