Individual heterogeneity influences the effects of translocation on urban dispersal of an invasive reptile
Abigail B. Fueka, Melia G. Nafus, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Larissa L. Bailey, Mevin B. Hooten
2022, Movement Ecology (10)
BackgroundInvasive reptiles pose a serious threat to global biodiversity, but early detection of individuals in an incipient population is often hindered by their cryptic nature, sporadic movements, and variation among individuals. Little is known about the mechanisms that affect the movement of these species, which limits our understanding of their...
A machine learning approach to identify barriers in stream networks demonstrates high prevalence of unmapped riverine dams
Brian Buchanan, Suresh Sethi, Scott Cuppett, Megan Lung, George Jackman, Liam Zarri, Ethan Duvall, Jeremy Dietrich, Patrick Sullivan, Alon Dominitz, Josephine Archibald, Alexander Flecker, Brian Rahm
2022, Journal of Environmental Management (302)
Restoring stream ecosystem integrity by removing unused or derelict dams has become a priority for watershed conservation globally. However, efforts to restore connectivity are constrained by the availability of accurate dam inventories which often overlook smaller unmapped riverine dams. Here we develop and test a machine learning approach to identify...
Differences in population characteristics and modeled response to harvest regulations in reestablished Appalachian Walleye populations
Dustin M. Smith, Corbin D. Hilling, Stuart A. Welsh, David I. Wellman Jr.
2022, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (42) 612-629
Historically, the Monongahela, Tygart, and Cheat River watersheds in West Virginia were impaired by acidification from acid mine drainage and Walleye Sander vitreus were extirpated from these watersheds by the 1940s. Walleye were reestablished after water quality improvements following passage of environmental legislation and subsequent reintroduction efforts. We compared population characteristics, with...
Implementation plan of the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program strategy—Great Lakes (Central Lowland and Superior Upland Physiographic Provinces)
Christopher S. Swezey, Charles D. Blome, Kevin A. Kincare, Scott C. Lundstrom, Byron D. Stone, Donald S. Sweetkind, Richard C. Berg, Steven E. Brown, John A. Yellich
2022, Open-File Report 2021-1120
IntroductionThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program (NCGMP) has published a strategic plan entitled “Renewing the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program as the Nation’s Authoritative Source for Modern Geologic Knowledge”. This plan provides the following vision, mission, and goals for the program for the years 2020–30:Vision: create...
Use case development for earth monitoring, analysis, and prediction (EarthMAP)—A road map for future integrated predictive science at the U.S. Geological Survey
Tamara Wilson, Mark T. Wiltermuth, Karen E. Jenni, Robert Horton, Randall J. Hunt, Dee M. Williams, Vivian P. Nolan, Nicholas G. Aumen, David S. Brown, Kyle W. Blasch, Peter S. Murdoch
2022, Open-File Report 2021-1108
Executive SummaryThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 21st-century science strategy 2020–30 promotes a bureau-wide strategy to develop and deliver an integrated, predictive science capability that works at the scales and timelines needed to inform societally relevant resource management and protection and public safety and environmental health decisions (U.S. Geological Survey, 2021)....
Nutrient identity modifies the destabilising effects of eutrophication in grasslands
Oliver Carroll, Evan Batzer, Siddharth Bharath, Elizabeth T. Borer, Sofia Campana, Ellen Esch, Yann Hautier, Timothy Ohlert, Eric W. Seabloom, Peter B. Adler, Jonathan D. Bakker, Lori A. Biederman, Miguel N. Bugalho, Maria Caldeira, Qingqing Chen, Kendi F. Davies, Philip A. Fay, Johannes M. H. Knops, Kimberly Komatsu, Jason P. Martina, Kevin S. McCann, Joslin L. Moore, John W. Morgan, Taofeek O. Muraina, Brooke Bossert Osborne, Anita C. Risch, Carly J. Stevens, Peter A. Wilfahrt, Laura Yahdjian, Andrew S. MacDougall
Josep Penuelas, editor(s)
2022, Ecology Letters (25) 754-765
Nutrient enrichment can simultaneously increase and destabilise plant biomass production, with co-limitation by multiple nutrients potentially intensifying these effects. Here, we test how factorial additions of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium with essential nutrients (K+) affect the stability (mean/standard deviation) of aboveground biomass in 34 grasslands...
Evaluating the effect of expert elicitation techniques on population status assessment in the face of large uncertainty
Jennifer F. Moore, Julien Martin, Hardin Waddle, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Jillian Elizabeth Fleming, Eve Bohnett, Thomas S.B. Akre, Donald J. Brown, Michael T. Jones, Jessica R. Meck, Kevin J. Oxenrider, Anthony Tur, Lisabeth L. Willey, Fred A Johnson
2022, Journal of Environmental Management (306)
Population projection models are important tools for conservation and management. They are often used for population status assessments, for threat analyses, and to predict the consequences of conservation actions. Although conservation decisions should be informed by science, critical decisions are often...
