Multiple melt source origin of the Line Islands (Pacific Ocean)
Robert Pockalny, Ginger Barth, Barry Eakins, Katherine A. Kelley, Christina Wertman
2021, Geology (49) 1358-1362
The Line Islands volcanic chain in the central Pacific Ocean exhibits many characteristics of a hotspot-generated seamount chain; however, the lack of a predictable age progression has stymied previous models for the origin of this feature. We combined plate-tectonic reconstructions with seamount age dates and...
Sage-grouse population dynamics are adversely impacted by overabundant feral horses
Peter S. Coates, Shawn T. O’Neil, Diana A. Munoz, Ian Dwight, John C. Tull
2021, Journal of Wildlife Management (85) 1132-1149
In recent decades, feral horse (Equus caballus; horse) populations increased in sagebrush (Artimesia spp.) ecosystems, especially within the Great Basin, to the point of exceeding maximum appropriate management levels (AMLmax), which were set by land administrators to balance resource use by feral horses, livestock, and wildlife. Concomitantly,...
The products of primary magma fragmentation finally revealed by pumice agglomerates
Thomas Giachetti, Kathy Trafton, Joshua Wiejaczka, James E. Gardner, James M. Watkins, Tom Shea, Heather M. Wright
2021, Geology (49) 1307-1311
Following rapid decompression in the conduit of a volcano, magma breaks into ash- to block-sized fragments, powering explosive sub-Plinian and Plinian eruptions that may generate destructive pyroclastic falls and flows. It is thus crucial to assess how magma breaks up into fragments. This...
Response to Gard et al.'s (2021) Comments on the Critical Review “Polychlorinated Biphenyl Tissue-Concentration Thresholds for Survival, Growth, and Reproduction in Fish”
Jason P. Berninger, Donald E. Tillitt
2021, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (8) 2098-2109
This response is offered to the critique by Gard et al. (2021) of our meta-analysis of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-induced toxicity data in fish (Berninger and Tillitt 2019). Gard et al. (2021) offered numerous comments, the most substantive suggesting that 1) we should have added no-observable–adverse effect residue (NOAER) data from additional...
Habitat selection by wolves and mountain lions during summer in western Montana
Michael S. Mitchell, Collin J. Peterson, Nicholas J. DeCesare, Chad J. Bishop, Sarah S. Sells
2021, PLoS ONE (16)
In the Northern Rockies of the United States, predators like wolves (Canis lupus) and mountain lions (Puma concolor) have been implicated in fluctuations or declines in populations of game species like elk (Cervus canadensis) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). In particular, local distributions of these predators...
Evaluation of a two-season banding program to estimate and model migratory bird survival
Patrick K. Devers, Robert L. Emmet, G. Scott Boomer, Guthrie S. Zimmerman, J. Andrew Royle
2021, Ecological Applications (31)
The management of North American waterfowl is predicated on long-term, continental scale banding implemented prior to the hunting season (i.e., July–September) and subsequent reporting of bands recovered by hunters. However, single-season banding and encounter operations have a number of characteristics that limit their application to estimating demographic rates and evaluating...
Is the grass always greener? Land surface phenology reveals differences in peak and season-long vegetation productivity responses to climate and management
David J. A. Wood, Scott Powell, Paul C. Stoy, Lindsey Thurman, Erik A. Beever
2021, Ecology and Evolution (11) 11168-11199
Vegetation phenology—the seasonal timing and duration of vegetative phases—is controlled by spatiotemporally variable contributions of climatic and environmental factors plus additional potential influence from human management. We used land surface phenology derived from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer and climate data to examine variability in...
Mycobiome traits associated with disease tolerance predict many western North American bat species will be susceptible to white-nose syndrome
Karen J Vanderwolf, Lewis J. Campbell, Daniel R. Taylor, Tony L. Goldberg, David S. Blehert, Jeffrey M. Lorch
2021, Microbilogy Spectrum (9)
White-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that has caused catastrophic population declines of bats in eastern North America, is rapidly spreading across the continent and now threatens previously unexposed bat species in western North America. The causal agent of WNS, the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, can...
Hazard analysis of landslides triggered by Typhoon Chata’an on July 2, 2002, in Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia
Edwin L. Harp, Mark E. Reid, John A. Michael
2021, Open-File Report 2004-1348
More than 250 landslides were triggered across the eastern volcanic islands of Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia by torrential rainfall from tropical storm Chata’an on July 2, 2002. Landslides triggered during nearly 20 inches of rainfall in less than 24 hours caused 43 fatalities and the destruction...
