Chalcopyrite—bearer of a precious, non-precious metal
Bryn E. Kimball
2013, Geology Today (29) 30-35
The mineral chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) is the world's most abundant source of copper, a metal component in virtually every piece of electrical equipment. It is the main copper mineral in several different ore deposit types, the most important of which are porphyry deposits. Chalcopyrite is unstable at the Earth's surface, so...
Projecting the land cover change and its environmental impacts in the Cedar River Basin in the Midwestern United States
Yiping Wu, Shuguang Liu, Terry L. Sohl, Claudia Young
2013, Environmental Research Letters (8) 1-13
The physical surface of the Earth is in constant change due to climate forcing and human activities. In the Midwestern United States, urban area, farmland, and dedicated energy crop (e.g., switchgrass) cultivation are predicted to expand in the coming decades, which will lead to changes in hydrological processes. This study...
Trends in landscape and vegetation change and implications for the Santa Cruz Watershed
Miguel L. Villarreal, Laura M. Norman, Robert H. Webb, Raymond M. Turner
2013, Book, Proceedings of the Science on the Sonoita Plain Symposium
Monitoring and characterizing the interactive effects of land use and climate on land surface processes is a primary focus of land change science, and of particular concern in arid Wells Distribution in Shallow Groundwater Areas Pumping Trends Increase Streamflow Extent Declines 27 environments where both landscapes and livelihoods can be...
Channel unit use by Smallmouth Bass: Do land-use constraints or quantity of habitat matter?
Shannon K. Brewer
2013, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (33) 351-358
I examined how land use influenced the distribution of Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu in channel units (discrete morphological features—e.g., pools) of streams in the Midwestern USA. Stream segments (n = 36), from four clusters of different soil and runoff conditions, were identified that had the highest percent of forest (n = 12), pasture (n =...
Diurnal activity patterns of Black-Necked Stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) during the non-breeding season in the eastern Caribbean
Laura Navarrete, Blake A. Grisham, Maria Kalyvaki, E. Kathleen McGaughey, Krista Mougey, Ben R. Skipper, Gad Perry, Clint W. Boal
2013, Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (26) 17-21
Diurnal activity patterns of resident Black-necked Stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) were observed on Guana Island, British Virgin Islands, during October 2010. Stilts were principally engaged in foraging and idle behaviors. The amount of time engaged in particular behaviors was relatively constant throughout the day, except during mid-afternoon when idleness increased and...
Vertical structure use by the Stout Iguana (Cyclura pinguis) on Guana Island, BVI
Christopher A. Cheek, Shay Hlavaty, Rebecca N. Perkins, Mark A. Peyton, Caitlin N. Ryan, Jennifer C. Zavaleta, Clint W. Boal, Gad Perry
2013, IRCF Reptiles & Amphibians (20) 112-118
The Stout Iguana (Cyclura pinguis) is a critically endangered species endemic to the Puerto Rico Bank and currently restricted to the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Our study on Guana Island, BVI, focused on vertical structure use. Based on previous incidental observations, we hypothesized that Stout Iguanas use vertical structures and...
Comparison of DNA preservation methods for environmental bacterial community samples
Michael A. Gray, Zoe A. Pratte, Christina A. Kellogg
2013, FEMS Microbiology Ecology (83) 468-477
Field collections of environmental samples, for example corals, for molecular microbial analyses present distinct challenges. The lack of laboratory facilities in remote locations is common, and preservation of microbial community DNA for later study is critical. A particular challenge is keeping samples frozen in transit. Five nucleic acid preservation methods...
Geologic map of the Topock 7.5’ quadrangle, Arizona and California
Keith A. Howard, Barbara E. John, Jane E. Nielson, Julia M. G. Miller, Joseph L. Wooden
2013, Scientific Investigations Map 3236
The Topock quadrangle exposes a structurally complex part of the Colorado River extensional corridor and also exposes deposits that record landscape evolution during the history of the Colorado River. Paleoproterozoic gneisses and Mesoproterozoic granitoids and intrusive sheets are exposed through tilted cross-sectional thicknesses of many kilometers. Intruding them are a...
