First report of fasciation in Pitcher's Thistle, Cirsium pitcheri (Asteraceae)
Noel B. Pavlovic, Megan K Korte, Kathryn McEachern, Ralph Grundel
2013, The Michigan Botanist (52) 58-66
We document the first reported occurrence of fasciation in the federally threatened Pitcher’s thistle, Cirsium pitcheri (Asteraceae). In 2013, we discovered two adult plants of Pitcher’s thistle out of a total of 176 plants at West Beach, near Miller, Indiana, USA, that exhibited both normal and fasciated growth. Unlike plants...
Magmatism, ash-flow tuffs, and calderas of the ignimbrite flareup in the western Nevada volcanic field, Great Basin, USA
Christopher D. Henry, David A. John
2013, Geosphere (9) 951-1008
The western Nevada volcanic field is the western third of a belt of calderas through Nevada and western Utah. Twenty-three calderas and their caldera-forming tuffs are reasonably well identified in the western Nevada volcanic field, and the presence of at least another 14 areally extensive, apparently voluminous ash-flow tuffs...
New microsatellite loci isolated via next-generation sequencing for two endangered pronghorn from the Sonoran Desert
Adrian Munguia-Vega, Anastasia Klimova, Melanie Culver
2013, Conservation Genetics Resources (5) 125-127
We isolated 16 novel microsatellite loci in two subspecies of endangered desert pronghorns (Antilocapra americana sonoriensis and Antilocapra americana peninsularis) using a shotgun pyrosequencing approach. All and 87.5 % of the loci were polymorphic within each subspecies, respectively. The mean number of alleles per locus was 4.86 (range 2–8) and...
The 1960 tsunami on beach-ridge plains near Maullín, Chile: Landward descent, renewed breaches, aggraded fans, multiple predecessors
Brian F. Atwater, Marco Cisternas, E. Yulianto, A. Prendergast, K. Jankaew, A. Eipert, Warnakulasuriya Fernando, Iwan Tejakusuma, Ignacio Schiappacasse, Yuki Sawai
2013, Andean Geology (40) 393-418
The Chilean tsunami of 22 May 1960 reamed out a breach and built up a fan as it flowed across a sparsely inhabited beach-ridge plain near Maullín, midway along the length of the tsunami source. Eyewitnesses to the flooding, interviewed mainly in 1988 and 1989, identified levels that the tsunami...
Black bear density in Glacier National Park, Montana
Jeff B. Stetz, Katherine C. Kendall, Amy C. Macleod
2013, Wildlife Society Bulletin (38) 60-70
We report the first abundance and density estimates for American black bears (Ursus americanus) in Glacier National Park (NP),Montana, USA.We used data from 2 independent and concurrent noninvasive genetic sampling methods—hair traps and bear rubs—collected during 2004 to generate individual black bear encounter histories for use in closed population mark–recapture...
Introduction to a special section: Ecology, culture, and management of Burbot
Martin A. Stapanian, Charles P. Madenjian
2013, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (142) 1659-1661
The Burbot Lota lota is the only truly freshwater member of the cod family (Gadidae) and one of only two species of freshwater fish that have a circumpolar range (McPhail and Lindsey 1970; McPhail and Paragamian 2000). Two subspecies of Lota lota have been documented: Lota lota maculosa, which is...
Use of fragile geologic structures as indicators of unexceeded ground motions and direct constraints on probabilistic seismic hazard analysis
J. W. Baker, John W. Whitney, Thomas C. Hanks, Norman A. Abramson, Mark P. Board
2013, BSSA (103) 1898-1911
We present a quantitative procedure for constraining probabilistic seismic hazard analysis results at a given site, based on the existence of fragile geologic structures at that site. We illustrate this procedure by analyzing precarious rocks and undamaged lithophysae at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The key metric is the probability that the...
Sea-level change during the last 2500 years in New Jersey, USA
Andrew C. Kemp, Benjamin P. Horton, Christopher H. Vane, Christopher E. Bernhardt, D. Reide Corbett, Simon E. Engelhart, Shimon C. Anisfeld, Andrew C. Parnell, Niamh Cahill
2013, Quaternary Science Reviews (81) 90-104
Relative sea-level changes during the last ∼2500 years in New Jersey, USA were reconstructed to test if late Holocene sea level was stable or included persistent and distinctive phases of variability. Foraminifera and bulk-sediment δ13C values were combined to reconstruct paleomarsh elevation with decimeter precision from sequences of salt-marsh sediment...
Intra-population variation in activity ranges, diel patterns, movement rates, and habitat use of American alligators in a subtropical estuary
Adam E. Rosenblatt, Michael R. Heithaus, Frank M Mazzotti, Michael S. Cherkiss, Brian M. Jeffery
2013, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science (135) 182-190
Movement and habitat use patterns are fundamental components of the behaviors of mobile animals and help determine the scale and types of interactions they have with their environments. These behaviors are especially important to quantify for top predators because they can have strong effects on lower trophic levels as well...
