Anthropogenic impacts to the recovery of the Mexican gray wolf with a focus on trapping-related incidents
Trey T. Turnbull, James W. Cain III, Gary W. Roemer
2013, Wildlife Society Bulletin (37) 311-318
Concerns regarding the potential negative impacts of regulated furbearer trapping to reintroduced Mexican gray wolves (Canis lupus baileyi), led to an executive order prohibiting trapping in the New Mexico, USA, portion of the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area. This ban was to last for 6 months and required an evaluation...
An assessment of hydrothermal alteration in the Santiaguito lava dome complex, Guatemala: implications for dome collapse hazards
Jessica L. Ball, Eliza S. Calder, Bernard E. Hubbard, Marc L. Bernstein
2013, Bulletin of Volcanology (75) 676-676
A combination of field mapping, geochemistry, and remote sensing methods has been employed to determine the extent of hydrothermal alteration and assess the potential for failure at the Santiaguito lava dome complex, Guatemala. The 90-year-old complex of four lava domes has only experienced relatively small and infrequent dome collapses in...
Development and characterization of 21 polymorphic microsatellite markers for the barren-ground shrew, Sorex ugyunak (Mammalia: Sorcidae), through next-generation sequencing, and cross-species amplification in the masked shrew, S. cinereus
Sarah A. Sonsthagen, G. Kevin Sage, Megan C. Fowler, Andrew G. Hope, J.A. Cook, Sandra L. Talbot
2013, Conservation Genetics Resources (5) 315-318
We used next generation shotgun sequencing to develop 21 novel microsatellite markers for the barren-ground shrew (Sorex ugyunak), which were polymorphic among individuals from northern Alaska. The loci displayed moderate allelic diversity (averaging 6.81 alleles per locus) and heterozygosity (averaging 70 %). Two loci deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE)...
Potential population-level effects of increased haulout-related mortality of Pacific walrus calves
Mark S. Udevitz, Rebecca L. Taylor, Joel L. Garlich-Miller, Lori T. Quakenbush, Jonathan A. Snyder
2013, Polar Biology (36) 291-298
Availability of summer sea ice has been decreasing in the Chukchi Sea during recent decades, and increasing numbers of Pacific walruses have begun using coastal haulouts in late summer during years when sea ice retreats beyond the continental shelf. Calves and yearlings are particularly susceptible to being crushed during disturbance...
Evidence that life history characteristics of wild birds influence infection rates and exposure to influenza A viruses
Craig R. Ely, Jeffrey S. Hall, Joel A. Schmutz, John M. Pearce, John Terenzi, James S. Sedinger, S. Ip
2013, PLoS ONE (8)
We report on life history characteristics, temporal, and age-related effects influencing the frequency of occurrence of avian influenza (AI) viruses in four species of migratory geese breeding on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska. Emperor geese (Chen canagica), cackling geese (Branta hutchinsii), greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons), and black brant (Branta bernicla),...
Lead isotope determinations from sulfide mineral occurrences--Russian Far East
Stan E. Church, Nikolai A. Goryachev, Vladimir I. Shpikerman
2013, Data Series 743
The lead isotope database for sulfide deposits and occurrences in the Russian Far East was funded by the Mineral Resources Program, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in conjunction with the collaborative studies of mineral resources by the Russian Academy of Sciences and the U. S. Geological Survey (Nokleberg and others, 1996)....
Overview of groundwater quality in the Piceance Basin, western Colorado, 1946--2009
J.C. Thomas, P.B. McMahon
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5198
Groundwater-quality data from public and private sources for the period 1946 to 2009 were compiled and put into a common data repository for the Piceance Basin. The data repository is available on the web at http://rmgsc.cr.usgs.gov/cwqdr/Piceance/index.shtml. A subset of groundwater-quality data from the repository was compiled, reviewed, and checked for...
Patterns of social association in the franciscana, Pontoporia blainvillei
Randall S. Wells, Pablo Bordino, David C. Douglas
2013, Marine Mammal Science (29) E520-E528
Little is known from living animals about the social patterns of the franciscana, Pontoporia blainvillei, a small dolphin inhabiting a narrow strip of coastal waters off Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. These dolphins tend to be found in small groups, typically composed of two or three individuals (Bordino et al. 1999)....
