Conservation status of the world’s skinks (Scincidae): Taxonomic and geographic patterns in extinction risk
David G. Chapple, Uri Roll, Monika Böhm, Rocio Aguilar, Andrew P. Amey, Chris C. Austin, Maureen Baling, Anthony J. Barley, Michael F. Bates, Aaron M. Bauer, Daniel G. Blackburn, Phil Bowles, Rafe M. Brown, S. R. Chandramouli, Laurent Chirio, Hal Cogger, Guarino R. Colli, Werner Conradie, Patrick J. Couper, Mark A. Cowan, Michael D. Craig, Indraneil Das, Aniruddha Datta-Roy, Chris R. Dickman, Ryan J. Ellis, Aaron L. Fenner, Stewart Ford, S. R. Ganesh, Michael G. Gardner, Peter Geissler, Graeme R. Gillespie, Frank Glaw, Matthew J. Greenlees, Oliver W. Griffith, L. Lee Grismer, Margaret L. Haines, D. James Harris, S. Blair Hedges, Rod A. Hitchmough, Conrad J. Hoskin, Mark N. Hutchinson, Ivan Ineich, Jordi Janssen, Gregory R. Johnston, Benjamin R. Karin, J. Scott Keogh, Frederick Kraus, Matthew LeBreton, Petros Lymberakis, Rafaqat Masroor, Peter J. McDonald, Sven Mecke, Jane Melville, Sabine Melzer, Damian R. Michael, Aurelien Miralles, Nicola J. Mitchell, Nicola J. Nelson, Truong Q. Nguyen, Cristiano de Campos Nogueira, Hidetoshi Ota, Panayiotis Pafilis, Olivier S. G. Pauwels, Ana Perera, Daniel Pincheira-Donoso, Robert Reed, Marco A. Ribeiro-Junior, Julia L. Riley, Sara Rocha, Pamela L. Rutherford, Ross A. Sadlier, Boaz Shacham, Glenn M. Shea, Richard Shine, Alex Slavenko, Adam Stow, Joanna Sumner, Oliver J. S. Tallowin, Roy Teale, Omar Torres-Carvajal, Jean-Francois Trape, Peter Uetz, Kanishka D. B. Ukuwela, Leonie E. Valentine, James U. Van Dyke, Dylan van Winkel, Raquel Vasconcelos, Miguel Vences, Philipp Wagner, Erik Wapstra, Geoffrey M. While, Martin J. Whiting, Camilla M. Whittington, Steve Wilson, Thomas Ziegler, Reid Tingley, Shai Meiri
2021, Biological Conservation (257)
Our knowledge of the conservation status of reptiles, the most diverse group of terrestrial vertebrates, has improved dramatically over the past decade, but still lags behind that of the other tetrapod groups. Here, we conduct the first comprehensive assessment (~92% of the world’s ~1,714 described species) of the conservation status...
Nocturnal incubation recess and flushing behavior by duck hens
Rebecca Croston, Sarah H. Peterson, C. Alex Hartman, Mark P. Herzog, Cliff L. Feldheim, Michael L. Casazza, Joshua T. Ackerman
2021, Ecology and Evolution (11) 7292-7301
Incubating birds must balance the needs of their developing embryos with their own physiological needs, and many birds accomplish this by taking periodic breaks from incubation. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and gadwall (Mareca strepera) hens typically take incubation recesses in the early morning and late afternoon, but recesses can also take...
Habitat heterogeneity, temperature, and primary productivity drive elevational gradients in avian species diversity
Kristen G. Dillon, Courtney J. Conway
2021, Ecology and Evolution (11) 5985-5997
AimAnticipating and mitigating the impacts of climate change on species diversity in montane ecosystems requires a mechanistic understanding of drivers of current patterns of diversity. We documented the shape of elevational gradients in avian species richness in North America and tested a suite of a priori predictions...
Maximizing the science and resource mapping potential of Orbital VSWIR Spectral measurements of Mars
Scott L. Murchie, Raymond E. Arvidson, Janice L Bishop, Wendy M. Calvin, John Carter, John Christian, Roger N. Clark, Colin M. Dundas, Bethany L. Ehlmann, Valerie K. Fox, Abigail A. Fraeman, Timothy A Goudge, Briony H. N. Horgan, Madison N Hughes, Ellen K Leask, Alfred S. McEwen, John F Mustard, Mario Parente, Kathryn E Powell, Frank P. Seelos, Kimberly D. Seelos, Jesse D Tarnas, Christina E Viviano, James J. Wray
2021, Report, Planetary science and astrobiology decadal survey 2023-2032
The last 16 years witnessed a rapid growth in understanding the composition and aqueous alteration of Mars’ surface from orbital data from the Observatoire pour la Mineralogie, l’Eau, les Glaces et l’Activité (OMEGA) [1] and Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) [2]. Both are sensitive to water-, hydroxyl-, sulfate-,...
