Characterizing invertebrate traits in wadeable streams of the contiguous US: differences among ecoregions and land uses
Robert E. Zuellig, Travis S. Schmidt
2012, Freshwater Science (31) 1042-1056
Much is known about invertebrate community traits in basins across Europe, but no comprehensive description of traits exists for the continental US. Little is known about the trait composition of invertebrates in reference or least-disturbed basins of the US, how trait composition varies among ecoregions, or how consistently traits respond...
A vectorial capacity product to monitor changing malaria transmission potential in epidemic regions of Africa
Pietro Ceccato, Christelle Vancutsem, Robert Klaver, James Rowland, Stephen J. Connor
2012, Journal of Tropical Medicine (2012) 1-6
Rainfall and temperature are two of the major factors triggering malaria epidemics in warm semi-arid (desert-fringe) and high altitude (highland-fringe) epidemic risk areas. The ability of the mosquitoes to transmit Plasmodium spp. is dependent upon a series of biological features generally referred to as vectorial capacity. In this study, the...
Absence of fractionation of mercury isotopes during trophic transfer of methylmercury to freshwater fish in captivity
Sae Yun Kwon, Joel D. Blum, Michael J. Carvan, Niladri Basu, Jessica A. Head, Charles P. Madenjian, Solomon R. David
2012, Environmental Science & Technology (46) 7527-7534
We performed two controlled experiments to determine the amount of mass-dependent and mass-independent fractionation (MDF and MIF) of methylmercury (MeHg) during trophic transfer into fish. In experiment 1, juvenile yellow perch (Perca flavescens) were raised in captivity on commercial food pellets and then their diet was either maintained on unamended...
Diel feeding periodicity of Ephemera simulans nymphs in summer and winter
James H. Johnson, Jack E. Ruggirello, Christopher C. Nack
2012, Journal of Freshwater Ecology (27) 305-308
We examined diel feeding periodicity of Ephemera simulans nymphs during summer and winter in a third-order stream in central New York. A total of 245 nymphs were collected at 4-h intervals over two 24 h periods and were immediately preserved in 80% ethanol. In the laboratory, we weighed each nymph and...
Thiamine status of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) eggs in the Great Lakes, USA
Marc A. Chalupnicki, H. George Ketola, Micheal H. Zehfus, Jonathan R. Crosswait, Jacques Rinchard
2012, Journal of Freshwater Ecology (27) 31-39
During spring 2006–2009, eggs were collected for analysis of total thiamine from gravid rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) captured in each of the Great Lakes and two other waters as references for comparison. Mean standard length (mm ± standard error) of gravid females significantly differed between sample waters, with the Atlantic Ocean population...
Competitive Interactions of Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) and Damesrocket (Hesperis matronalis)
Stacey A. Leicht-Young, Noel B. Pavlovic, Jean V. Adams
2012, Invasive Plant Science and Management (5) 27-36
Competitive interactions between native plants and nonnative, invasive plant species have been extensively studied; however, within degraded landscapes, the effect of interspecific interactions among invasive plants is less explored. We investigated a competitive interaction between two sympatric, invasive mustard species that have similar life history strategies and growth forms: garlic...
Recent strikes in South Africa’s platinum-group metal mines: effects upon world platinum-group metal supplies
Thomas R. Yager, Yadira Soto-Viruet, James J. Barry
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1273
The recent labor disputes over wages and working conditions that have affected South Africa’s three leading platinum-group metal (PGM) producers have affected an industry already plagued by market pressures and labor unrest and raised the specter of constraints in the world’s supply of these metals. Although low demand for these...
Advanced methods for modeling water-levels and estimating drawdowns with SeriesSEE, an Excel add-in
Keith Halford, C. Amanda Garcia, Joe Fenelon, Benjamin B. Mirus
2012, Techniques and Methods 4-F4
Water-level modeling is used for multiple-well aquifer tests to reliably differentiate pumping responses from natural water-level changes in wells, or “environmental fluctuations.” Synthetic water levels are created during water-level modeling and represent the summation of multiple component fluctuations, including those caused by environmental forcing and pumping. Pumping signals are modeled...
