Evidence of recent climate change within the historic range of Rio Grande cutthroat trout: implications for management and future persistence
Matthew P. Zeigler, Andrew S. Todd, Colleen A. Caldwell
2012, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (141) 1045-1059
Evidence of anthropogenically influenced climate change has motivated natural resource managers to incorporate adaptive measures to minimize risks to sensitive and threatened species. Detecting trends in climate variables (i.e., air temperature and hydrology) can serve as a valuable management tool for protecting vulnerable species by increasing our understanding of localized...
Intraspecific variation in reproductive traits of burrowing owls
Meaghan Conway, Christopher P. Nadeau, Courtney J. Conway
2012, Journal of Ethology (30) 395-402
Reviews of hatching asynchrony in birds recommended more studies on intraspecific variation in the extent of hatching asynchrony. We examined intraspecific variation in clutch size, laying chronology, onset of incubation, incubation period, and hatching asynchrony in burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) in the Imperial Valley of California. Mean clutch size was...
Freshwater DOM quantity and quality from a two-component model of UV absorbance
Heather T. Carter, Edward Tipping, Jean-Francois Koprivnjak, Matthew P. Miller, Brenda Cookson, John Hamilton-Taylor
2012, Water Research (46) 4532-4542
We present a model that considers UV-absorbing dissolved organic matter (DOM) to consist of two components (A and B), each with a distinct and constant spectrum. Component A absorbs UV light strongly, and is therefore presumed to possess aromatic chromophores and hydrophobic character, whereas B absorbs weakly and can be...
Field information links permafrost carbon to physical vulnerabilities of thawing
Jennifer W. Harden, Charles Koven, Chien-Lu Ping, Gustaf Hugelius, A. David McGuire, P. Camill, Torre Jorgenson, Peter Kuhry, Gary Michaelson, Jonathan A. O’Donnell, Edward A.G. Schuur, Charles Tamocai, Kevin Johnson, G. Grosse
2012, Geophysical Research Letters (39)
Deep soil profiles containing permafrost (Gelisols) were characterized for organic carbon (C) and total nitrogen (N) stocks to 3m depths. Using the Community Climate System Model (CCSM4) we calculate cumulative probability functions (PDFs) for active layer depths under current and future climates. The difference in PDFs over time was multiplied...
Heterogeneous redox conditions, arsenic mobility, and groundwater flow in a fractured-rock aquifer near a waste repository site in New Hampshire, USA
Philip T. Harte, Joseph D. Ayotte, Andrew Hoffman, Kinga M. Revesz, Marcel Belaval, Steven Lamb, J.K. Böhlke
2012, Hydrogeology Journal (20) 1189-1201
Anthropogenic sources of carbon from landfill or waste leachate can promote reductive dissolution of in situ arsenic (As) and enhance the mobility of As in groundwater. Groundwater from residential-supply wells in a fractured crystalline-rock aquifer adjacent to a Superfund site in Raymond, New Hampshire, USA, showed evidence of locally enhanced...
Elk migration patterns and human activity influence wolf habitat use in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Abigail Nelson, Matthew J. Kauffman, Arthur D. Middleton, Mike Jimenez, Douglas McWhirter, Jarrett Barber, Ken Gerow
2012, Ecological Applications (22) 2293-2307
Identifying the ecological dynamics underlying human–wildlife conflicts is important for the management and conservation of wildlife populations. In landscapes still occupied by large carnivores, many ungulate prey species migrate seasonally, yet little empirical research has explored the relationship between carnivore distribution and ungulate migration strategy. In this study, we evaluate...
Water Resources of Beauregard Parish
Lawrence B. Prakken, Jason M. Griffith, Robert B. Fendick Jr.
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3065
In 2005, about 30.6 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of water was withdrawn in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana, including about 30.4 Mgal/d from groundwater sources and 0.1 Mgal/d from surface water sources. Industrial use, primarily for wood products, accounted for about 72 percent (22.0 Mgal/d) of the total water withdrawn. Other...