Mid-latitude ice on Mars: A science target for planetary climate histories and an exploration target for in situ resources
Ali Bramson, Chimira Andres, Jonathan Bapst, Patricio Becerra, Samuel W Courville, Colin M. Dundas, Shannon M Hibbard, John W Holt, Suniti Karunatillake, Aditya Khuller, Michael T. Mellon, Gareth A Morgan, R. W. Obbard, Matthew R Perry, Eric I Petersen, Nathaniel E. Putzig, Hanna G Sizemore, Isaac B. Smith, David E Stillman, Paul Wooster
2021, Report, Planetary science and astrobiology decadal survey 2023-2032
In the last decade, aided by the high-resolution data and long-term monitoring by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and other spacecraft, extensive evidence has emerged supporting the presence of abundant H2O ground ice throughout much of the mid-latitudes of Mars. Growing evidence indicates that much of this ice is relatively...
The Preventing Harassment in Science workshop: Summary and best practices for planetary science and astrobiology
Kristen A. Bennett, Maggie McAdam, Moses Milazzo, Patricia A. Garcia, Jenna L. Shelton, Peggy J. Gardiner, Serina Diniega, Catalina Martinez, Alexandra B. Etheridge, Alicia Rutledge, C. Richey
2021, Report, Planetary science and astrobiology decadal survey 2023-2032
The NASA-funded Preventing Harassment in Science workshop took place in June of 2020. Here we describe the workshop and summarize the best practices for reducing harassment that were discussed. We include a list of recommendations that can be used to take steps towards reducing harassment in...
Insights on the characteristics and sources of gas from an underground coal mine using compositional data analysis
C. Ozgen Karacan, Josep Antoni Martín-Fernández, Leslie F. Ruppert, Ricardo A. Olea
2021, International Journal of Coal Geology (241)
Coal mine gas originates from the gas emission zone (GEZ) of the mine, as well as the longwall face and pillars. Gas emissions are controlled directly at the sources using horizontal or vertical boreholes drilled from surface or from the entries in advance...
Community for Data Integration 2019 annual report
Leslie Hsu, Amanda N. Liford
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1016
The Community for Data Integration is a community of practice whose purpose is to advance the U.S. Geological Survey’s data integration capabilities. In fiscal year 2019, the Community for Data Integration held 9 monthly forums, facilitated 11 collaboration areas, held several workshops and training events, and funded 14 projects. The...
Time-domain electromagnetic soundings and passive-seismic measurements for delineation of saline groundwater in the Genesee Valley-fill aquifer system, western New York, 2016–17
John H. Williams, William M. Kappel, Carole D. Johnson, Eric A. White, Paul M. Heisig, John W. Lane Jr.
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5008
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, used noninvasive surface geophysics in the investigation of the distribution of saline groundwater in the valley-fill aquifer system of the Genesee River Valley near the former Retsof salt mine in western New York. In 1994,...
Performance of bedload sediment transport formulas applied to the Lower Minnesota River
Elisa Armijos, Gustavo Henrique Merten, Joel T. Groten
2021, Journal of Hydrologic Engineering (26)
Despite limitations in reproducing complex bedload sediment transport processes in rivers, formulas have been preferred over collection and analysis of field data due to the high cost and time-consuming nature of bedload discharge measurements. However, the performance of such formulas depends on the hydraulic and sedimentological conditions...
Single-well production history matching and geostatistical modeling as proxy to multi-well reservoir simulation for evaluating dynamic reservoir properties of coal seams
C. Ozgen Karacan
2021, International Journal of Coal Geology (241)
Reservoir properties of coal seams such as gas and water effective permeabilities and gas content, as well as spatial distributions thereof, affect the success of gas production and CO2-enhanced gas recovery (EGR) with simultaneous CO2 sequestration. These properties change during production and injection operations due to variations in reservoir pressure, matrix shrinkage/swelling, and water saturation...
lsforce: A Python-based single-force seismic inversion framework for massive landslides
Liam Toney, Kate E. Allstadt
2021, Seismological Research Letters (4) 2610-2626
We present an open‐source Python package, lsforce, for performing single‐force source inversions of long‐period (tens to hundreds of seconds) seismic signals. Although the software is designed primarily for landslides, it can be used for any single‐force seismic source. The package allows users to produce estimates...
Water-quality, bed-sediment, and invertebrate tissue trace-element concentrations for tributaries in the Clark Fork Basin, Montana, October 2018–September 2019
Gregory D. Clark, Michelle I. Hornberger, Eric J. Hepler, Thomas E. Cleasby, Terry L. Heinert
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1027
Water, bed sediment, and invertebrate tissue were sampled in streams from Butte to near Missoula, Montana, as part of a monitoring program in the Clark Fork Basin. The sampling program was completed by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to characterize aquatic resources in...
Bathymetric survey and sedimentation analysis of Lago Patillas, Puerto Rico, August 2019
Julieta M. Gómez-Fragoso
2021, Scientific Investigations Map 3471
In August 2019, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, conducted a bathymetric survey of Lago Patillas to update stage-volume data in order to determine the sediment infill rates and to generate a bathymetry map. Water-depth data were collected along predefined lines using...
New York and Landsat
U.S. Geological Survey
2021, Fact Sheet 2021-3020
From the iconic skyline of New York City to the forested landscapes of the Adirondack Mountains and the countryside of the Allegheny Plateau, the State of New York is overflowing with diversity and life. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and two of the Great Lakes to the...
