Polar bears from space: Assessing satellite imagery as a tool to track Arctic wildlife
Seth P. Stapleton, Michelle A. LaRue, Nicolas Lecomte, Stephen N. Atkinson, David L. Garshelis, Claire Porter, Todd C. Atwood
2014, PLoS ONE (9) 1-7
Development of efficient techniques for monitoring wildlife is a priority in the Arctic, where the impacts of climate change are acute and remoteness and logistical constraints hinder access. We evaluated high resolution satellite imagery as a tool to track the distribution and abundance of polar bears. We examined satellite images...
Mercury elimination rates for adult northern pike Esox lucius: evidence for a sex effect
Charles P. Madenjian, Paul J. Blanchfield, Lee E. Hrenchuk, Jillian L. A. Van Walleghem
2014, Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (93) 144-148
We examined the effect of sex on mercury elimination in fish by monitoring isotope-enriched mercury concentrations in the muscle tissue of three adult female and three adult male northern pike Esox lucius, which had accumulated the isotope-enriched mercury via a whole-lake manipulation and were subsequently moved to a clean lake....
Indigenous community health and climate change: integrating biophysical and social science indicators
Jamie Donatuto, Eric E. Grossman, John Konovsky, Sarah Grossman, Larry W. Campbell
2014, Coastal Management (42) 355-373
This article describes a pilot study evaluating the sensitivity of Indigenous community health to climate change impacts on Salish Sea shorelines (Washington State, United States and British Columbia, Canada). Current climate change assessments omit key community health concerns, which are vital to successful adaptation plans, particularly for Indigenous communities. Descriptive...
High spatial resolution WorldView-2 imagery for mapping NDVI and its relationship to temporal urban landscape evapotranspiration factors
Hamideh Nouri, Simon Beecham, Sharolyn Anderson, Pamela Nagler
2014, Remote Sensing (6) 580-602
Evapotranspiration estimation has benefitted from recent advances in remote sensing and GIS techniques particularly in agricultural applications rather than urban environments. This paper explores the relationship between urban vegetation evapotranspiration (ET) and vegetation indices derived from newly-developed high spatial resolution WorldView-2 imagery. The study site was Veale Gardens in Adelaide,...
Ecological consequences of the expansion of N2-fixing plants in cold biomes
Erika Hiltbrunner, Rien Aerts, Tobias Buhlmann, Kerstin Huss-Danell, Borgthor Magnusson, David D. Myrold, Sasha C. Reed, Bjarni D. Sigurdsson, Christian Korner
2014, Oecologia (176) 11-24
Research in warm-climate biomes has shown that invasion by symbiotic dinitrogen (N2)-fixing plants can transform ecosystems in ways analogous to the transformations observed as a consequence of anthropogenic, atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition: declines in biodiversity, soil acidification, and alterations to carbon and nutrient cycling, including increased N losses through nitrate...
Vegetation database for land-cover mapping, Clark and Lincoln Counties, Nevada
David A. Charlet, Nancy A. Damar, Patrick J. Leary
2014, Data Series 827
Floristic and other vegetation data were collected at 3,175 sample sites to support land-cover mapping projects in Clark and Lincoln Counties, Nevada, from 2007 to 2013. Data were collected at sample sites that were selected to fulfill mapping priorities by one of two different plot sampling approaches. Samples were described...
Land-cover mapping of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and Coyote Springs, Piute-Eldorado Valley, and Mormon Mesa Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, Clark County, Nevada
J. LaRue Smith, Nancy A. Damar, David A. Charlet, Craig L. Westenburg
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5076
DigitalGlobe’s QuickBird satellite high-resolution multispectral imagery was classified by using Visual Learning Systems’ Feature Analyst feature extraction software to produce land-cover data sets for the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and the Coyote Springs, Piute-Eldorado Valley, and Mormon Mesa Areas of Critical Environmental Concern in Clark County, Nevada. Over...
Maximum known stages and discharges of New York streams and their annual exceedance probabilities through September 2011
Gary R. Wall, Patricia M. Murray, Richard Lumia, Thomas P. Suro
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5084
Maximum known stages and discharges at 1,400 sites on 796 streams within New York are tabulated. Stage data are reported in feet. Discharges are reported as cubic feet per second and in cubic feet per second per square mile. Drainage areas range from 0.03 to 298,800 square miles; excluding the...
Geomorphic change on the Missouri River during the flood of 2011
Edward R. Schenk, Katherine J. Skalak, Adam J. Benthem, Benjamin J. Dietsch, Brenda K. Woodward, Gregg J. Wiche, Joel M. Galloway, Rochelle A. Nustad, Cliff R. Hupp
2014, Professional Paper 1798-I
The 2011 flood on the Missouri River was one of the largest floods since the river became regulated by a series of high dams in the mid-20th century (greater than 150,000 cubic feet per second during the peak). The flood persisted through most of the summer, eroding river banks, adding...