Encroachment of oriental bittersweet into Pitcher’s thistle habitat
Stacey A. Leicht-Young, Noel B. Pavlovic
2012, Natural Areas Journal (32) 171-176
Common invasive species and rare endemic species can grow and interact at the ecotone between forested and non-forested dune habitats. To investigate these interactions, a comparison of the proximity and community associates of a sympatric invasive (Celastrus orbiculatus; oriental bittersweet) and native (C. scandens; American bittersweet) liana species to federally...
Mercury dynamics in a San Francisco estuary tidal wetland: assessing dynamics using in situ measurements
Brian A. Bergamaschi, Jacob A. Fleck, Bryan D. Downing, Emmanuel Boss, Brian A. Pellerin, Neil K. Ganju, David H. Schoellhamer, Amy A. Byington, Wesley A. Heim, Mark Stephenson, Roger Fujii
2012, Estuaries and Coasts (35) 1036-1048
We used high-resolution in situ measurements of turbidity and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) to quantitatively estimate the tidally driven exchange of mercury (Hg) between the waters of the San Francisco estuary and Browns Island, a tidal wetland. Turbidity and FDOM—representative of particle-associated and filter-passing Hg, respectively—together predicted 94 %...
Surface-water quality in the upper San Antonio River Basin, Bexar County, Texas, 1992-98
J. Ryan Banta, Richard N. Slattery, Cassi L. Crow
2012, Data Series 738
The potential effects of chemicals in rivers and streams on human health or the ecology have long been a source of concern to water managers. Chemicals in rivers may result from natural or anthropogenic sources (such as industrial or residential practices) which are commonly associated with urbanized watersheds. The U.S....
Novel approach for computing photosynthetically active radiation for productivity modeling using remotely sensed images in the Great Plains, United States
Ramesh K. Singh, Shu-Guang Liu, Larry L. Tieszen, Andrew E. Suyker, Shashi B. Verma
2012, Journal of Applied Remote Sensing (6)
Gross primary production (GPP) is a key indicator of ecosystem performance, and helps in many decision-making processes related to environment. We used the Eddy covariancelight use efficiency (EC-LUE) model for estimating GPP in the Great Plains, United States in order to evaluate the performance of this model. We developed a...
Estimating seasonal evapotranspiration from temporal satellite images
Ramesh K. Singh, Shu-Guang Liu, Larry L. Tieszen, Andrew E. Suyker, Shashi B. Verma
2012, Irrigation Science (30) 303-313
Estimating seasonal evapotranspiration (ET) has many applications in water resources planning and management, including hydrological and ecological modeling. Availability of satellite remote sensing images is limited due to repeat cycle of satellite or cloud cover. This study was conducted to determine the suitability of different methods namely cubic spline, fixed,...
Establishing water body areal extent trends in interior Alaska from multi-temporal Landsat data
Jennifer R. Rover, Lei Ji, Bruce K. Wylie, Larry L. Tieszen
2012, Remote Sensing Letters (3) 595-604
An accurate approach is needed for monitoring, quantifying and understanding surface water variability due to climate change. Separating inter- and intra-annual variances from longer-term shifts in surface water extents due to contemporary climate warming requires repeat measurements spanning a several-decade period. Here, we show that trends developed from multi-date measurements...
Low prevalence of VHSV detected in round goby collected in offshore regions of Lake Ontario
Emily R. Cornwell, Rodman G. Getchell, Geoffrey H. Groocock, Maureen G. Walsh, Paul R. Bowser
2012, Journal of Great Lakes Research (38) 575-579
Since the first reports of mortalities due to viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) type IVb in the Laurentian Great Lakes basin during 2005 (Lake St. Clair, USA and Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario, Canada), many groups have conducted surveillance efforts for the virus, primarily in nearshore areas. The round goby...
Glaciotectonic deformation associated with the Orient Point-Fishers Island moraine, westernmost Block Island Sound: further evidence of readvance of the Laurentide ice sheet
Lawrence J. Poppe, Robert N. Oldale, David S. Foster, Shepard M. Smith
2012, Geo-Marine Letters (32) 279-288
High-resolution seismic-reflection profiles collected across pro-glacial outwash deposits adjacent to the circa 18 ka b.p. Orient Point–Fishers Island end moraine segment in westernmost Block Island Sound reveal extensive deformation. A rhythmic seismic facies indicates the host outwash deposits are composed of fine-grained glaciolacustrine sediments. The deformation is variably brittle and...