Ignitions explain more than climate or weather in driving Santa Ana Wind fires
Jon Keeley, Janin Guzman-Morales, Alexander Gershunov, Alexandra D. Syphard, Daniel Cayan, David W Pierce, Michael Flannigan, Tim J Brown
2021, Science Advances (7)
Autumn and winter Santa Ana wind (SAW)–driven wildfires play a substantial role in area burned and societal losses in southern California. Temperature during the event and antecedent precipitation in the week or month prior play a minor role in determining area burned. Burning is dependent on wind intensity and number...
Benthic and planktonic inorganic nutrient processing rates at the interface between a river and lake
James H. Larson, Mary Anne Evans, Faith A. Fitzpatrick, Paul C. Frost, Marguerite A. Xenopoulos, William F. James, Paul C. Reneau
2021, Biogeochemistry (155) 189-203
The interface between lotic and lentic ecosystems is often a zone of intense metabolic activity, as primary production in streams and rivers can be light limited whereas nutrients often limit primary production in lake ecosystems. Our objective was to model the influence that rivermouths (the lotic-lentic interface) could have on...
Translocation, survival, and recovery of Kansas-banded Canada geese
J. Boomer Malanchuk, Beth Ross, David A. Haukos, Thomas F. Bidrowski, Richard Schultheis
Alessio Mortelliti, editor(s)
2021, Ecosphere (12) 1-11
Temperate-breeding, or resident, Canada geese were once extirpated in Kansas, USA, but currently provide abundant viewing and hunting opportunities. Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism (KDWPT) began reintroducing geese in 1980 with a goal of re-establishing a breeding population. Successful reintroductions led to translocating flocks to regions with no...
Hydrothermal alteration can result in pore pressurization and volcano instability
Michael J. Heap, Tobias Baumann, H. Albert Gilg, Stephan Kolzenburg, Amy Ryan, Marlene C. Villeneuve, James K. Russell, Lori A. Kennedy, Marina Rosas-Carbajal, Michael A. Clynne
2021, Geology (49) 1348-1352
The collapse of a volcanic flank can be destructive and deadly. Hydrothermal alteration is common to volcanoes worldwide and is thought to promote volcano instability by decreasing rock strength. However, some laboratory studies have shown that not all alteration reduces rock strength. Our...
Herring Disease Program - Annual Project Report 2012011-E, February 1, 2010-January 31, 2021
Paul Hershberger, Maureen K. Purcell
2021, Report
We will investigate fish health factors that may be contributing to the failed recovery of Pacific herring populations in Prince William Sound. Field samples will provide infection and disease prevalence data from Prince William Sound and Sitka Sound to inform the age structured assessment (ASA) model, serological data will indicate...
Spatial and temporal variation in length-weight relationships of age-0 Scaphirhynchus sturgeon in the lower Missouri River
A. Gonzalez, James M. Long, N. J. C. Gosch, A. P. Civiello, T.R. Gemeinhardt, J. R. Hall
2021, American Midland Naturalist (186) 106-121
Length-weight relationships can be useful tools for assessing fish condition. We developed these equations (W = aLb) for wild-caught age-0 (4.1–12.0 cm) Scaphirhynchus sturgeon from eight reaches spanning over 750 river km of the lower Missouri River from 2014 to 2017. We used nonlinear modeling to estimate the constant (a) and exponent (b)...
Model estimated baseflow for streams with endangered Atlantic Salmon in Maine, USA
Pamela J. Lombard, Robert W. Dudley, Matthias J. Collins, Rory Saunders, Ernie Atkinson
2021, River Research and Applications (37) 1254-1264
We present a regression model for estimating mean August baseflow per square kilometer of drainage area to help resource managers assess relative amounts of baseflow in Maine streams with Atlantic Salmon habitat. The model was derived from mean August baseflows computed at 31 USGS streamflow gages in Maine. We use...
Multicriteria decisions and portfolio analysis: Land acquisition for biological and social objectives
Anastasia Ihorvina Krainyk, James E. Lyons, Mindy B. Rice, Kenneth A. Fowler, Gregory J. Soulliere, Michael G. Brasher, Dale D. Humburg, John M. Coluccy
2021, Ecological Applications (31)
Resource allocation for land acquisition is a common multi-objective problem that involves complex trade-offs. The National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service currently uses the Targeted Resource Acquisition Comparison Tool (TRACT) to allocate funds from the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund (MBCF; established through the Migratory...