Watering the forest for the trees: An emerging priority for managing water in forest landscapes
Gordon E. Grant, Christina L. Tague, Craig D. Allen
2013, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment (11) 314-321
Widespread threats to forests resulting from drought stress are prompting a re-evaluation of priorities for water management on forest lands. In contrast to the widely held view that forest management should emphasize providing water for downstream uses, we argue that maintaining forest health in the context of a changing climate...
Assessing the location and magnitude of the 20 October 1870 Charlevoix, Quebec, earthquake
John E. Ebel, Megan Dupuy, William H. Bakun
2013, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (103) 588-594
The Charlevoix, Quebec, earthquake of 20 October 1870 caused damage to several towns in Quebec and was felt throughout much of southeastern Canada and along the U.S. Atlantic seaboard from Maine to Maryland. Site‐specific damage and felt reports from Canadian and U.S. cities and towns were used in analyses of...
Estimating abundance of the Southern Hudson Bay polar bear subpopulation using aerial surveys, 2011 and 2012
Martyn E. Obbard, Kevin R. Middel, Seth P. Stapleton, Isabelle Thibault, Vincent Brodeur, Charles Jutras
2013, Wildlife Research Series 2013-01
The Southern Hudson Bay (SH) polar bear subpopulation occurs at the southern extent of the species’ range. Although capture-recapture studies indicate that abundance remained stable between 1986 and 2005, declines in body condition and survival were documented during the period, possibly foreshadowing a future decrease in abundance. To obtain a...
Fish population failure caused by an environmental estrogen is long-lasting and regulated by direct and parental effects on survival and fecundity
Adam R. Schwindt, Dana L. Winkelman
2013, Thesis, The population ecology of fathead minnows (<i>Pimephales promelas</i>) in estrogen contaminated environments
Despite significant research demonstrating effects of estrogens such as 17α - ethinylestradiol (EE2) on fish, the underlying mechanisms regulating population failure are unknown. Projected water shortages could leave waterways increasingly dominated by wastewater effluent and understanding mechanisms is necessary for conservation and management. Here we identify mechanisms of...
Predator-prey relationships and managements
Clint W. Boal, Warren B. Ballard
Paul R. Krausman, James W. Cain III, editor(s)
2013, Book chapter, Wildlife management and conservation: Contemporary principles and practices
No abstract available....
Priority data on marine and estuarine resources within northeastern National Parks: Inventory and acquisition needs
Tracy E. Hart, Hilary A. Neckles, Blaine S. Kopp
2013, Natural Resource Report NPS/NCBN/NRR—2013/612
The purpose of this project was to guide development of a strategy for the inventory and mapping of submerged natural resources associated within 10 coastal parks of the National Park Service (NPS) Northeast Region (NER; see Table 1). Priority data needs were identified by the NER Ocean Stewardship Task Force....
Abundance: Population size and density estimation
Mark S. Udevitz, William R. Gould
Abdel H. El-Shaarawi, Walter W. Piegorsch, editor(s)
2013, Book chapter, Encyclopedia of environmetrics
Estimates of population size (total number of individuals) or density (number of individuals per unit area) are some of the most basic requirements for wildlife research and management. This article provides a brief overview of approaches for wildlife population estimation. These include habitat‐based approaches such as quadrat, line intercept, distance,...
Observed ices in the Solar System
Roger N. Clark, Will Grundy, Robert R. Carlson, Keith Noll
Murthy Gudipati, Julie C. Castillo-Rogez, editor(s)
2013, Book chapter
Ices have been detected and mapped on the Earth and all planets and/or their satellites further from the sun. Water ice is the most common frozen volatile observed and is also unambiguously detected or inferred in every planet and/or their moon(s) except Venus. Carbon dioxide is also extensively found in...
Mobile Bay
Lawrence R. Handley, Kathryn A. Spear, Stephen Jones, Cindy A. Thatcher
2013, Report, Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010
Mobile Bay is the largest bay found in Alabama’s coastal area (Handley et al., 2007). It was named an Estuary of National Significance in 1995 under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Estuary Program (NEP), and its Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan was completed in 2002. Mobile Bay is 1,070...
