Agave turneri (Agavaceae), a new species from northeastern Baja California, Mexico
Robert H. Webb, J. Mario Salazar-Cesena
2011, Brittonia (63) 203-210
Agave turneri, a new species of Agave from the Sierras Cucapá and El Mayor in northeastern Baja California, Mexico, is a medium-sized species that does not produce offsets, has a relatively short and narrow panicle, and has a distinctive flower structure. The closest relatives to this new species are Agave...
USGS research on Florida's isolated freshwater wetlands
Arturo E. Torres, Kim H. Haag, Terrie M. Lee, Patricia A. Metz
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3094
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has studied wetland hydrology and its effects on wetland health and ecology in Florida since the 1990s. USGS wetland studies in Florida and other parts of the Nation provide resource managers with tools to assess current conditions and regional trends in wetland resources. Wetland...
Hydrography of and biogeochemical inputs to Liberty Bay, a small urban embayment in Puget Sound, Washington
Renee K. Takesue
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5152
This multi-chapter report describes scientific and logistic understanding gained from a 2 year proof-of-concept study in Liberty Bay, a small urban embayment in central Puget Sound, Washington. The introductory chapter describes the regional and local setting, the high-level study goals, the site-specific urban stressors, and the interdisciplinary study approach. Subsequent...
Parasite distribution, prevalence, and assemblages of the grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio, in Southwestern Alabama, U.S.A.
Kate L. Sheehan, Kevin D. Lafferty, Jack O’Brien, Just Cebrian
2011, Comparative Parasitology (78) 245-256
The grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio, harbors a number of symbionts within its North American range. Here, we document the distribution and seasonality of 4 taxonomic groups that use P. pugio as a host in coastal Alabama. We conducted a regional survey of 4 symbionts of P. pugio over 3 seasons...
Carbonatite and alkaline intrusion-related rare earth element deposits–A deposit model
Philip L. Verplanck, Bradley S. Van Gosen
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1256
The rare earth elements are not as rare in nature as their name implies, but economic deposits with these elements are not common and few deposits have been large producers. In the past 25 years, demand for rare earth elements has increased dramatically because of their wide and diverse use...
Estimates of electricity requirements for the recovery of mineral commodities, with examples applied to sub-Saharan Africa
Donald I. Bleiwas
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1253
To produce materials from mine to market it is necessary to overcome obstacles that include the force of gravity, the strength of molecular bonds, and technological inefficiencies. These challenges are met by the application of energy to accomplish the work that includes the direct use of electricity, fossil fuel, and...
PCB-induced changes of a benthic community and expected ecosystem recovery following in situ sorbent amendment
Elisabeth M.-L. Janssen, Janet K. Thompson, Samuel N. Luoma, Richard G. Luthy
2011, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (30) 1819-1826
The benthic community was analyzed to evaluate pollution-induced changes for the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated site at Hunters Point (HP) relative to 30 reference sites in San Francisco Bay, California, USA. An analysis based on functional traits of feeding, reproduction, and position in the sediment shows that HP is depauperate in...
Assessment of managed aquifer recharge from Sand Hollow Reservoir, Washington County, Utah, updated to conditions in 2010
Victor M. Heilweil, Thomas M. Marston
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5142
Sand Hollow Reservoir in Washington County, Utah, was completed in March 2002 and is operated primarily for managed aquifer recharge by the Washington County Water Conservancy District. From 2002 through 2009, total surface-water diversions of about 154,000 acre-feet to Sand Hollow Reservoir have allowed it to remain nearly full since...
Hydrogeologic framework of the Johns Creek subbasin and vicinity, Mason County, Washington
Wendy B. Welch, Mark E. Savoca
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5168
This report describes the hydrogeologic framework of the groundwater-flow system in the Johns Creek subbasin and vicinity. The study area covers 97 square miles in southeastern Mason County, Washington, and includes the Johns Creek subbasin, which drains an area of about 11 square miles. The study area extends beyond the...
Earthquakes in Hawai‘i—an underappreciated but serious hazard
Paul G. Okubo, Jennifer S. Nakata
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3013
The State of Hawaii has a history of damaging earthquakes. Earthquakes in the State are primarily the result of active volcanism and related geologic processes. It is not a question of "if" a devastating quake will strike Hawai‘i but rather "when." Tsunamis generated by both distant and local quakes are...
Flood-frequency analyses from paleoflood investigations for Spring, Rapid, Boxelder, and Elk Creeks, Black Hills, western South Dakota
Tessa M. Harden, Jim E. O'Connor, Daniel G. Driscoll, John F. Stamm
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5131
Flood-frequency analyses for the Black Hills area are important because of severe flooding of June 9-10, 1972, that was caused by a large mesoscale convective system and caused at least 238 deaths. Many 1972 peak flows are high outliers (by factors of 10 or more) in observed records that date...
Assessment of surface-water quantity and quality, Eagle River watershed, Colorado, 1947-2007
Cory A. Williams, Jennifer L. Moore, Rodney J. Richards
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5075
From the early mining days to the current tourism-based economy, the Eagle River watershed (ERW) in central Colorado has undergone a sequence of land-use changes that has affected the hydrology, habitat, and water quality of the area. In 2000, the USGS, in cooperation with the Colorado River Water Conservation District,...