Risk-based decision-support groundwater modeling for the lower San Antonio River Basin, Texas, USA
Linzy K. Foster, Jeremy T. White, Andrew T. Leaf, Natalie A. Houston, Aarin Teague
2021, Groundwater (59) 581-596
A numerical surface-water/groundwater model was developed for the lower San Antonio River Basin to evaluate the responses of low base flows and groundwater levels within the basin under conditions of reduced recharge and increased groundwater withdrawals. Batch data assimilation through history matching used a simulation of...
History of Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA: Since the termination of Lake Bonneville
Charles G. Oviatt, Genevieve Atwood, Robert S. Thompson
2021, Book chapter, Limnogeology: Progress, challenges and opportunities: A tribute to Elizabeth Gierlowski-Kordesch
During the past half century or so diverse histories of Great Salt Lake have been written from differing perspectives and all of them have contributed ideas and essential data. The published literature, however, can be confusing and misleading. In this chapter, we review and provide context for a number of...
What can commercial fishery data in the Great Lakes reveal about juvenile sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) ecology and management?
John B. Hume, Gale A Bravener, Shane Flinn, Nicholas S. Johnson
2021, Journal of Great Lakes Research (47) S590-S603
The Laurentian Great Lakes of North America support a large and profitable freshwater fishery, but one continuously beset by parasitism from the invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus). Despite being the life stage that inflicts damage to the fishery, therefore necessitating a bi-national control...
Insight into the May 2015 summit inflation event at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i
M. Bemelmans, Elske de Zeeuw-van Dalfsen, Michael Poland, Ingrid A. Johanson
2021, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (415)
We use ground and space geodetic data to study surface deformation at Kīlauea Volcano from January to September 2015. This period includes an episode of heightened activity in April and May 2015 that culminated in a magmatic intrusion beneath the volcano's...
Predicted climate-induced reductions in scavenging in eastern North America
Courtney J. Marneweck, Todd E. Katzner, David S. Jachowski
2021, Global Change Biology (27) 3383-3394
Scavenging is an important function within ecosystems where scavengers remove organic matter, reduce disease, stabilize food webs, and generally make ecosystems more resilient to environmental changes. Global change (i.e., changing climate and increasing human impact) is currently influencing scavenger communities. Thus, understanding what promotes species richness in scavenger communities can...
Mercury and water level management in lakes of northern Minnesota
James H. Larson, Ryan P. Maki, Victoria Christensen, Enrika Hlavacek, Mark B. Sandheinrich, Jaime F. LeDuc, Claire Kissane, Brent C. Knights
2021, Ecosphere (12)
Water level (WL) fluctuations substantially alter the fauna, flora, and microbial community of nearshore aquatic ecosystems. Water level management therefore has the potential to strongly influence a wide variety of ecosystem processes. Many northern temperate lake food webs experience substantial methylmercury contamination, which is partially mediated by the action of...
West-wide drought analysis
Subhrendu Gangopadhyay, Gregory J. McCabe, Tom Pruitt, Brandon House
2021, Report, West-Wide Climate and Hydrology Assessment, Technical Memorandum No. ENV-2021-001
This chapter describes analyses of the variability and characteristics of drought for historical and future projected climate conditions across the Western United States. The analyses are performed using the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI; Palmer, 1965) to define drought events. The advantage of using PDSI to define droughts is that...
Sagebrush recovery patterns after fuel treatments mediated by disturbance type and plant functional group interactions
Jeanne C. Chambers, Alexandra K. Urza, David I. Board, Richard F. Miller, David A. Pyke, Bruce A. Roundy, Eugene W. Schupp, Robin J. Tausch
2021, Ecosphere (12)
Fire and fuel management is a high priority in North American sagebrush ecosystems where the expansion of piñon and juniper trees and the invasion of nonnative annual grasses are altering fire regimes and resulting in loss of sagebrush species and habitat. We evaluated 10-yr effects of woody fuel treatments on...
Quantifying diagenesis, contributing factors, and resulting isotopic bias in benthic foraminifera using the Foraminiferal Preservation Index: Implications for geochemical proxy records
Robert Poirier, Madison Q. Gaetano, Kimberly Acevedo, Morgan F. Morgan F. Schaller, Maureen E. Raymo, Reinhard Kozdon
2021, Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology (36)
Geochemical records generated from the calcite tests of benthic foraminifera, especially those of the genera Cibicidoides and Uvigerina, provide the basis for proxy reconstructions of past climate. However, the extent to which benthic foraminifera are affected by postdepositional alteration is poorly constrained. Furthermore, how diagenesis may alter the geochemical composition of benthic foraminiferal...
Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, North Carolina—Summary of monitoring activities, quality assurance, and data, October 2017–September 2019
Cassandra A. Pfeifle, Jessica L. Cain, Ryan B. Rasmussen
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1020
Surface-water supplies are important sources of drinking water for residents in the Triangle area of North Carolina, which is located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River Basins. Since 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey and a consortium of local governments have tracked water-quality conditions and trends in several of...