Effects of activity and energy budget balancing algorithm on laboratory performance of a fish bioenergetics model
Charles P. Madenjian, Solomon R. David, Steven A. Pothoven
2012, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (141) 1328-1337
We evaluated the performance of the Wisconsin bioenergetics model for lake trout Salvelinus namaycush that were fed ad libitum in laboratory tanks under regimes of low activity and high activity. In addition, we compared model performance under two different model algorithms: (1) balancing the lake trout energy budget on day...
Passage probabilities of juvenile Chinook salmon through the powerhouse and regulating outlet at Cougar Dam, Oregon, 2011
John W. Beeman, Amy C. Hansen, Scott D. Evans, Philip V. Haner, Hal C. Hansel, Collin D. Smith
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1250
Cougar Dam near Springfield, Oregon, is one of several federally owned and operated flood-control projects within the Willamette Valley of western Oregon that were determined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service in 2008 to impact the long-term viability of several salmonid stocks. In response to...
Groundwater levels and water-quality observations pertaining to the Austin Group, Bexar County, Texas, 2009-11
J.R. Banta, Allan K. Clark
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5278
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the San Antonio Water System, examined groundwater-level altitudes (groundwater levels) and water-quality data pertaining to the Austin Group in Bexar County, Texas, during 2009–11. Hydrologic data collected included daily mean groundwater levels collected at seven sites in the study area. Water-quality samples were...
Quality of surface-water runoff in selected streams in the San Antonio segment of the Edwards aquifer recharge zone, Bexar County, Texas, 1997-2012
Stephen P. Opsahl
2012, Data Series 740
During 1997–2012, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the San Antonio Water System, collected and analyzed water-quality constituents in surface-water runoff from five ephemeral stream sites near San Antonio in northern Bexar County, Texas. The data were collected to assess the quality of surface water that recharges the Edwards...
Porphyry copper assessment of the Mesozoic of East Asia: China, Vietnam, North Korea, Mongolia, and Russia: Chapter G in Global mineral resource assessment
Steve Ludington, Mark J. Mihalasky, Jane M. Hammarstrom, Gilpin R. Robinson Jr., Thomas P. Frost, Kathleen D. Gans, Thomas D. Light, Robert J. Miller, Dmitriy V. Alexeiev
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5090-G
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collaborated with the China Geological Survey (CGS) to conduct a mineral resource assessment of Mesozoic porphyry copper deposits in East Asia. This area hosts several very large porphyry deposits, exemplified by the Dexing deposit in eastern China that contains more than 8,000,000 metric tons of...
The Mekong Fish Network: expanding the capacity of the people and institutions of the Mekong River Basin to share information and conduct standardized fisheries monitoring
Harmony C. Patricio, Shaara M. Ainsley, Matthew E. Andersen, John W. Beeman, David A. Hewitt
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1246
The Mekong River is one of the most biologically diverse rivers in the world, and it supports the most productive freshwater fisheries in the world. Millions of people in the Lower Mekong River Basin (LMB) countries of the Union of Myanmar (Burma), Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Kingdom of Thailand,...
Use of raw materials in the United States from 1900 through 2010
Grecia R. Matos
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3140
Since the beginning of the 20th century, the types and quantities of raw materials used by U.S. manufacturers and consumers have changed over time. This fact sheet quantifies the amounts of those materials (other than food and fuel) that have been input into the U.S. economy annually for a period...
A spatial analysis of cultural ecosystem service valuation by regional stakeholders in Florida: a coastal application of the social values for ecosystem services (SolVES) tool
Alisa W. Coffin, Robert A. Swett, Zachary D. Cole
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3125
Livelihoods and lifestyles of people throughout the world depend on essential goods and services provided by marine and coastal ecosystems. However, as societal demand increases and available ocean and coastal space diminish, better methods are needed to spatially and temporally allocate ocean and coastal activities such as shipping, energy production,...
Multilevel groundwater monitoring of hydraulic head and temperature in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, 2009–10
Brian V. Twining, Jason C. Fisher
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5259
During 2009 and 2010, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Idaho National Laboratory Project Office, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, collected quarterly, depth-discrete measurements of fluid pressure and temperature in nine boreholes located in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer. Each borehole was instrumented with a multilevel monitoring system...