Deposit model for volcanogenic uranium deposits
George N. Breit, Susan M. Hall
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1255
Volcanism is a major contributor to the formation of important uranium deposits both close to centers of eruption and more distal as a result of deposition of ash with leachable uranium. Hydrothermal fluids that are driven by magmatic heat proximal to some volcanic centers directly form some deposits. These fluids...
Groundwater quality in the Santa Clara River Valley, California
Carmen A. Burton, Matthew K. Landon, Kenneth Belitz
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3055
The Santa Clara River Valley (SCRV) study unit is located in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, California, and is bounded by the Santa Monica, San Gabriel, Topatopa, and Santa Ynez Mountains, and the Pacific Ocean. The 460-square-mile study unit includes eight groundwater basins: Ojai Valley, Upper Ojai Valley, Ventura River...
Proceedings of the Fourth Interagency Conference on Research in the Watersheds—Observing, Studying, and Managing for Change
C. Nicholas Medley, Glenn Patterson, Melanie J. Parker, editor(s)
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5169
These proceedings contain the abstracts, manuscripts, and posters of presentations given at the Fourth Interagency Conference on Research in the Watersheds—Observing, Studying, and Managing for Change, held at the Westmark Hotel in Fairbanks, Alaska, September 26–30, 2011. The conference was jointly hosted by the Bureau of Land Management and the...
Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the Monterey Bay and Salinas Valley Basins, 2005-California GAMA Priority Basin Project
Justin T. Kulongoski, Kenneth Belitz
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5058
Groundwater quality in the approximately 1,000 square mile (2,590 km2) Monterey Bay and Salinas Valley Basins (MS) study unit was investigated as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The study unit is located in central California in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and...
Technique for estimation of streamflow statistics in mineral areas of interest in Afghanistan
Scott A. Olson, Thomas J. Mack
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1176
A technique for estimating streamflow statistics at ungaged stream sites in areas of mineral interest in Afghanistan using drainage-area-ratio relations of historical streamflow data was developed and is documented in this report. The technique can be used to estimate the following streamflow statistics at ungaged sites: (1) 7-day low flow...
Groundwater quality in the Monterey Bay and Salinas Valley groundwater basins, California
Justin T. Kulongoski, Kenneth Belitz
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3089
The Monterey-Salinas study unit is nearly 1,000 square miles and consists of the Santa Cruz Purisima Formation Highlands, Felton Area, Scotts Valley, Soquel Valley, West Santa Cruz Terrace, Salinas Valley, Pajaro Valley, and Carmel Valley groundwater basins (California Department of Water Resources, 2003; Kulongski and Belitz, 2011). These basins were...
Sampling large landscapes with small-scale stratification-User's Manual
Jonathan Bart
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1247
This manual explains procedures for partitioning a large landscape into plots, assigning the plots to strata, and selecting plots in each stratum to be surveyed. These steps are referred to as the "sampling large landscapes (SLL) process." We assume that users of the manual have a moderate knowledge of ArcGIS...
Geologic map of Big Bend National Park, Texas
Kenzie J. Turner, Margaret E. Berry, William R. Page, Thomas M. Lehman, Robert G. Bohannon, Robert B. Scott, Daniel P. Miggins, James R. Budahn, Roger W. Cooper, Benjamin J. Drenth, Eric D. Anderson, Van S. Williams
2011, Scientific Investigations Map 3142
The purpose of this map is to provide the National Park Service and the public with an updated digital geologic map of Big Bend National Park (BBNP). The geologic map report of Maxwell and others (1967) provides a fully comprehensive account of the important volcanic, structural, geomorphological, and paleontological features...
Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the Santa Clara River Valley, 2007-California GAMA Priority Basin Project
Carmen A. Burton, Joseph Montrella, Matthew K. Landon, Kenneth Belitz
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5052
Groundwater quality in the approximately 460-square-mile Santa Clara River Valley study unit was investigated from April through June 2007 as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Priority Basin Project is conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in collaboration...
Substitutability of bats in agricultural systems: why ecosystem valuation is not likely to sway agricultural interests
Wayne E. Thogmartin
2011, Bat Research News (52) 41-44
No abstract available....
Occupancy and abundance of wintering birds in a dynamic agricultural landscape
Mark W. Miller, Elise V. Pearlstine, Robert M. Dorazio, Frank J. Mazzotti
2011, Journal of Wildlife Management (75) 836-847
Assessing wildlife management action requires monitoring populations, and abundance often is the parameter monitored. Recent methodological advances have enabled estimation of mean abundance within a habitat using presence–absence or count data obtained via repeated visits to a sample of sites. These methods assume populations are closed and intuitively assume habitats...
On the brink of change: Plant responses to climate on the Colorado Plateau
Seth M. Munson, Jayne Belnap, Charles D. Schelz, Mary Moran, Tara W. Carolin
2011, Ecosphere (2)
The intensification of aridity due to anthropogenic climate change in the southwestern U.S. is likely to have a large impact on the growth and survival of plant species that may already be vulnerable to water stress. To make accurate predictions of plant responses to climate change, it is essential to...
Occurrence and concentrations of pharmaceutical compounds in groundwater used for public drinking-water supply in California
Miranda S. Fram, Kenneth Belitz
2011, Science of the Total Environment (409) 3409-3417
Pharmaceutical compounds were detected at low concentrations in 2.3% of 1231 samples of groundwater (median depth to top of screened interval in wells = 61 m) used for public drinking-water supply in California. Samples were collected statewide for the California State Water Resources Control Board's Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program....