U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative: 2011 annual report
Zachary H. Bowen, Cameron L. Aldridge, Patrick J. Anderson, Timothy J. Assal, Laura Biewick, Steven W. Blecker, Gregory K. Boughton, Natasha B. Carr, Anna D. Chalfoun, Geneva W. Chong, Melanie L. Clark, Jay E. Diffendorfer, Bradley C. Fedy, Katharine Foster, Steven L. Garman, Stephanie Germaine, Matthew G. Hethcoat, JoAnn Holloway, Collin G. Homer, Matthew J. Kauffman, Douglas Keinath, Natalie Latysh, Daniel J. Manier, Robert R. McDougal, Cynthia P. Melcher, Kirk A. Miller, Jessica Montag, Edward M. Olexa, Christopher J. Potter, Spencer Schell, Sarah L. Shafer, David B. Smith, Lisa L. Stillings, Michael J. Sweat, Michele L. Tuttle, Anna B. Wilson
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1033
This is the fourth report produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) to detail annual work activities. In FY2011, there were 37 ongoing, completed, or new projects conducted under the five major multi-disciplinary science and technical-assistance activities: (1) Baseline Synthesis, (2) Targeted Monitoring...
Local-area-enhanced, 2.5-meter resolution natural-color and color-infrared satellite-image mosaics of the Ghunday-Achin mineral district in Afghanistan, in Davis, P.A, compiler, Local-area-enhanced, high-resolution natural-color and color-infrared satellite-image mosaics of mineral districts in Afghanistan
Philip A. Davis, Scott A. Arko, Michelle L. Harbin
Philip A. Davis, editor(s)
2013, Data Series 709-W
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, prepared databases for mineral-resource target areas in Afghanistan. The purpose of the databases is to (1) provide useful data to ground-survey crews for use in performing detailed assessments of the...
Movements and dive patterns of short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) released from a mass stranding in the Florida Keys
Randall S. Wells, Erin M. Fougeres, Arthur G. Cooper, Robert O. Stevens, Micah Brodsky, Robert Lingenfelser, Chris Dold, David C. Douglas
2013, Aquatic Mammals (39) 61-72
Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) are among the most common cetaceans to engage in mass strandings in the southeastern United States. Because these are primarily pelagic, continental shelf-edge animals, much of what is known about this species has derived from mass stranding events. Post-release monitoring via satellite-linked telemetry was conducted...
Use of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for simulating hydrology and water quality in the Cedar River Basin, Iowa, 2000--10
Kasey J. Hutchinson, Daniel E. Christiansen
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5002
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool to simulate streamflow and nitrate loads within the Cedar River Basin, Iowa. The goal was to assess the ability of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool to estimate streamflow and...
Abundance, size distributions and trace-element binding of organic and iron-rich nanocolloids in Alaskan rivers, as revealed by field-flow fractionation and ICP-MS
Bjorn Stolpe, Laodong Guo, Alan M. Shiller, George R. Aiken
2013, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (105) 221-239
Water samples were collected from six small rivers in the Yukon River basin in central Alaska to examine the role of colloids and organic matter in the transport of trace elements in Northern high latitude watersheds influenced by permafrost. Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), selected elements (Al, Si, Ca,...
MODIS-informed greenness responsesto daytime land surface temperaturefluctuations and wildfire disturbancesin the Alaskan Yukon River Basin
Zhengxi Tan, Shu-Guang Liu, Calli B. Jenkerson, Jennifer Oeding, Bruce K. Wylie, Jennifer R. Rover, Claudia J. Young
2013, International Journal of Remote Sensing (34) 2187-2199
Pronounced climate warming and increased wildfire disturbances are known to modify forest composition and control the evolution of the boreal ecosystem over the Yukon River Basin (YRB) in interior Alaska. In this study, we evaluate the post-fire green-up rate using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived from 250 m...
Progress toward establishing a national assessment of water availability and use
William M. Alley, Eric J. Evenson, Nancy L. Barber, Breton W. Bruce, Kevin F. Dennehy, Mary Freeman, Ward O. Freeman, Jeffrey M. Fischer, William B. Hughes, Jonathan G. Kennen, Julie E. Kiang, Kelly O. Maloney, MaryLynn Musgrove, Barbara E. Ralston, Steven Tessler, James P. Verdin
2013, Circular 1384
The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-11) was passed into law on March 30, 2009. Subtitle F, also known as the SECURE Water Act, calls for the establishment of a "national water availability and use assessment program" within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). A major driver...
Predictive occurrence models for coastal wetland plant communities: delineating hydrologic response surfaces with multinomial logistic regression
Gregg A. Snedden, Gregory D. Steyer
2013, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science (118) 11-23
Understanding plant community zonation along estuarine stress gradients is critical for effective conservation and restoration of coastal wetland ecosystems. We related the presence of plant community types to estuarine hydrology at 173 sites across coastal Louisiana. Percent relative cover by species was assessed at each site near the end of...
Current perspectives in contaminant hydrology and water resources sustainability
Paul M. Bradley
2013, Book
Human society depends on liquid freshwater resources to meet drinking, sanitation and hygiene, agriculture, and industry needs. Improved resource monitoring and better understanding of the anthropogenic threats to freshwater environments are critical to efficient management of freshwater resources and ultimately to the survival and quality of life of the global...