Performance of human fecal anaerobe-associated PCR-based assays in a multi-laboratory method evaluation study
Blythe A. Layton, Yiping Cao, Darcy L. Ebentier, Kaitlyn Hanley, Elisenda Balleste, Joao Brandao, Muruleedhara N. Byappanahalli, Reagan Converse, Andreas H. Farnleitner, Jennifer Gidley Gentry-Shields Gidley, Maribeth L., Michele Gourmelon, Chang Soo Lee, Jiyoung Lee, Solen Lozach, Tania Madi, Wim G. Meijer, Rachel Noble, Lindsay Peed, Georg H. Reischer, Raquel Rodrigues, Joan B. Rose, Alexander Schriewer, Chris Sinigalliano, Sangeetha Srinivasan, Jill Stewart, Van De Werfhorst, C. Laurie, Dan Wang, Richard Whitman, Stefan Wuertz, Jenny Jay, Patricia A. Holden, Alexandria B. Boehm, Orin Shanks, John F. Griffith
2013, Water Research (47) 6897-6908
A number of PCR-based methods for detecting human fecal material in environmental waters have been developed over the past decade, but these methods have rarely received independent comparative testing in large multi-laboratory studies. Here, we evaluated ten of these methods (BacH, BacHum-UCD, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (BtH), BsteriF1, gyrB, HF183 endpoint, HF183...
Shallow groundwater and soil chemistry response to 3 years of subsurface drip irrigation using coalbed-methane-produced water
Carleton R. Bern, Adam R. Boehlke, Mark A. Engle, Nicholas J. Geboy, K.T. Schroeder, J.W. Zupancic
2013, Hydrogeology Journal (21) 1803-1820
Disposal of produced waters, pumped to the surface as part of coalbed methane (CBM) development, is a significant environmental issue in the Wyoming portion of the Powder River Basin, USA. High sodium adsorption ratios (SAR) of the waters could degrade agricultural land, especially if directly applied to the soil surface....
Analysis of H2O in silicate glass using attenuated total reflectance (ATR) micro-FTIR spectroscopy
Jacob B. Lowenstern, Bradley W. Pitcher
2013, American Mineralogist (98) 1660-1668
We present a calibration for attenuated total reflectance (ATR) micro-FTIR for analysis of H2O in hydrous glass. A Ge ATR accessory was used to measure evanescent wave absorption by H2O within hydrous rhyolite and other standards. Absorbance at 3450 cm−1 (representing total H2O or H2Ot) and 1630 cm−1 (molecular H2O...
Detectability of thermal signatures associated with active formation of ‘chaos terrain’ on Europa
Oleg Abramov, J. Rathbun, Britney E. Schmidt, John R. Spencer
2013, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (384) 37-41
A recent study by Schmidt et al. (2011) suggests that Thera Macula, one of the “chaos regions” on Europa, may be actively forming over a large liquid water lens. Such a process could conceivably produce a thermal anomaly detectable by a future Europa orbiter or flyby mission, allowing for a...
Distribution and movement of Big Spring spinedace (Lepidomeda mollispinis pratensis) in Condor Canyon, Meadow Valley Wash, Nevada
Ian G. Jezorek, Patrick J. Connolly
2013, Western North American Naturalist (3) 323-336
Big Spring spinedace (Lepidomeda mollispinis pratensis) is a cyprinid whose entire population occurs within a section of Meadow Valley Wash, Nevada. Other spinedace species have suffered population and range declines (one species is extinct). Managers, concerned about the vulnerability of Big Spring spinedace, have considered habitat restoration actions or translocation,...
Comparative microhabitat characteristics at oviposition sites of the California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii)
Jeff A. Alvarez, David G. Cook, Julie L. Yee, Michael G. van Hattem, Darren R. Fong, Robert N. Fisher
2013, Herpetological Conservation and Biology (8) 539-551
We studied the microhabitat characteristics of 747 egg masses of the federally-threatened Rana draytonii (California red-legged frog) at eight sites in California. our study showed that a broad range of aquatic habitats are utilized by ovipositing R. draytonii, including sites with perennial and ephemeral water sources, natural and constructed wetlands,...
Sampling design for long-term regional trends in marine rocky intertidal communities
Gail V. Irvine, Alice Shelley
2013, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (185) 6963-6987
Probability-based designs reduce bias and allow inference of results to the pool of sites from which they were chosen. We developed and tested probability-based designs for monitoring marine rocky intertidal assemblages at Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (GLBA), Alaska. A multilevel design was used that varied in scale and...
