Sexing California gulls using morphometrics and discriminant function analysis
Garth Herring, Joshua T. Ackerman, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, John Y. Takekawa
2010, Waterbirds (33) 79-85
A discriminant function analysis (DFA) model was developed with DNA sex verification so that external morphology could be used to sex 203 adult California Gulls (Larus californicus) in San Francisco Bay (SFB). The best model was 97% accurate and included head-to-bill length, culmen depth at the gonys, and wing length....
Upper Cambrian chitons (Mollusca, polyplacophora) from Missouri, USA
J. Pojeta Jr., M.J. Vendrasco, G. Darrough
2010, Bulletins of American Paleontology (2010) 1-88
Numerous new specimens reveal a greater presence of chitons in Upper Cambrian rocks than previously suspected. Evidence is presented showing that the chiton esthete sensory system is present in all chiton species in this study at the very beginning of the known polyplacophoran fossil record. The stratigraphic occurrences and paleobiogeography...
Poroelastic stress-triggering of the 2005 M8.7 Nias earthquake by the 2004 M9.2 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake
K.L.H. Hughes, Timothy Masterlark, Walter D. Mooney
2010, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (293) 289-299
The M9.2 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake (SAE) occurred three months prior to the M8.7 Nias earthquake (NE). We propose that the NE was mechanically triggered by the SAE, and that poroelastic effects were a major component of this triggering. This study uses 3D finite element models (FEMs) of the Sumatra-Andaman subduction zone...
Agricultural wetlands as potential hotspots for mercury bioaccumulation: Experimental evidence using caged fish
Joshua T. Ackerman, Collin A. Eagles-Smith
2010, Environmental Science & Technology (44) 1451-1457
Wetlands provide numerous ecosystem services, but also can be sources of methylmercury (MeHg) production and export. Rice agricultural wetlands in particular may be important sites for MeHg bioaccumulation due to their worldwide ubiquity, periodic flooding schedules, and high use by wildlife. We assessed MeHg bioaccumulation within agricultural and perennial wetlands...
Determination of stress parameters for eight well-recorded earthquakes in eastern North America
D.M. Boore, K.W. Campbell, G. M. Atkinson
2010, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (100) 1632-1645
We determined the stress parameter, Δσ, for the eight earthquakes studied by Atkinson and Boore (2006), using an updated dataset and a revised point-source stochastic model that captures the effect of a finite fault. We consider four geometrical-spreading functions, ranging from 1/R at all distances to two- or three-part functions....
Genesis of a regionally widespread celadonitic chert ironstone bed overlying upper Lias manganese deposits, Hungary
Marta Polgari, J.R. Hein, M. Toth, A. Brukner-Wein, T. Vigh, L. Biro, C. Cserhati
2010, Journal of the Geological Society (167) 313-328
Mineralogy and chemical composition are presented for a chert-ironstone bed that overlies the ??rk??t Mn deposit. This bed is mottled green-brown in its lower and upper parts, which are composed of quartz, goethite and celadonite. These parts of the bed are interpreted to be strongly altered tuffs, reflecting oxidic, low-temperature...
A palynological biozonation for the uppermost Santonian and Campanian Stages (Upper Cretaceous) of South Carolina, USA
R. A. Christopher, D.C. Prowell
2010, Cretaceous Research (31) 101-129
Five palynological biozones are proposed for the uppermost Santonian and Campanian Stages of South Carolina. In ascending stratigraphic order, these highest-occurrence interval zones are the Osculapollis vestibulus (Ov) Biozone, the Holkopollenites propinquus (Hp) Biozone, the Holkopollenites forix (Hf) Biozone, the Complexiopollis abditus (Ca) Biozone, and the Osculapollis aequalis (Oa) Biozone....
Carbon dioxide emission factors for U.S. coal by origin and destination
J.C. Quick
2010, Environmental Science & Technology (44) 2709-2714
This paper describes a method that uses published data to calculate locally robust CO2 emission factors for U.S. coal. The method is demonstrated by calculating CO2 emission factors by coal origin (223 counties, in 1999) and destination (479 power plants, in 2005). Locally robust CO2 emission factors should improve the...