Increasing the uptake of ecological model results in policy decisions to improve biodiversity outcomes
Sarah R. Weiskopf, Zuzana Harmáčková, Ciara G. Johnson, Maria Cecilia Londono-Murcia, Brian W. Miller, Bonnie J.E. Myers, Laura Pereira, Maria Isabel Arce-Plata, Julia L. Blanchard, Simon Ferrier, Elizabeth A. Fulton, Mike Harfoot, Forest Isbell, Justin A. Johnson, Akira S. Mori, Ensheng Weng, Isabel M.D. Rosa
2022, Environmental Modelling & Software (149)
Models help decision-makers anticipate the consequences of policies for ecosystems and people; for instance, improving our ability to represent interactions between human activities and ecological systems is essential to identify pathways to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. However, use of...
UAS-based tools for mapping and monitoring hydrothermal systems: An example from Mammoth Lakes, California
Laurie Antoinette Zielinski, Jonathan M.G. Glen, Tait E. Earney, Grant H. Rea-Downing, R. Greg Vaughan, Peter J. Kelly, Gordon H. Keller, Branden James Dean, William Schermerhorn
2022, Geothermal Resources Council Transactions (46) 1618-1637
Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) can accommodate a variety of tools for mapping and monitoring hydrothermal systems (e.g., magnetic, gas, photogrammetry, and thermal infrared [TIR]). These platforms offer increased speed, coverage area, and uniformity compared to ground-based measurements, as well as lower flight height – and therefore higher resolution – than...
A borehole test for chlorinated solvent diffusion and degradation rates in sedimentary rock
Richelle M. Allen-King, Rebecca L. Kiekhaefer, Daniel J. Goode, Paul A. Hsieh, Michelle M. Lorah, Thomas E. Imbrigiotta
2022, Groundwater Monitoring and Remediation (42) 23-34
We present a new field measurement and numerical interpretation method (combined termed ‘test’) to parameterize the diffusion of trichloroethene (TCE) and its biodegradation products (DPs) from the matrix of sedimentary rock. The method uses a dual-packer system to interrogate a low-permeability section of the rock matrix adjacent to a previously...
Quantifying regional effects of best management practices on nutrient losses from agricultural lands
Victor L. Roland II, Ana Maria Garcia, David A. Saad, Scott W. Ator, Dale M. Robertson, Gregory E. Schwarz
2022, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation (77) 15-29
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) losses from agricultural areas have degraded the water quality of downstream rivers, lakes, and oceans. As a result, investment in the adoption of agricultural best management practices (BMPs) has grown, but assessments of their effectiveness at large spatial scales have lagged. This study applies regional...
The impact of future climate on wetland habitat in a critical migratory waterfowl corridor of the Prairie Pothole Region
Owen P. McKenna
2022, Report
Depressional wetlands are extremely sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation, so understanding how wetland inundation dynamics respond to changes in climate is essential for describing potential effects on wildlife breeding habitat. Millions of depressional basins make up the largest wetland complex in North America known as the Prairie Pothole...
Economical defence of resources structures territorial space use in a cooperative carnivore
Sarah N. Sells, Michael S. Mitchell, David Edward Ausband, Angela D. Luis, Douglas J. Emlen, Kevin M. Podruzny, Justin A. Gude
2022, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (289)
Ecologists have long sought to understand space use and mechanisms underlying patterns observed in nature. We developed an optimality landscape and mechanistic territory model to understand mechanisms driving space use and compared model predictions to empirical reality. We demonstrate our approach using grey wolves (Canis lupus). In the model, simulated...
Assessment of native fish passage through Brandon Road Lock and Dam, Des Plaines River, Illinois, using fin ray microchemistry
Claire E. Snyder, Devon C. Oliver, Brent C. Knights, Stephen M. Pescitelli, Gregory W. Whitledge
2022, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (151) 172-184
This study examined evidence of native fish passage through Brandon Road Lock and Dam (BRLD) on the Des Plaines River, Illinois, in light of proposed modifications to prevent the upstream passage of invasive carps. Direct evidence of upstream passage by native fishes at BRLD is...
Reconciling models and measurements of marsh vulnerability to sea level rise
Daniel J. Coleman, Mark Schuerch, Stijn Temmerman, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Christopher G. Smith, Matthew L. Kirwan
2022, Limnology and Oceanography Letters (7) 140-149
Tidal marsh survival in the face of sea level rise (SLR) and declining sediment supply often depends on the ability of marshes to build soil vertically. However, numerical models typically predict survival under rates of SLR that far exceed field-based measurements of vertical accretion. Here, we...