Use of seeded exotic grasslands by wintering birds
Andrew D. George, Timothy J. O’Connell, Karen R. Hickman, David M. Leslie Jr.
2013, The Prairie Naturalist (45) 77-83
Despite widespread population declines of North American grassland birds, effects of anthropogenic disturbance on wintering habitat of this guild remain poorly understood. We compared avian abundance and habitat structure in fields planted to the exotic grass Old World bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum; OWB) to that in native mixed-grass prairie. During winters...
Seismic Station Installation Orientation Errors at ANSS and IRIS/USGS Stations
Adam T. Ringler, Charles R. Hutt, K. Persfield, Lind S. Gee
2013, Seismological Research Letters (84) 926-931
Many seismological studies depend on the published orientations of sensitive axes of seismic instruments relative to north (e.g., Li et al., 2011). For example, studies of the anisotropic structure of the Earth’s mantle through SKS‐splitting measurements (Long et al., 2009), constraints on core–mantle electromagnetic coupling from torsional normal‐mode measurements (Dumberry...
Raptor nesting near oil and gas development: an overview of key findings and implications for management based on four reports by HawkWatch International
Mark R. Fuller
2013, BLM Technical Note 432
The project was undertaken because of a paucity of information about the possible effects of OG operations and resource management on nesting raptors. BLM raptor management has included stipulations that restricted human activity near raptor nests during the raptor nesting season. The BLM and the Department of Energy (DOE), which...
Long-range hazard assessment of volcanic ash dispersal for a Plinian eruptive scenario at Popocatépetl volcano (Mexico): implications for civil aviation safety
Rosanna Bonasia, Chirara Scaini, Lucia Capra, Manuel Nathenson, Claus Siebe, Lilia Arana-Salinas, Arnau Folch
2013, Bulletin of Volcanology (76)
Popocatépetl is one of Mexico’s most active volcanoes threatening a densely populated area that includes Mexico City with more than 20 million inhabitants. The destructive potential of this volcano is demonstrated by its Late Pleistocene–Holocene eruptive activity, which has been characterized by recurrent Plinian eruptions of large magnitude, the last...
Nutrient limitation of native and invasive N2-fixing plants in northwest prairies
Andrea S. Thorpe, Steven S. Perakis, Christina Catricala, Thomas N. Kaye
2013, PLoS ONE (8)
Nutrient rich conditions often promote plant invasions, yet additions of non-nitrogen (N) nutrients may provide a novel approach for conserving native symbiotic N-fixing plants in otherwise N-limited ecosystems. Lupinus oreganus is a threatened N-fixing plant endemic to prairies in western Oregon and southwest Washington (USA). We tested the effect of...
Genetic diversity and mutation of avian paramyxovirus serotype 1 (Newcastle disease virus) in wild birds and evidence for intercontinental spread
Andrew M. Ramey, Andrew B. Reeves, Haruko Ogawa, S. Ip, Kunitoshi Imai, V. N. Bui, Emi Yamaguchi, N. Y. Silko, C.L. Afonso
2013, Archives of Virology (158) 2495-2503
Avian paramyxovirus serotype 1 (APMV-1), or Newcastle disease virus, is the causative agent of Newcastle disease, one of the most economically important diseases for poultry production worldwide and a cause of periodic epizootics in wild birds in North America. In this study, we examined the genetic diversity of APMV-1 isolated...
The significance of ultra-refracted surface gravity waves on sheltered coasts, with application to San Francisco Bay
D.M. Hanes, L. H. Erikson
2013, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science (133) 129-136
Ocean surface gravity waves propagating over shallow bathymetry undergo spatial modification of propagation direction and energy density, commonly due to refraction and shoaling. If the bathymetric variations are significant the waves can undergo changes in their direction of propagation (relative to deepwater) greater than 90° over relatively short spatial scales....
An approach for characterizing the distribution of shrubland ecosystem components as continuous fields as part of NLCD
George Z. Xian, Collin G. Homer, Debbie Meyer, Brian J. Granneman
2013, ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (86) 136-149
Characterizing and quantifying distributions of shrubland ecosystem components is one of the major challenges for monitoring shrubland vegetation cover change across the United States. A new approach has been developed to quantify shrubland components as fractional products within National Land Cover Database (NLCD). This approach uses remote sensing data and...
An integrated model of environmental effects on growth, carbohydrate balance, and mortality of Pinus ponderosa forests in the southern Rocky Mountains
Christina L. Tague, Nathan G. McDowell, Craig D. Allen
2013, PLoS ONE (8)
Climate-induced tree mortality is an increasing concern for forest managers around the world. We used a coupled hydrologic and ecosystem carbon cycling model to assess temperature and precipitation impacts on productivity and survival of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa). Model predictions were evaluated using observations of productivity and survival for three...
