Mitigating amphibian disease: strategies to maintain wild populations and control chytridiomycosis
Douglas C. Woodhams, Jaime Bosch, Cheryl J. Briggs, Scott Cashins, Leyla R. Davis, Antje Lauer, Erin L. Muths, Robert Puschendorf, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Brandon Sheafor, Jamie Voyles
2011, Frontiers in Zoology (8)
Background Rescuing amphibian diversity is an achievable conservation challenge. Disease mitigation is one essential component of population management. Here we assess existing disease mitigation strategies, some in early experimental stages, which focus on the globally emerging chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. We discuss the precedent for each strategy...
Ecosystem services provided by playas in the High Plains: potential influences of USDA conservation programs
Loren M. Smith, David A. Haukos, Scott T. McMurry, David Willis
2011, Ecological Applications (21) S82-S92
Playas are shallow depressional wetlands and the dominant wetland type in the non-glaciated High Plains of the United States. This region is one of the most intensively cultivated regions in the Western Hemisphere, and playas are profoundly impacted by a variety of agricultural activities. Conservation practices promoted through Farm Bills...
In Vivo fitness associated with high virulence in a vertebrate virus is a complex trait regulated by host entry, replication, and shedding
Andrew R. Wargo, Gael Kurath
2011, Journal of Virology (85) 3959-3967
The relationship between pathogen fitness and virulence is typically examined by quantifying only one or two pathogen fitness traits. More specifically, it is regularly assumed that within-host replication, as a precursor to transmission, is the driving force behind virulence. In reality, many traits contribute to pathogen fitness, and each trait...
Investigating the complex interface where bedrock transforms to regolith
S. L. Brantley, Heather L. Buss, M. Lebedeva, R. C. Fletcher, I. Ma
2011, Applied Geochemistry (26) S12-S15
The interface where bedrock transforms to regolith is not planar but rather has a roughness that varies with the scale of observation. The complexity of this surface is manifested in both element-depth and fragment size-depth distributions and may sometimes be related to the longitudinal profiles of watershed streams. The fractal...
U.S. Geological Survey Fundamental Science Practices
Fundamental Science Practices Advisory Committee
2011, Circular 1367
The USGS has a long and proud tradition of objective, unbiased science in service to the Nation. A reputation for impartiality and excellence is one of our most important assets. To help preserve this vital asset, in 2004 the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) of the USGS was charged by the...
Linking microbial and ecosystem ecology using ecological stoichiometry: a synthesis of conceptual and empirical approaches
E. K. Hall, F. Maixner, O. Franklin, H. Daims, A. Richter, T. Battin
2011, Ecosystems (14) 261-273
Currently, one of the biggest challenges in microbial and ecosystem ecology is to develop conceptual models that organize the growing body of information on environmental microbiology into a clear mechanistic framework with a direct link to ecosystem processes. Doing so will enable development of testable hypotheses to better direct future...
Halloysite nanotubes and bacteria at the saprolite-bedrock interface, Rio Icacos watershed, Puerto Rico
Morgan L. Minyard, Mary Ann Bruns, Carmen E. Martinez, Laura Liermann, Heather L. Buss, Susan L. Brantley
2011, Soil Science Society of America Journal (75) 348-356
Quartz diorite bedrock underlying the Luquillo Mountains of eastern Puerto Rico undergoes weathering at one of the fastest documented rates for granitic rocks in the world. Although tropical temperatures and precipitation promote rapid weathering in this location, increased bacterial densities in the regolith immediately above the bedrock suggest that microorganisms...
Epistemic uncertainty in California-wide synthetic seismicity simulations
Fred F. Pollitz
2011, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (101) 2481-2498
The generation of seismicity catalogs on synthetic fault networks holds the promise of providing key inputs into probabilistic seismic-hazard analysis, for example, the coefficient of variation, mean recurrence time as a function of magnitude, the probability of fault-to-fault ruptures, and conditional probabilities for foreshock–mainshock triggering. I employ a seismicity simulator...
Age, growth, mortality, and abundance of lake sturgeon in the Grasse River, New York, USA
D.G. Trested, J. Jeffery Isely
2011, Journal of Applied Ichthyology (27) 13-19
An increased understanding of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) population dynamics is a key requirement for successful management efforts. Little is known regarding the Grasse River population of lake sturgeon except that it is one of a few populations in New York State where spawning has been documented. Thus our purpose...