Genetic diversity and mate selection in a reintroduced population of gray wolves
David Edward Ausband
2022, Scientific Reports (12)
The genetic composition of an individual can markedly affect its survival, reproduction, and ultimately fitness. As some wildlife populations become smaller, conserving genetic diversity will be a conservation challenge. Many imperiled species are already supported through population augmentation efforts and we often do not know if or how genetic diversity...
Portable optically stimulated luminescence age map of a paleoseismic exposure
Christopher DuRoss, Ryan D. Gold, Harrison J. Gray, Sylvia R. Nicovich
2022, Geology (50) 470-475
The quality and quantity of geochronologic data used to constrain the history of major earthquakes in a region exerts a first-order control on the accuracy of seismic hazard assessments that affect millions of people. However, evaluations of geochronological data are limited by uncertainties related to inherently complex depositional processes that...
Mine drainage precipitates attenuate and conceal wastewater-derived phosphate pollution in stream water
Peter M. Smyntek, Natalie Lamagna, Charles A. Cravotta III, William H. J. Strosnider
2022, Science of the Total Environment (815)
Hydrous ferric-oxide (HFO) coatings on streambed sediments may attenuate dissolved phosphate (PO4) concentrations at acidic to neutral pH conditions, limiting phosphorus (P) transport and availability in aquatic ecosystems. Mesh-covered tiles on which “natural” HFO from abandoned mine drainage (AMD) had precipitated were exposed to treated municipal wastewater (MWW) effluent or a mixture of stream water...
Leveraging community science data for population assessments during a pandemic
Paige Howell, Patrick Devers, Orin J. Robinson, J. Andrew Royle
2022, Ecological Applications (32)
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted field research programs, making conservation and management decision-making more challenging. However, it may be possible to conduct population assessments using integrated models that combine community science data with existing data from structured surveys. We developed a space-time integrated model to characterize...
From crystals to crustal-scale seismic anisotropy: Bridging the gap between rocks and seismic studies with digital geologic map data in Colorado
Michael G. Frothingham, Kevin H. Mahan, Vera Schulte-Pelkum, Jonathan Saul Caine, Frederick W. Vollmer
2022, Tectonics (41)
Deep continental crustal structures are enigmatic due to lack of direct exposures and limited tools to investigate them remotely. Seismic waves can sample these rocks, but most seismic methods focus on coarse crustal structures while laboratory measurements concentrate on crystal-scale rock properties, and little work has...
Where groundwater seeps: Evaluating modeled groundwater discharge patterns with thermal infrared surveys at the river-network scale
Janet R. Barclay, Martin A. Briggs, Eric Moore, J. Jeffrey Starn, Ann E.H. Hanson, Ashley Helton
2022, Advances in Water Resources (106)
Predicting baseflow dynamics, protecting aquatic habitat, and managing legacy contaminants requires explicit characterization and prediction of groundwater discharge patterns throughout river networks. Using handheld thermal infrared (TIR) cameras, we surveyed 47 km of stream length across the Farmington River watershed (1,570 km2; CT...
Species-specific responses to landscape features shaped genomic structure within Alaska galliformes
Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Robert E. Wilson, Sandra L. Talbot
2022, Journal of Biogeography (49) 261-273
AimConnectivity is vital to the resiliency of populations to environmental change and stochastic events, especially for cold-adapted species as Arctic and alpine tundra habitats retract as the climate warms. We examined the influence of past and current landscapes on genomic connectivity in cold-adapted galliformes as a critical...
System characterization report on Planet SkySat
Minsu Kim, Seonkyung Park, Aparajithan Sampath, Cody Anderson, Gregory L. Stensaas
2022, Open-File Report 2021-1030-E
This report addresses system characterization of Planet’s SkySat and is part of a series of system characterization reports produced and delivered by the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val Center of Excellence. These reports present and detail the methodology and procedures for characterization; present technical and operational...
gTOOLS, an open-source MATLAB program for processing high precision, relative gravity data for time-lapse gravity monitoring
Maurizio Battaglia, Antonina Calahorrano-Di Patre, Ashton F. Flinders
2022, Computers & Geosciences (160)
gTOOLS is an open-source software for the processing of relative gravity data. gTOOLS is available in MATLAB and as a compiled executable to be run under the free MATLAB Runtime Compiler. The software has been designed for time-lapse (temporal) gravity monitoring....
Climate and land change impacts on future managed wetland habitat: A case study from California’s Central Valley
Tamara Wilson, Elliott Matchett, Kristin B. Byrd, Erin Conlisk, Matthew E. Reiter, Cynthia Wallace, Lorraine E. Flint, Alan L. Flint, Monica Mei Jeen Moritsch
2022, Landscape Ecology (37) 861-881
ConceptCalifornia’s Central Valley provides critical habitat for migratory waterbirds, yet only 10% of naturally occurring wetlands remain. Competition for limited water supplies and climate change will impact the long-term viability of these intensively managed habitats.ObjectivesForecast the distribution, abundance, and connectivity of surface water and managed wetland...