Evaluating a multispecies adaptive management framework: Must uncertainty impede effective decision-making?
David R. Smith, Conor P. McGowan, Jonathan P. Daily, James D. Nichols, John A. Sweka, James E. Lyons
2013, Journal of Applied Ecology (50) 1431-1440
Application of adaptive management to complex natural resource systems requires careful evaluation to ensure that the process leads to improved decision-making. As part of that evaluation, adaptive policies can be compared with alternative nonadaptive management scenarios. Also, the value of reducing structural (ecological) uncertainty to achieving management objectives can be...
Climate change has indirect effects on resource use and overlap among coexisting bird species with negative consequences for their reproductive success
Thomas E. Martin, Sonya K. Auer
2013, Global Change Biology (19) 411-419
Climate change can modify ecological interactions, but whether it can have cascading effects throughout ecological networks of multiple interacting species remains poorly studied. Climate-driven alterations in the intensity of plant–herbivore interactions may have particularly profound effects on the larger community because plants provide habitat for a wide diversity of organisms....
Choosing a DIVA: a comparison of emerging digital imagery vegetation analysis techniques
Christopher F. Jorgensen, Ryan J. Stutzman, Lars C. Anderson, Suzanne E. Decker, Larkin A. Powell, Walter H. Schacht, Joseph J. Fontaine
2013, Applied Vegetation Science (16) 552-560
Question: What is the precision of five methods of measuring vegetation structure using ground-based digital imagery and processing techniques? Location: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA Methods: Vertical herbaceous cover was recorded using digital imagery techniques at two distinct locations in a mixed-grass prairie. The precision of five ground-based digital imagery vegetation analysis...
A Structured approach to incidental take decision making
Conor P. McGowan
2013, Environmental Management (51) 241-250
Decision making related to incidental take of endangered species under U.S. law lends itself well to a structured decision making approach. Incidental take is the permitted killing, harming, or harassing of a protected species under the law as long as that harm is incidental to an otherwise lawful activity and...
Spring migratory pathways and migration chronology of Canada geese (Branta canadensis interior) wintering at the Santee National Wildlife Refuge, South Carolina
Molly M. Giles, Patrick G.R. Jodice, Robert F. Baldwin, John D. Stanton, Marc Epstein
2013, Canadian Field-Naturalist (127) 17-25
We assessed the migratory pathways, migration chronology, and breeding ground affiliation of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis interior) that winter in and adjacent to the Santee National Wildlife Refuge in Summerton, South Carolina, United States. Satellite transmitters were fitted to eight Canada Geese at Santee National Wildlife Refuge during the winter...
Seismicity associated with the May 2010 eruption of South Sarigan Seamount, Northern Mariana Islands
Cheryl Searcy
2013, Seismological Research Letters (84) 1055-1061
On 29 May 2010, at approximately 11:48 UTC, an undersea volcano south of Sarigan in the Northern Mariana Islands (Figs. 1 and 2) erupted sending a cloud of volcanic ash and water vapor to 40,000 feet (12 km; Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center). Bathymetric data (Stern and Smoot, 1998; Embley et al., 2007)...
The Idaho cobalt belt
Arthur A. Bookstrom
2013, Northwest Geology (42) 149-162
The Idaho cobalt belt (ICB) is a northwest-trending belt of cobalt (Co) +/- copper (Cu)-bearing deposits and prospects in the Salmon River Mountains of east-central Idaho, U.S.A. The ICB is about 55 km long and 10 km long in its central part, which contains multiple strata-bound ore zones in the...
Report A: Fish distribution and population dynamics in Rock Creek, Klickitat County, Washington
Brady Allen, Carrie S. Munz, Elaine Harvey
2013, Report, Rock Creek fish and habitat assessment for prioritization of restoration and protection actions
The U.S. Geological Survey collaborated with the Yakama Nation starting in fall of 2009 to study the fish populations in Rock Creek, a Washington State tributary of the Columbia River 21 kilometers upstream of John Day Dam. Prior to this study, very little was known about the ESA-listed (threatened) Mid-Columbia...