Effects of herbivory and flooding on reforestation of baldcypress (Taxodium distichum [L.]) saplings planted in Caddo Lake, Texas
Bobby D. Keeland, Rassa O. Dale, Roy Darville, John W. McCoy
2011, Texas Journal of Science (63) 47-68
The effects of herbivory and flooding were examined on survival and growth of planted baldcypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.) saplings at three sites in Caddo Lake, TX, over a 4-yr period. There were two flood regimes (shallow periodic and deep continuous), where half of the saplings in each flood regime...
Rock fall simulation at Timpanogos Cave National Monument, American Fork Canyon, Utah, USA
Edwin L. Harp, Richard L. Dart, Paola Reichenbach
2011, Landslides (8) 373-379
Rock fall from limestone cliffs at Timpanogos Cave National Monument in American Fork Canyon east of Provo, Utah, is a common occurrence. The cave is located in limestone cliffs high on the southern side of the canyon. One fatality in 1933 led to the construction of rock fall shelters at...
Population estimates and monitoring guidelines for endangered Laysan Teal, Anas Laysanensis, at Midway Atoll: Pilot study results 2008-2010.
Michelle H. Reynolds, Kevin W. Brinck, Leona Laniawe
2011, Technical Report HCSU-021
Accurate estimates of population size are often crucial to determining status and planning recovery of endangered species. The ability to detect trends in survival and population size over time enables conservation managers to make effective decisions for species and refuge management. During 2004–2007, the translocated population of endangered Laysan Teal...
Sampling effort and estimates of species richness based on prepositioned area electrofisher samples
Zachary H. Bowen, Mary C. Freeman
2011, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (18) 144-153
Estimates of species richness based on electrofishing data are commonly used to describe the structure of fish communities. One electrofishing method for sampling riverine fishes that has become popular in the last decade is the prepositioned area electrofisher (PAE). We investigated the relationship between sampling effort and fish...
Chapter 11: Management considerations
Steven T. Knick, Steven E. Hanser, Matthias Leu, Cameron L. Aldridge, Scott E. Nielsen, Mary M. Rowland, Sean P. Finn, Michael J. Wisdom
2011, Book chapter, Sagebrush ecosystem conservation and management: Ecoregional assessment tools and models for the Wyoming Basins
We conducted an ecoregional assessment of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems in the Wyoming Basins and surrounding regions (WBEA) to determine broad-scale species-environmental relationships. Our goal was to assess the potential influence from threats to the sagebrush ecosystem on associated wildlife through the use of spatially explicit occurrence and abundance models....
Challenges of predicting the potential distribution of a slow-spreading invader: a habitat suitability map for an invasive riparian tree
Catherine S. Jarnevich, Lindsay V. Reynolds
2011, Biological Invasions (13) 153-163
Understanding the potential spread of invasive species is essential for land managers to prevent their establishment and restore impacted habitat. Habitat suitability modeling provides a tool for researchers and managers to understand the potential extent of invasive species spread. Our goal was to use habitat suitability modeling to map potential...
Recent and historic drivers of landscape change in the Everglades ridge, slough, and Tree Island mosaic
Laurel G. Larsen, Nicholas Aumen, Christopher E. Bernhardt, Vic Engel, Thomas J. Givnish, P McCormick S Hagerthey, Judson Harvey, Lynn Leonard, P. McCormick, Christopher McVoy, Gregory E. Noe, Martha K. Nungesser, K. Rutchey, Fred Sklar, Tiffany G. Troxler, John C. Volin, Debra A. Willard
2011, Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology (41) 344-381
More than half of the original Everglades extent formed a patterned peat mosaic of elevated ridges, lower and more open sloughs, and tree islands aligned parallel to the dominant flow direction. This ecologically important landscape structure remained in a dynamic equilibrium for millennia prior to rapid degradation over the past...
Hibernacula selection by Townsend's big-eared bat in Southwestern Colorado
Mark A. Hayes, Robert A. Schorr, Kirk W. Navo
2011, Journal of Wildlife Management (75) 137-143
In western United States, both mine reclamations and renewed mining at previously abandoned mines have increased substantially in the last decade. This increased activity may adversely impact bats that use these mines for roosting. Townsend's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii) is a species of conservation concern that may be impacted by...