Geology and hydrostratigraphy of Guadalupe River State Park and Honey Creek State Natural Area, Kendall and Comal Counties, Texas
Allan K. Clark, Charles D. Blome, Robert R. Morris
2014, Scientific Investigations Map 3303
Hydrogeologic mapping and descriptions of the lithostratigraphy and hydrostratigraphy of Guadalupe River State Park and Honey Creek State Natural Area, Kendall and Comal Counties, Texas, are presented in this first detailed 1:24,000 geologic map, along with proposed names and descriptions of the hydrostratigraphic units in the study area. Variations in...
Carnivore distributions across chaparral habitats exposed to wildfire and rural housing in southern California
P.A. Schuette, J.E. Diffendorfer, D.H. Deutschman, S. Tremor, W. Spencer
2014, International Journal of Wildland Fire (23) 591-600
Chaparral and coastal sage scrub habitats in southern California support biologically diverse plant and animal communities. However, native plant and animal species within these shrubland systems are increasingly exposed to human-caused wildfires and an expansion of the human–wildland interface. Few data exist to evaluate the effects of fire and anthropogenic...
Preliminary bedrock and surficial geologic map of the west half of the Sanders 30' x 60' quadrangle, Navajo and Apache Counties, northern Arizona
Lee Amoroso, Susan S. Priest, Margaret Hiza-Redsteer
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1124
The bedrock and surficial geologic map of the west half of the Sanders 30' x 60' quadrangle was completed in a cooperative effort of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Navajo Nation to provide regional geologic information for management and planning officials. This report provides baseline geologic information that...
2010 weather and aeolian sand-transport data from the Colorado River corridor, Grand Canyon, Arizona
Timothy P. Dealy, Amy E. East, Helen C. Fairley
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1135
Measurements of weather parameters and aeolian sand transport were made in 2010 near selected archeological sites in the Colorado River corridor through Grand Canyon, Arizona. Data collected in 2010 indicate event- and seasonal-scale variations in rainfall, wind, temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure. Differences in weather patterns between 2009 and 2010...
Effects of disturbance associated with seismic exploration for oil and gas reserves in coastal marshes
Rebecca J. Howard, Christopher J. Wells, Thomas C. Michot, Darren J. Johnson
2014, Environmental Management (54) 30-50
Anthropogenic disturbances in wetland ecosystems can alter the composition and structure of plant assemblages and affect system functions. Extensive oil and gas extraction has occurred in wetland habitats along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast since the early 1900s. Activities involved with three-dimensional (3D) seismic exploration for these resources cause...
Reproductive health indicators of fishes from Pennsylvania watersheds: association with chemicals of emerging concern
V. S. Blazer, D.D. Iwanowicz, H.L. Walsh, A.J. Sperry, L. R. Iwanowicz, D.A. Alvarez, R.A. Brightbill, G. Smith, W.T. Foreman, R. Manning
2014, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (186) 6471-6491
Fishes were collected at 16 sites within the three major river drainages (Delaware, Susquehanna, and Ohio) of Pennsylvania. Three species were evaluated for biomarkers of estrogenic/antiandrogenic exposure, including plasma vitellogenin and testicular oocytes in male fishes. Smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu, white sucker Catostomus commersonii, and redhorse sucker Moxostoma species were...
Modeled sulfate concentrations in North Dakota streams, 1993-2008, based on spatial basin characteristics
Joel M. Galloway, Aldo V. Vecchia
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5092
Sulfate concentration data collected from North Dakota streams during recent (1993–2008) years indicates generally higher sulfate concentrations across much of the State compared to concentrations during earlier years. The higher sulfate concentrations have been attributed in other studies to wetter climatic conditions, associated increases in contributing drainage areas, and rising...
Three-year growth response of young Douglas-fir to nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, and blended fertilizers in Oregon and Washington
Douglas B. Mainwaring, Douglas A. Maguire, Steven S. Perakis
2014, Forest Ecology and Management (327) 178-188
Studies of nutrient limitation in Douglas-fir forests of the Pacific Northwest focus predominantly on nitrogen, yet many stands demonstrate negligible or even negative growth response to nitrogen fertilization. To understand what nutrients other than nitrogen may limit forest productivity in this region, we tested six fertilizer treatments for their ability...
Climate-driven effects of fire on winter habitat for caribou in the Alaskan-Yukon Arctic
David D. Gustine, Todd J. Brinkman, Michael A. Lindgren, Jennifer I. Schmidt, T. Scott Rupp, Layne G. Adams
2014, PLoS ONE (9)
Climatic warming has direct implications for fire-dominated disturbance patterns in northern ecosystems. A transforming wildfire regime is altering plant composition and successional patterns, thus affecting the distribution and potentially the abundance of large herbivores. Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) are an important subsistence resource for communities throughout the north and a species...