Five-year interim report of the United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program: 2007--2012
William M. Alley, editor(s)
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1059
Transboundary aquifers are an essential, and in many cases, singular source of water for United States – Mexico border communities, particularly in arid regions. Declining water levels, deteriorating water quality, and increasing use of groundwater resources by municipal, industrial, and agricultural water users on both sides of the international border...
Use of sediment amendments to rehabilitate sinking coastal swamp forests in Louisiana
Beth A. Middleton, Ming Jiang
2013, Ecological Engineering (54) 183-191
Coastal wetlands are losing elevation worldwide, so that techniques to increase elevation such as sediment amendment might benefit these wetlands. This study examined the potential of sediment amendment to raise elevation and support the production and regeneration of vegetation in coastal forests in Louisiana. Before sediment amendment, the vegetation did...
Porphyry copper assessment of Southeast Asia and Melanesia: Chapter D in Global mineral resource assessment
Jane M. Hammarstrom, Arthur A. Bookstrom, Connie L. Dicken, Benjamin J. Drenth, Steve Ludington, Gilpin R. Robinson Jr., Bambang Tjahjono Setiabudi, Wudhikarn Sukserm, Dwi Nugroho Sunuhadi, Alexander Yan Sze Wah, Michael L. Zientek
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5090-D
The U.S. Geological Survey collaborated with member countries of the Coordinating Committee for Geoscience Programmes in East and Southeast Asia (CCOP) on an assessment of the porphyry copper resources of Southeast Asia and Melanesia as part of a global mineral resource assessment. The region hosts world-class porphyry copper deposits and...
Worldwide phylogenetic relationship of avian poxviruses
Miklos Gyuranecz, Jeffrey T. Foster, Adam Dan, S. Ip, Kristina F. Egstad, Patricia G. Parker, Jenni M. Higashiguchi, Michael A. Skinner, Ursula Höfle, Zsuzsa Kreizinger, Gerry M. Dorrestein, Szabolcs Solt, Endre Sos, Young Jun Kim, Marcela Uhart, Ariel Pereda, Gisela Gonzalez-Hein, Hector Hidalgo, Juan-Manuel Blanco, Karoly Erdelyi
2013, Journal of Virology (87) 4938-4951
Poxvirus infections have been found in 230 species of wild and domestic birds worldwide in both terrestrial and marine environments. This ubiquity raises the question of how infection has been transmitted and globally dispersed. We present a comprehensive global phylogeny of 111 novel poxvirus isolates in addition to all available...
Cold-seep habitat mapping: high-resolution spatial characterization of the Blake Ridge Diapir seep field
Jamie K.S. Wagner, Molly H. McEntee, Laura L. Brothers, Christopher R. German, Carl L. Kaiser, Dana R. Yoerger, Cindy Lee Van Dover
2013, Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography (92) 183-188
Relationships among seep community biomass, diversity, and physiographic controls such as underlying geology are not well understood. Previous efforts to constrain these relationships at the Blake Ridge Diapir were limited to observations from piloted deep-submergence vehicles. In August 2012, the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Sentry collected geophysical and photographic data...
Local-area-enhanced, 2.5-meter resolution natural-color and color-infrared satellite-image mosaics of the Uruzgan mineral district in Afghanistan: Chapter V in Local-area-enhanced, high-resolution natural-color and color-infrared satellite-image mosaics of mineral districts in Afghanistan
Philip A. Davis
2013, Data Series 709-V
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, prepared databases for mineral-resource target areas in Afghanistan. The purpose of the databases is to (1) provide useful data to ground-survey crews for use in performing detailed assessments of the...
Occurrence and variability of mining-related lead and zinc in the Spring River flood plain and tributary flood plains, Cherokee County, Kansas, 2009--11
Kyle E. Juracek
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5028
Historical mining activity in the Tri-State Mining District (TSMD), located in parts of southeast Kansas, southwest Missouri, and northeast Oklahoma, has resulted in a substantial ongoing input of cadmium, lead, and zinc to the environment. To provide some of the information needed to support remediation efforts in the Cherokee County,...
Wildfire and invasive species in the west: challenges that hinder current and future management and protection of the sagebrush-steppe ecosystem: a Gap Report
Kenneth F. Mayer, Pete Anderson, Jeanne Chambers, Chad Boyd, Tom Christiansen, Dawn Davis, Shawn Espinosa, Doug Havlina, Michael Ielmini, Don Kemner, Laurie Kurth, Jeremy Maestas, Brian Mealor, Ted Milesneck, Lara Niell, Mike Pellant, David A. Pyke, Joe Tague, Jason Vernon
2013, Report
The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) to satisfy the 45-day report requirement identified in Cooperative Agreement (F13AC00353) between WAFWA and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) submit this “Gap Report”. This report summarizes the policy, fiscal and science challenges that land managers encounter related to...