Updating the 2001 National Land Cover Database Impervious Surface Products to 2006 using Landsat imagery change detection methods
George Xian, Collin G. Homer
2010, Remote Sensing of Environment (114) 1676-1686
A prototype method was developed to update the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2001 to a nominal date of 2006. NLCD 2001 is widely used as a baseline for national land cover and impervious cover conditions. To enable the updating of this database in an optimal...
Snowmelt hydrograph interpretation: Revealing watershed scale hydrologic characteristics of the Yellowstone volcanic plateau
Gardner W. Payton, D. D. Susong, Solomon D. Kip, H. Heasler
2010, Journal of Hydrology (383) 209-222
Snowmelt hydrograph analysis and groundwater age dates of cool water springs on the Yellowstone volcanic plateau provide evidence of high volumes of groundwater circulation in watersheds comprised of quaternary Yellowstone volcanics. Ratios of maximum to minimum mean daily discharge and average recession indices are calculated for watersheds within and surrounding...
Paleomagnetic results from Tertiary volcanic strata and intrusions, Absaroka Volcanic Supergroup, Yellowstone National Park and vicinity: Contributions to the North American apparent polar wander path
S. S. Harlan, L. A. Morgan
2010, Tectonophysics (485) 245-259
We report paleomagnetic and rock magnetic data from volcanic, volcaniclastic, and intrusive rocks of the 55-44Ma Absaroka Volcanic Supergroup (AVS) exposed along the northeastern margin of Yellowstone National Park and adjacent areas. Demagnetization behavior and rock magnetic experiments indicate that the remanence in most samples is carried by low-Ti titanomagnetite,...
Standards for documenting and monitoring bird reintroduction projects
W.J. Sutherland, D. Armstrong, S.H.M. Butchart, J.M. Earnhardt, J. Ewen, I. Jamieson, C.G. Jones, R. Lee, P. Newbery, J.D. Nichols, K.A. Parker, F. Sarrazin, P.J. Seddon, N. Shah, V. Tatayah
2010, Conservation Letters (3) 229-235
It would be much easier to assess the effectiveness of different reintroduction methods, and so improve the success of reintroductions, if there was greater standardization in documentation of the methods and outcomes. We suggest a series of standards for documenting and monitoring the methods and outcomes associated with reintroduction projects...
Active shoreline of Ontario Lacus, Titan: A morphological study of the lake and its surroundings
S. Wall, A. Hayes, C. Bristow, R. Lorenz, E. Stofan, J. Lunine, Gall A. Le, M. Janssen, R. Lopes, L. Wye, L. Soderblom, P. Paillou, O. Aharonson, H. Zebker, Tom Farr, Giuseppe Mitri, R. Kirk, Ken Mitchell, C. Notarnicola, D. Casarano, B. Ventura
2010, Geophysical Research Letters (37)
Of more than 400 filled lakes now identified on Titan, the first and largest reported in the southern latitudes is Ontario Lacus, which is dark in both infrared and microwave. Here we describe recent observations including synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images by Cassini's radar instrument (??= 2 cm) and show...
Mussel remains from prehistoric salt works, clarke county, Alabama
S.W. McGregor, A.A. Dumas
2010, Southeastern Naturalist (9) 105-118
Archaeological research at salt springs in Clarke County, AL (Tombigbee River drainage), documented bivalve mollusk exploitation by late prehistoric American Indians. A total of 582 valves representing 19 species of freshwater mussels (Unionidae) and an estuarine clam (Mactridae) from the Lower Salt Works Site (ca. A.D. 900-1550) and 41 valve...
Cyclic changes in Pennsylvanian paleoclimate and effects on floristic dynamics in tropical Pangaea
William A. DiMichele, C. B. Cecil, I.P. Montanez, H. J. Falcon-Lang
2010, International Journal of Coal Geology (83) 329-344
Wetland floras narrowly define perceptions of Pennsylvanian tropical ecosystems, the so-called Coal Age. Such wetlands reflect humid to perhumid climate, leading to characterizations of Pennsylvanian tropics as everwet, swampy. These views are biased by the high preservation potential of wetlands. Sedimentation patterns, paleosols, and fossil floras indicate the presence of...
The impact of rare taxa on a fish index of biotic integrity
H. Wan, C.J. Chizinski, C.L. Dolph, B. Vondracek, B.N. Wilson
2010, Ecological Indicators (10) 781-788
The index of biotic integrity (IBI) is a commonly used bioassessment tool that integrates abundance and richness measures to assess water quality. In developing IBIs that are both responsive to human disturbance and resistant to natural variability and sampling error, water managers must decide how to weigh information about rare...