Interseasonal movements of greater sage-grouse, migratory behavior, and an assessment of the core regions concept in Wyoming
Bradley C. Fedy, Cameron L. Aldridge, Kevin E. Doherty, Michael S. O’Donnell, Jeffrey L. Beck, Bryan Bedrosian, Matthew J. Holloran, Gregory D. Johnson, Nicholas W. Kaczor, Christopher P. Kirol, Cheryl A. Mandich, David Marshall, Gwyn McKee, Chad Olson, Christopher C. Swanson, Brett L. Walker
2012, Journal of Wildlife Management (76) 1062-1071
Animals can require different habitat types throughout their annual cycles. When considering habitat prioritization, we need to explicitly consider habitat requirements throughout the annual cycle, particularly for species of conservation concern. Understanding annual habitat requirements begins with quantifying how far individuals move across landscapes between key life stages to access...
Effects of soil-engineering properties on the failure mode of shallow landslides
Jonathan Peter McKenna, Paul Michael Santi, Xavier Amblard, Jacquelyn Negri
2012, Landslides (9) 215-228
Some landslides mobilize into flows, while others slide and deposit material immediately down slope. An index based on initial dry density and fine-grained content of soil predicted failure mode of 96 landslide initiation sites in Oregon and Colorado with 79% accuracy. These material properties can be used to identify potential...
Designs and test results for three new rotational sensors
P. Jedlicka, J.T. Kozak, J.R. Evans, C. R. Hutt
2012, Journal of Seismology (16) 639-647
We discuss the designs and testing of three rotational seismometer prototypes developed at the Institute of Geophysics, Academy of Sciences (Prague, Czech Republic). Two of these designs consist of a liquid-filled toroidal tube with the liquid as the proof mass and providing damping; we tested the piezoelectric and pressure transduction...
Temperature and petroleum generation history of the Wilcox Formation, Louisiana
Janet K. Pitman, Elisabeth L. Rowan
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1046
A one-dimensional petroleum system modeling study of Paleogene source rocks in Louisiana was undertaken in order to characterize their thermal history and to establish the timing and extent of petroleum generation. The focus of the modeling study was the Paleocene and Eocene Wilcox Formation, which contains the youngest source rock...
The U.S. Geological Survey Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative-2011 Annual Update
M.J. Adams, E. Muths, E.H.C. Grant, David A. Miller, J.H. Waddle, L.C. Ball
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3090
Welcome to the inaugural issue of ARMI's Annual Update. This update provides highlights and significant milestones of this innovative program. ARMI is uniquely qualified to provide research and monitoring results that are scalable from local to national levels, and are useful to resource managers. ARMI has produced nearly 400 peer-reviewed...
Flood risk awareness during the 2011 floods in the central United States: showcasing the importance of hydrologic data and interagency collaboration
Robert R. Holmes Jr., Noreen O. Schwein, Charles E. Shadie
2012, Leadership and Management in Engineering (12) 101-110
Floods have long had a major impact on society and the environment, evidenced by the more than 1,500 federal disaster declarations since 1952 that were associated with flooding. Calendar year 2011 was an epic year for floods in the United States, from the flooding on the Red River of the...
Drought and cooler temperatures are associated with higher nest survival in Mountain Plovers
V.J. Dreitz, R.Y. Conrey, S. K. Skagen
2012, Avian Conservation and Ecology (7)
Native grasslands have been altered to a greater extent than any other biome in North America. The habitats and resources needed to support breeding performance of grassland birds endemic to prairie ecosystems are currently threatened by land management practices and impending climate change. Climate models for the Great Plains prairie...
Assessment of nutrients and suspended sediment conditions in and near the Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge, Northwest Minnesota, 2008–2010
Rochelle A. Nustad, Joel M. Galloway
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5112
In response to concerns about water-quality impairments that may affect habitat degradation in Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in northwest Minnesota, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service collected streamflow data, discrete nutrient and suspended- sediment samples, and continuous water-quality data from 2008 to 2010....
Evaluating changes in matrix based, recovery-adjusted concentrations in paired data for pesticides in groundwater
Tammy M. Zimmerman, Kevin J. Breen
2012, Journal of Environmental Quality (41) 1238-1245
Pesticide concentration data for waters from selected carbonate-rock aquifers in agricultural areas of Pennsylvania were collected in 1993–2009 for occurrence and distribution assessments. A set of 30 wells was visited once in 1993–1995 and again in 2008–2009 to assess concentration changes. The data include censored matched pairs (nondetections of a...
