Habitat suitability and conservation of the Giant Gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas) in the Sacramento Valley of California
B.J. Halstead, G.D. Wylie, Michael L. Casazza
2010, Copeia 591-599
Resource managers often have little information regarding the habitat requirements and distribution of rare species. Factor analysis-based habitat suitability models describe the ecological niche of a species and identify locations where these conditions occur on the landscape using existing occurrence data. We used factor analyses to assess the suitability of...
Broadband ground-motion simulation using a hybrid approach
R.W. Graves, A. Pitarka
2010, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (100) 2095-2123
This paper describes refinements to the hybrid broadband ground-motion simulation methodology of Graves and Pitarka (2004), which combines a deterministic approach at low frequencies (f 1 Hz). In our approach, fault rupture is represented kinematically and incorporates spatial heterogeneity in...
Mercury and methylmercury dynamics in a coastal plain watershed, New Jersey, USA
J. L. Barringer, M.L. Riskin, Z. Szabo, P.A. Reilly, R. Rosman, J.L. Bonin, J.M. Fischer, H.A. Heckathorn
2010, Water, Air, & Soil Pollution (212) 251-273
The upper Great Egg Harbor River watershed in New Jersey's Coastal Plain is urbanized but extensive freshwater wetlands are present downstream. In 2006-2007, studies to assess levels of total mercury (THg) found concentrations in unfiltered streamwater to range as high as 187 ng/L in urbanized areas. THg concentrations were <20...
Ground motion hazard from supershear rupture
D.J. Andrews
2010, Tectonophysics (493) 216-221
An idealized rupture, propagating smoothly near a terminal rupture velocity, radiates energy that is focused into a beam. For rupture velocity less than the S-wave speed, radiated energy is concentrated in a beam of intense fault-normal velocity near the projection of the rupture trace. Although confined to a narrow range...
The combined influence of sub-optimal temperature and salinity on the in vitro viability of Perkinsus marinus, a protistan parasite of the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica
M.K. La Peyre, S.M. Casas, W. Gayle, Jerome F. La Peyre
2010, Journal of Invertebrate Pathology (105) 176-181
Perkinsus marinus is a major cause of mortality in eastern oysters along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts. It is also well documented that temperature and salinity are the primary environmental factors affecting P. marinus viability and proliferation. However, little is known about the effects of combined sub-optimal temperatures...
Application of the surface azimuthal electrical resistivity survey method to determine patterns of regional joint orientation in glacial tills
David R. Carlson
2010, Environmental Geosciences (17) 175-192
Joints within unconsolidated material such as glacial till can be primary avenues for the flow of electrical charge, water, and contaminants. To facilitate the siting and design of remediation programs, a need exists to map anisotropic distribution of such pathways within glacial tills by determining the azimuth of the dominant...
An experimental assessment of vehicle disturbance effects on migratory shorebirds
Nathan M. Tarr, T.R. Simons, K. H. Pollock
2010, Journal of Wildlife Management (74) 1776-1783
Off-road vehicle (ORV) traffic is one of several forms of disturbance thought to affect shorebirds at migration stopover sites. Attempts to measure disturbance effects on shorebird habitat use and behavior at stopover sites are difficult because ORV disturbance is frequently confounded with habitat and environmental factors. We used a before-after-control-impact...
Effects of nourishment on the form and function of an estuarine beach
N.L. Jackson, K.F. Nordstrom, S. Saini, D. R. Smith
2010, Ecological Engineering (36) 1709-1718
Beach nourishment programs in estuaries can enhance shore protection, but they decrease habitat suitability by creating higher berms and wider backshores than would occur under natural conditions. Use of sediment sources from outside the area can result in sedimentary characteristics that differ from native sediments on the surface and at...
The areal extent of brown shrimp habitat suitability in Mobile Bay, Alabama, USA: Targeting vegetated habitat restoration
L.M. Smith, J.A. Nestlerode, L.C. Harwell, P. Bourgeois
2010, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (171) 611-620
The availability of wetlands and shallow water habitats significantly influences Gulf of Mexico (GOM) penaeid shrimp fishery productivity. However, the GOM region has the highest rate of wetland loss in the USA. Protection and management of these vital GOM habitats are critical to sustainable shrimp fisheries. Brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus)...