The Chesapeake Bay program modeling system: Overview and recommendations for future development
Raleigh Hood, Gary W. Shenk, Rachel L Dixon, Sean M. C. Smith, William P. Ball, Jesse Bash, R. Batiuk, Kathy Boomer, Damian C Brady, Carl Cerco, Peter Claggett, Kim de Mutsert, Zachary M. Easton, Andrew J Elmore, Marjorie A. M. Friedrichs, Lora A. Harris, Thomas F. Ihde, Iara Lacher, Li Li, Lewis C. Linker, Andrew Miller, Julia Moriarty, Gregory E. Noe, George Onyullo, Kenneth A Rose, Katherine Skalak, Richard Tian, Tamie L Veith, Lisa A. Wainger, Donald E. Weller, Yinglong J. Zhang
2021, Ecological Modelling (456)
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest, most productive, and most biologically diverse estuary in the continental United States providing crucial habitat and natural resources for culturally and economically important species. Pressures from human population growth and associated development and agricultural intensification have led to excessive nutrient and sediment inputs entering...
Supporting cost-effective watershed management strategies for Chesapeake Bay using a modeling and optimization framework
Daniel E Kaufman, Gary W. Shenk, Gopal Bhatt, Kevin Asplen, Olivia H. Devereux, Jessica Rigelman, J. Hugh Ellis, Benjamin F Hobbs, Darrell J Bosch, George L Van Houtven, Arthur E McGarity, Lewis C. Linker, William P. Ball
2021, Environmental Modelling & Software (144)
Extensive efforts to adaptively manage nutrient pollution rely on Chesapeake Bay Program's (Phase 6) Watershed Model, called Chesapeake Assessment Scenario Tool (CAST), which helps decision-makers plan and track implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs). We describe mathematical characteristics of CAST and develop a constrained...
Simulation of water-table and freshwater/saltwater interface response to climate-change-driven sea-level rise and changes in recharge at Fire Island National Seashore, New York
Paul E. Misut, Sarken Dressler
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5117
The fresh groundwater system at Fire Island National Seashore in New York is one of the natural resources that is most vulnerable to climate change; the various federally listed threatened or endangered species that live on Fire Island, including the piping plover, roseate tern shorebird, and seabeach amaranth may be...
Simulation of water-table response to sea-level rise and change in recharge, Sandy Hook unit, Gateway National Recreation Area, New Jersey
Glen B. Carleton, Emmanuel G. Charles, Alex R. Fiore, Richard B. Winston
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5080
The Sandy Hook Unit, Gateway National Recreation Area (hereafter Sandy Hook) in New Jersey is a 10-kilometer-long spit visited by thousands of people each year who take advantage of the historical and natural resources and recreational opportunities. The historical and natural resources are threatened by global climate change, including sea-level...
Global-scale changes to extreme ocean wave events due to anthropogenic warming
Joao Morim, Sean Vitousek, Mark Hemer, Borja Reguero, Li H. Erikson, Merce Casas-Prat, Xiaolan L. Wang, Alvaro Semedo, Nobuhito Mori, Tomoya Shimura, Lorenzo Mentaschi, Ben Timmerman
2021, Environmental Research Letters (16)
Extreme surface ocean waves are often primary drivers of coastal flooding and erosion over various time scales. Hence, understanding future changes in extreme wave events owing to global warming is of socio-economic and environmental significance. However, our current knowledge of potential changes in high-frequency (defined here as having return periods...
Regeneration trends along climate gradients in Taxodium distichum forests of the southeastern United States
Beth Middleton, Ting Lei, Omag Villegas, Xiaohui Liu
2021, Forest Ecology and Management (497)
The development of relict vegetation at the edges of some ecosystems has taken place particularly in environments where the regeneration of foundational species is declining. As an important stage of regeneration in the Taxodium distichum, this study explored the relationship of cone volume and seed number across environmental gradients in the...
A numerical model for the cooling of a lava sill with heat pipe effects
Kaj E. Williams, Colin M. Dundas, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi
2021, Techniques and Methods 13-B2
Understanding the cooling process of volcanic intrusions into wet sediments is a difficult but important problem, given the presence of extremely large temperature gradients and potentially complex water-magma interactions. This report presents a numerical model to study such interactions, including the effect of heat pipes on the cooling of volcanic...
Timing of iceberg scours and massive ice-rafting events in the subtropical North Atlantic
Alan Condron, Jenna C. Hill
2021, Nature Communications (12)
High resolution seafloor mapping shows extraordinary evidence that massive (>300 m thick) icebergs once drifted >5,000 km south along the eastern United States, with >700 iceberg scours now identified south of Cape Hatteras. Here we report on sediment cores collected from several buried scours that show multiple plow marks align with Heinrich...