Hydrologic effects of urbanization and climate change on the Flint River Basin, Georgia
Roland J. Viger, Lauren E. Hay, Steven L. Markstrom, John W. Jones, Gary R. Buell
2011, Earth Interactions (15)
The potential effects of long-term urbanization and climate change on the freshwater resources of the Flint River basin were examined by using the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS). PRMS is a deterministic, distributed-parameter watershed model developed to evaluate the effects of various combinations of precipitation, temperature, and land cover on streamflow...
The May 2005 eruption of Fernandina volcano, Galápagos: The first circumferential dike intrusion observed by GPS and InSAR
W.W. Chadwick Jr., Sigurjon Jonsson, Dennis J. Geist, Michael P. Poland, Daniel J. Johnson, S. Batt, Karen S. Harpp, A. Ruiz
2011, Bulletin of Volcanology (73) 679-697
The May 2005 eruption of Fernandina volcano, Galápagos, occurred along circumferential fissures parallel to the caldera rim and fed lava flows down the steep southwestern slope of the volcano for several weeks. This was the first circumferential dike intrusion ever observed by both InSAR and GPS measurements and thus provides...
Introduction: An ecoregional assessment of the Wyoming Basins
Steven T. Knick, Steve E. Hanser, Matthias Leu, Cameron L. Aldridge, Michael J. Wisdom
2011, Book chapter, Sagebrush ecosystem conservation and management: Ecoregional assessment tools and models for the Wyoming Basins
The Wyoming Basins Ecoregional Assessment (WBEA) area in the western United States contains a number of important land cover types, including nearly one-fourth of the sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) in North America. Although relatively unappreciated until recent decades, the broad open landscapes dominated by sagebrush communities have received increasing attention for...
Chapter 2: Sagebrush-associated species of conservation concern
Mary M. Rowland, Lowell H. Suring, Matthias Leu, Steven T. Knick, Michael J. Wisdom
2011, Book chapter, Sagebrush ecosystem conservation and management: Ecoregional assessment tools and models for the Wyoming Basins
Selection of species of concern is a critical early step in conducting broad-scale ecological assessments for conservation planning and management. Many criteria can be used to guide this selection, such as conservation status, existing knowledge base, and association with plant communities of interest. In conducting the Wyoming Basins Ecoregional Assessment...
Chapter 8: Occurrence of large and medium-sized mammals: Occurrence but not count models predict pronghorn distribution
Matthias Leu, Steve E. Hanser, Cameron L. Aldridge, Scott E. Nielsen, Lowell H. Suring, Steven T. Knick
2011, Book chapter, Sagebrush ecosystem conservation and management: Ecoregional assessment tools and models for the Wyoming Basins
Management of medium to large-sized terrestrial mammals (Antilocapridae, Canidae, Cervidae, Leporidae, Mustelidae, Ochotonidae) in the western United States is multifaceted and complex. Species in this group generally are charismatic and provide economic opportunities, although others are considered a nuisance at one extreme or are listed as species of conservation concern...
Characterization of winter foraging locations of Adélie penguins along the Western Antarctic Peninsula, 2001–2002
Eric S. Erdmann, Christine Ribic, Donna L. Patterson-Fraser, William R. Fraser
2011, Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography (58) 1710-1718
In accord with the hypotheses driving the Southern Ocean Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics (SO GLOBEC) program, we tested the hypothesis that the winter foraging ecology of a major top predator in waters off the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), the Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae), is constrained by oceanographic features related to...
Radiotelemetry to estimate stream life of adult chum salmon in the McNeil River, Alaska
Joshua Peirce, Edward O. Otis, Mark S. Wipfli, Erich H. Follmann
2011, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (31) 315-322
Estimating salmon escapement is one of the fundamental steps in managing salmon populations. The area-under-the-curve (AUC) method is commonly used to convert periodic aerial survey counts into annual salmon escapement indices. The AUC requires obtaining accurate estimates of stream life (SL) for target species. Traditional methods for estimating SL (e.g.,...
Stratigraphy and chronology of offshore to nearshore deposits associated with the Provo shoreline, Pleistocene Lake Bonneville, Utah
Holly S. Godsey, Charles G. Oviatt, David M. Miller, Marjorie A. Chan
2011, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology (310) 442-450
Stratigraphic descriptions and radiocarbon data from eleven field locations are presented in this paper to establish a chronostratigraphic framework for offshore to nearshore deposits of Lake Bonneville. Based on key marker beds and geomorphic position, the deposits are interpreted to have accumulated during the period from the late transgressive phase,...