A database and synthesis of northern peatland soil properties and Holocene carbon and nitrogen accumulation
Rebecca A. Loiselle, Zicheng Yu, David Beilman, Philip Camill, Jukka Alm, Matthew Amesbury, David Anderson, Sofia Andersson, Christopher Bochicchio, Keith Barber, Lisa Belyea, Joan Bunbury, Frank M. Chambers, Dan Charman, Francois De Vleeschouwer, Barbara Fialkiawicz-Koziel, Sarah A Finkelstein, Mariusz Galka, Michelle Garneau, Dan Hammarlund, William Hinchcliffe, James Holmquist, Paul Hughes, Miriam C. Jones, Eric S. Klein, Ulla Kokfelt, Atte Korhola, Peter Kuhry, Alexandre Lamarre, Mariusz Lamentowicz, David Large, Martin Lavoie, Glen MacDonald, Gabriel Magnan, Markku Makila, Gunnar Mallon, Paul Mathijssen, Dmitri Mauquoy, Julia McCarroll, Tim R. Moore, Jonathan M. Nichols, Benjamin O’Reilly, P.O. Oksanen, Maara S. Packalen, Dorothy M. Peteet, Pierre Richard, Stephen Robinson, T.M. Ronkainen, Mats Rundgren, A. Britta K. Sannel, Charles Tarnocai, Tim Thom, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Merritt Turetsky, M. Valiranta, Marjolein van der Linden, Bas van Geel, Simon van Bellen, Dale Vitt, Yan Zhao, Weijian Zhou
2014, The Holocene (24) 1028-1042
Here, we present results from the most comprehensive compilation of Holocene peat soil properties with associated carbon and nitrogen accumulation rates for northern peatlands. Our database consists of 268 peat cores from 215 sites located north of 45°N. It encompasses regions within which peat carbon data have...
Multi-temporal mapping of a large, slow-moving earth flow for kinematic interpretation
Luigi Guerriero, Jeffrey A. Coe, Paola Revellino, Francesco M. Guadagno
2014, Conference Paper
Periodic movement of large, thick landslides on discrete basal surfaces produces modifications of the topographic surface, creates faults and folds, and influences the locations of springs, ponds, and streams (Baum, et al., 1993; Coe et al., 2009). The geometry of the basal-slip surface, which can be controlled by geological...
Monitoring of levees, bridges, pipelines, and other critical infrastructure during the 2011 flooding in the Mississippi River Basin
Brenda K. Densmore, Bethany L. Burton, Benjamin J. Dietsch, James C. Cannia, Richard J. Huizinga
2014, Professional Paper 1798-J
During the 2011 Mississippi River Basin flood, the U.S. Geological Survey evaluated aspects of critical river infrastructure at the request of and in support of local, State, and Federal Agencies. Geotechnical and hydrographic data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey at numerous locations were able to provide needed information about...
Users' guide to system dynamics model describing Coho salmon survival in Olema Creek, Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County, California
Andrea Woodward, Alicia A. Torregrosa, Mary Ann Madej, Michael Reichmuth, Darren Fong
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1131
The system dynamics model described in this report is the result of a collaboration between U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists and National Park Service (NPS) San Francisco Bay Area Network (SFAN) staff, whose goal was to develop a methodology to integrate inventory and monitoring data to better understand ecosystem dynamics...
Large-scale climate variation modifies the winter grouping behavior of endangered Indiana bats
Wayne E. Thogmartin, Patrick C. McKann
2014, Journal of Mammalogy (95) 117-127
Power laws describe the functional relationship between 2 quantities, such as the frequency of a group as the multiplicative power of group size. We examined whether the annual size of well-surveyed wintering populations of endangered Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis) followed a power law, and then leveraged this relationship to predict...
Birds of a feather
Steven T. Knick, Carmen Gondhaleker
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3049
Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasiunus, hereafter sage-grouse) are broadly distributed, occupy a diversity of sagebrush habitats, and face multiple threats. As a result of these threats, sage-grouse populations are declining and are now absent from almost one-half of their estimated range prior to Euro-American settlement. The risks to sage-grouse are significant...
Scaling up watershed model parameters: flow and load simulations of the Edisto River Basin, South Carolina, 2007-09
Toby D. Feaster, Stephen T. Benedict, Jimmy M. Clark, Paul M. Bradley, Paul Conrads
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5104
As part of an ongoing effort by the U.S. Geological Survey to expand the understanding of relations among hydrologic, geochemical, and ecological processes that affect fish-tissue mercury concentrations within the Edisto River Basin, analyses and simulations of the hydrology of the Edisto River Basin were made using the topography-based hydrological...