A quarter century of declining suspended sediment fluxes in the Mississippi River and the effect of the 1993 flood
A. J. Horowitz
2010, Hydrological Processes (24) 13-34
Annual fluxes, flow-weighted concentrations and linear least squares trendline calculations for a number of long-term Mississippi River Basin (MRB) sampling sites covering 1981 through 2007, whilst somewhat 'noisy', display long-term patterns of decline. Annual flow-weighted concentration plots display the same long-term patterns of decline, but are less noisy because they...
Importance of coastal change variables in determining vulnerability to sea- and lake-level change
E.A. Pendleton, E.R. Thieler, S.J. Williams
2010, Journal of Coastal Research (26) 176-183
In 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey began conducting scientific assessments of coastal vulnerability to potential future sea- and lake-level changes in 22 National Park Service sea- and lakeshore units. Coastal park units chosen for the assessment included a variety of geological and physical settings along the U.S. Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf...
Ground-motion modeling of Hayward fault scenario earthquakes, part II: Simulation of long-period and broadband ground motions
Brad T. Aagaard, Robert W. Graves, Arthur Rodgers, Thomas M. Brocher, Robert W. Simpson, Douglas Dreger, N. Anders Petersson, Shawn C. Larsen, Shuo Ma, Robert C. Jachens
2010, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (100) 2945-2977
We simulate long-period (T>1.0–2.0 s) and broadband (T>0.1 s) ground motions for 39 scenario earthquakes (Mw 6.7–7.2) involving the Hayward, Calaveras, and Rodgers Creek faults. For rupture on the Hayward fault, we consider the effects of creep on coseismic slip using two different approaches, both of which reduce the ground...
A revised ground-motion and intensity interpolation scheme for shakemap
C.B. Worden, D.J. Wald, T.I. Allen, K. Lin, D. Garcia, G. Cua
2010, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (100) 3083-3096
We describe a weighted-average approach for incorporating various types of data (observed peak ground motions and intensities and estimates from groundmotion prediction equations) into the ShakeMap ground motion and intensity mapping framework. This approach represents a fundamental revision of our existing ShakeMap methodology. In addition, the increased availability of near-real-time...
Extension in Mona Passage, Northeast Caribbean
J.D. Chaytor, Uri S. ten Brink
2010, Tectonophysics (493) 74-92
As shown by the recent Mw 7.0 Haiti earthquake, intra-arc deformation, which accompanies the subduction process, can present seismic and tsunami hazards to nearby islands. Spatially-limited diffuse tectonic deformation within the Northeast Caribbean Plate Boundary Zone likely led to the development of the submerged Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and...
Wintering area DDE source to migratory white-faced ibis revealed by satellite telemetry and prey sampling
M.A. Yates, Mark R. Fuller, Charles J. Henny, W.S. Seegar, Jorge H. Garcia
2010, Ecotoxicology (19) 153-162
Locations of contaminant exposure for nesting migratory species are difficult to fully understand because of possible additional sources encountered during migration or on the wintering grounds. A portion of the migratory white-faced ibis (Plegadis chihi) nesting at Carson Lake, Nevada continues to be exposed to dichloro-diphenyldichloro-ethylene (DDE) with no change,...
The role of soil drainage class in carbon dioxide exchange and decomposition in boreal black spruce (Picea mariana) forest stands
K.P. Wickland, J. C. Neff, J.W. Harden
2010, Canadian Journal of Forest Research (40) 2123-2134
Black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) forest stands range from well drained to poorly drained, typically contain large amounts of soil organic carbon (SOC), and are often underlain by permafrost. To better understand the role of soil drainage class in carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange and decomposition, we measured soil respiration...
Active remote sensing of snow using NMM3D/DMRT and comparison with CLPX II airborne data
X. Xu, D. Liang, L. Tsang, K.M. Andreadis, E.G. Josberger, D.P. Lettenmaier, D.W. Cline, S.H. Yueh
2010, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing (3) 689-697
We applied the Numerical Maxwell Model of three-dimensional simulations (NMM3D) in the Dense Media Radiative Theory (DMRT) to calculate backscattering coefficients. The particles' positions are computer-generated and the subsequent Foldy-Lax equations solved numerically. The phase matrix in NMM3D has significant cross-polarization, particularly when the particles are densely packed. The NMM3D...