Combined sewer overflows: an environmental source of hormones and wastewater micropollutants
P. J. Phillips, A.T. Chalmers, J.L. Gray, D.W. Kolpin, W.T. Foreman, G. R. Wall
2012, Environmental Science & Technology (46) 5336-5343
Data were collected at a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Burlington, Vermont, USA, (serving 30,000 people) to assess the relative contribution of CSO (combined sewer overflow) bypass flows and treated wastewater effluent to the load of steroid hormones and other wastewater micropollutants (WMPs) from a WWTP to a lake. Flow-weighted...
Groundwater quality in the Columbia Plateau, Snake River Plain, and Oahu basaltic-rock and basin-fill aquifers in the Northwestern United States and Hawaii, 1992-2010
Lonna M. Frans, Michael G. Rupert, Charles D. Hunt Jr., Kenneth D. Skinner
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5123
This assessment of groundwater-quality conditions of the Columbia Plateau, Snake River Plain, and Oahu for the period 1992–2010 is part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. It shows where, when, why, and how specific water-quality conditions occur in groundwater of the three study areas and...
By the numbers: how is recovery defined by the U.S. Endangered Species Act?
Maile C. Neel, Allison K. Leidner, Aaron Haines, Dale D. Goble, J. Michael Scott
2012, BioScience (62) 646-657
Nearly 40 years after passage of the US Endangered Species Act, the prospects for listed species remain dim because they are too severely imperiled by the time they receive the act's protection. Even if threats are abated, the low abundances required for recovery often preclude a high probability of persistence....
Changes in permeability caused by transient stresses: field observations, experiments, and mechanisms
Michael Manga, Igor Beresnev, Emily E. Brodsky, Jean E. Elkhoury, Derek Elsworth, Steve E. Ingebritsen, David C. Mays, Chi-Yuen Wang
2012, Reviews of Geophysics (50)
Oscillations in stress, such as those created by earthquakes, can increase permeability and fluid mobility in geologic media. In natural systems, strain amplitudes as small as 10–6 can increase discharge in streams and springs, change the water level in wells, and enhance production from petroleum reservoirs. Enhanced permeability typically recovers...
Carbon and sediment accumulation in the Everglades (USA) during the past 4000 years: rates, drivers, and sources of error
Paul H. Glaser, John C. Volin, Thomas J. Givnish, Barbara C. S. Hansen, Craig A. Stricker
2012, Journal of Geophysical Research G: Biogeosciences (117) G03026
Tropical and sub-tropical wetlands are considered to be globally important sources for greenhouse gases but their capacity to store carbon is presumably limited by warm soil temperatures and high rates of decomposition. Unfortunately, these assumptions can be difficult to test across long timescales because the chronology, cumulative mass, and completeness...
Concentrations of selected metals in Quaternary-age fluvial deposits along the lower Cheyenne and middle Belle Fourche Rivers, western South Dakota, 2009-10
John F. Stamm, Galen K. Hoogestraat
2012, Data Series 695
The headwaters of the Cheyenne and Belle Fourche Rivers drain the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming, an area that has been affected by mining and ore-milling operations since the discovery of gold in 1875. A tributary to the Belle Fourche River is Whitewood Creek, which drains the area...
Flood-inundation maps for the West Branch Delaware River, Delhi, New York, 2012
William F. Coon, Brian K. Breaker
2012, Scientific Investigations Map 3216
Digital flood-inundation maps for a 5-mile reach of the West Branch Delaware River through the Village and part of the Town of Delhi, New York, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Village of Delhi, the Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the...
Integrated monitoring of ecological conditions in wetland-upland landscapes
Alisa Gallant, Walt Sadinski
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3103
Landscapes of interwoven wetlands and uplands offer a rich set of ecosystem goods and services. Managing lands to maximize ecosystem services requires information that distinguishes change caused by local actions from broader-scale shifts in climate, land use, and other forms of global change. Satellite and airborne sensors collect valuable data...
Assessment of undiscovered, conventional oil and gas resources of Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, 2012
Christopher J. Schenk, Michael E. Brownfield, Ronald R. Charpentier, Troy A. Cook, Timothy R. Klett, Janet K. Pitman, Richard M. Pollastro, Jean N. Weaver
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3069
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 19 billion barrels of oil and 83 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas resources in 10 geologic provinces of Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize....