At-sea observations of marine birds and their habitats before and after the 2008 eruption of Kasatochi volcano, Alaska
G.S. Drew, Donald E. Dragoo, M. Renner, John F. Piatt
2010, Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research (42) 325-334
Kasatochi volcano, an island volcano in the Aleutian chain, erupted on 7-8 August 2008. The resulting ash and pyroclastic flows blanketed the island, covering terrestrial habitats. We surveyed the marine environment surrounding Kasatochi Island in June and July of 2009 to document changes in abundance or distribution of nutrients, fish,...
Sustained increase in food supplies reduces broodmate aggression in black-legged kittiwakes
J. White, S. Leclaire, M. Kriloff, Herve Mulard, Scott A. Hatch, E. Danchin
2010, Animal Behaviour (79) 1095-1100
The amount of food ingested by chicks has often been suggested as being the main proximate factor controlling broodmate aggression in facultatively siblicidal species. Although several experiments have demonstrated that short-term food deprivation causes a temporary increase in aggression, no study has, to our knowledge, experimentally manipulated overall food supplies and considered long-term...
Mapping elevations of tidal wetland restoration sites in San Francisco Bay: Comparing accuracy of aerial lidar with a singlebeam echosounder
N.D. Athearn, John Y. Takekawa, B. Jaffe, B.J. Hattenbach, A.C. Foxgrover
2010, Journal of Coastal Research (26) 312-319
The southern edge of San Francisco Bay is surrounded by former salt evaporation ponds, where tidal flow has been restricted since the mid to late 1890s. These ponds are now the focus of a large wetland restoration project, and accurate measurement of current pond bathymetry and adjacent mud flats has...
Statistical assessment of DNA extraction reagent lot variability in real-time quantitative PCR
R.N. Bushon, C.M. Kephart, G. F. Koltun, D.S. Francy, F. W. Schaefer III, H.D. Alan Lindquist
2010, Letters in Applied Microbiology (50) 276-282
Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the variability in lots of a DNA extraction kit using real-time PCR assays for Bacillus anthracis, Francisella tularensis and Vibrio cholerae. Methods and Results: Replicate aliquots of three bacteria were processed in duplicate with three different lots of a commercial DNA...
Hierarchical spatial models for predicting pygmy rabbit distribution and relative abundance
T.L. Wilson, J.B. Odei, M.B. Hooten, T.C. Edwards Jr.
2010, Journal of Applied Ecology (47) 401-409
Conservationists routinely use species distribution models to plan conservation, restoration and development actions, while ecologists use them to infer process from pattern. These models tend to work well for common or easily observable species, but are of limited utility for rare and cryptic species. This may be because honest accounting...
Liana habitat and host preferences in northern temperate forests
S. A. Leicht-Young, N.B. Pavlovic, K.J. Frohnapple, R. Grundel
2010, Forest Ecology and Management (260) 1467-1477
Lianas and other climbers are important ecological and structural components of forest communities. Like other plants, their abundance in a given habitat depends on a variety of factors, such as light, soil moisture and nutrients. However, since lianas require external support, host tree characteristics also influence their distribution. Lianas are...
Complexities in barrier island response to sea level rise: Insights from numerical model experiments, North Carolina Outer Banks
Laura J. Moore, Jeffrey H. List, S. Jeffress Williams, David Stolper
2010, Journal of Geophysical Research F: Earth Surface (115)
Using a morphological-behavior model to conduct sensitivity experiments, we investigate the sea level rise response of a complex coastal environment to changes in a variety of factors. Experiments reveal that substrate composition, followed in rank order by substrate slope, sea level rise rate, and sediment supply rate, are the most...
Book review: Thermodynamics and kinetics of water-rock interaction
D. Kirk Nordstrom
2010, Elements (6) 60-61
No abstract available....
Modeling methods
Richard W. Healy
2010, Book chapter, Estimating groundwater recharge
Simulation models are widely used in all types of hydrologic studies, and many of these models can be used to estimate recharge. Models can provide important insight into the functioning of hydrologic systems by identifying factors that influence recharge. The predictive capability of models can be used to evaluate how...