Population dynamics of the sand shiner (notropis stramineus) in non-wadeable rivers of Iowa
C. D. Smith, T.E. Neebling, M.C. Quist
2010, Journal of Freshwater Ecology (25) 617-626
The sand shiner (Notropis stramineus) is a common cyprinid found throughout the Great Plains region of North America that plays an important ecological role in aquatic systems. This study was conducted to describe population dynamics of sand shiners including age structure, growth, mortality, and recruitment variability in 15 non-wadeable rivers...
Does garbage in diet improve Glaucous Gull reproductive output?
Abby Powell, Emily L. Weiser
2010, Condor (112) 530-538
Anthropogenic subsidies are used by a variety of predators in areas developed for human use or residence. If subsidies promote population growth, these predators can have a negative effect on local prey species. The Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) is an abundant predator in northern Alaska that is believed to benefit...
Spawning by walleye (Sander vitreus) and white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) in the Detroit River: Implications for spawning habitat enhancement
B.A. Manny, G.W. Kennedy, J.C. Boase, J.D. Allen, E.F. Roseman
2010, Journal of Great Lakes Research (36) 490-496
Few active fish spawning grounds have been found in channels connecting the Great Lakes. Here, we describe one near Belle Isle in the Detroit River, part of the channel connecting lakes Huron and Erie. There, in 2005, we collected 1,573 fish eggs, cultured them, and identified the hatched larvae as...
Assessment of sewer source contamination of drinking water wells using tracers and human enteric viruses
R. J. Hunt, M. A. Borchardt, K.D. Richards, S. K. Spencer
2010, Environmental Science & Technology (44) 7956-7963
This study investigated the source, transport, and occurrence of human enteric viruses in municipal well water, focusing on sanitary sewer sources. A total of 33 wells from 14 communities were sampled once for wastewater tracers and viruses. Wastewater tracers were detected in four of these wells, and five wells were...
Timing and origin for sand dunes in the Green River Lowland of Illinois, upper Mississippi River Valley, USA
X. Miao, P.R. Hanson, Hongfang Wang, A.R. Young
2010, Quaternary Science Reviews (29) 763-773
The recent increase in dune studies in North America has been heavily focused in the Great Plains, while less attention has historically been given to the dune fields east of the Mississippi River. Here we report ages and suggest a potential sediment source for sand dunes in the Green River...
Theory, methods and tools for determining environmental flows for riparian vegetation: Riparian vegetation-flow response guilds
D.M. Merritt, M. L. Scott, Poff N. Leroy, G.T. Auble, D.A. Lytle
2010, Freshwater Biology (55) 206-225
Riparian vegetation composition, structure and abundance are governed to a large degree by river flow regime and flow-mediated fluvial processes. Streamflow regime exerts selective pressures on riparian vegetation, resulting in adaptations (trait syndromes) to specific flow attributes. Widespread modification of flow regimes by humans has resulted in extensive alteration of...
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil of the Canadian River floodplain in Oklahoma
F. Sartori, T.L. Wade, J.L. Sericano, B.P. Mohanty, Karen A. Smith
2010, Journal of Environmental Quality (39) 568-579
The accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in soil, plants, and water may impart negative effects on ecosystem and human health. We quantified the concentration and distribution of 41 PAH (n = 32), organic C, total N, and S (n = 140) and investigated PAH sources using a chronosequence of...
Measurement of field-saturated hydraulic conductivity on fractured rock outcrops near Altamura (Southern Italy) with an adjustable large ring infiltrometer
Maria C. Caputo, L. de Carlo, C. Masciopinto, J. R. Nimmo
2010, Environmental Earth Sciences (60) 583-590
Up to now, field studies set up to measure field-saturated hydraulic conductivity to evaluate contamination risks, have employed small cylinders that may not be representative of the scale of measurements in heterogeneous media. In this study, a large adjustable ring infiltrometer was designed to be installed on-site directly on rock...
