Scientist’s guide to developing explanatory statistical models using causal analysis principles
James B. Grace, Kathryn Irvine
2019, Ecology (101)
Recent discussions of model selection and multimodel inference highlight a general challenge for researchers, which is how to clearly convey the explanatory content of a hypothesized model or set of competing models. The advice from statisticians for scientists employing multimodel inference is to develop a well‐thought‐out set of candidate models...
Visualizing populations of North American sea ducks: Maps to guide research and management planning
John M. Pearce, Paul L. Flint, Mary E. Whalen, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Josh Stiller, Vijay P. Patil, Timothy D. Bowman, Sean Boyd, Shannon S. Badzinski, H.G. Gilchrist, Scott G. Gilliland, Christine Lepage, Pam Loring, Daniel McAuley, Nic McLellan, Jason Osenkowski, Eric T. Reed, Anthony J. Roberts, Myra Robertson, Tom Rothe, David E. Safine, Emily D. Silverman, Kyle A. Spragens
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1142
North American sea ducks generally breed in mid- to northern-latitude regions and nearly all rely upon marine habitats for much of their annual cycle. Most sea duck species remained poorly studied until the 1990s when declines were noted in several species and populations. Subsequent research, much of which was funded...
Synthesis of maternal transfer of mercury in birds: Implications for altered toxicity risk
Joshua T. Ackerman, Mark P. Herzog, David C. Evers, Daniel A. Cristol, Kevin P. Kenow, Gary Heinz, Raphael A Lavoie, Rebecka Brasso, Mark L. Mallory, Jennifer F Provencher, Birgit M Braune, Angela Matz, Joel A. Schmutz, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Lucas J Savoy, Michael W. Meyer, C. Alex Hartman
2019, Environmental Science & Technology (54) 2878-2891
Maternal transfer is the predominant route of methylmercury (MeHg) exposure to offspring. We reviewed and synthesized published and unpublished data on maternal transfer of MeHg in birds. Using paired samples of females’ blood (n=564) and their eggs (n=1814) from 26 bird species in 6 taxonomic orders, we conducted...
Using out-of-sample yield forecast experiments to evaluate which earth observation products best indicate end of season maize yields
Frank Davenport, Laura Harrison, Shraddhanand Shukla, Gregory Husak, Chris Funk, Amy McNally
2019, Environmental Research Letters (14)
In East Africa, accurate grain yield predictions can help save lives and protect livelihoods. Regional grain yield forecasts can inform decisions regarding the availability and prices of key staples, food aid, and large humanitarian responses. Here, we use earth observation (EO) products to develop and evaluate subnational grain yield forecasts...
Plot Locator: An app for locating plots in the field
Jere Boudell, Beth A. Middleton
2019, Applications in Plant Science (7)
PREMISE: One of the challenges in field biology is locating previously sampled plots. The Plot Locator app was developed to assist field biologists with plot identification and location, with or without GPS or online connectivity. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Plot Locator Android app helps users locate field plots by creating...
Assessment of coal resources and reserves in the Little Snake River coal field and Red Desert assessment area, Greater Green River Basin, Wyoming
Brian N. Shaffer, Paul E. Pierce, Scott A. Kinney, Ricardo A. Olea, James A. Luppens
2019, Fact Sheet 2019-3053
The assessment of the Little Snake River coal field and Red Desert area covers approximately 2,300 square miles in the eastern portion of the Greater Green River Basin in south-central Wyoming. Coal-bearing formations are present throughout the Eocene, Paleocene, and Cretaceous strata in the assessment area. Paleogene-age coal beds are...
Coal geology and assessment of resources and reserves in the Little Snake River Coal Field and Red Desert Assessment Area, Greater Green River Basin, Wyoming
David C. Scott, Brian N. Shaffer, Jon E. Haacke, Paul E. Pierce, Scott A. Kinney
2019, Professional Paper 1836
The U.S. Geological Survey is studying regional-scale assessments of resources and reserves of primary coal beds in the major coal bed basins in the United States to help formulate policy for Federal, State, and local energy and land use. This report summarizes the geology and coal resources and reserves in...
Using maintenance records from a long-term sensor monitoring network to evaluate the relationship between maintenance schedule and data quality
Donald R. Schoolmaster Jr., Sarai Piazza
2019, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (192)
Sensor-based environmental monitoring networks are beginning to provide the large-scale, long-term data required to address important fundamental and applied questions in ecology. However, the data quality from deployed sensors can be difficult and costly to ensure. In this study, we use maintenance records from the 12-year history of Louisiana’s Coastwide...
Understanding tidal marsh trajectories: Evaluation of multiple indicators of marsh persistence
Kerstin Wasson, Neil K. Ganju, Zafer Defne, Charlie Endris, Tracy Elsey-Quirk, Karen M. Thorne, Chase M. Freeman, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Daniel J. Nowacki, Kenneth B. Raposa
2019, Environmental Research Letters (14)
Robust assessments of ecosystem stability are critical for informing conservation and management decisions. Tidal marsh ecosystems provide vital services, yet are globally threatened by anthropogenic alterations to physical and biological processes. A variety of monitoring and modeling approaches have been undertaken to determine which tidal marshes are likely to persist...
The seasonal energetic landscape of an apex marine carnivore, the polar bear
Anthony M. Pagano, Todd C. Atwood, George M. Durner, Terrie M. Williams
2019, Ecology
Divergent movement strategies have enabled wildlife populations to adapt to environmental change. In recent decades, the Southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) has developed a divergent movement strategy in response to diminishing sea ice where the majority of the subpopulation (73–85%) stays on the sea ice in...
Use of subsistence-harvested whale carcasses by polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea
Kate M Lillie, Eric M Gese, Todd C. Atwood, Mary M Conner
2019, Arctic (72) 337-484
The availability of a food subsidy has the potential to influence the condition, behavior, fitness, and population dynamics of a species. Since the early 2000s, monitoring efforts along the coast of northern Alaska indicated a higher proportion of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the southern Beaufort Sea (SB) subpopulation come...
Illuminating subduction zone rheological properties in the wake of a giant earthquake
Jonathan Weiss, Qiang Qiu, Sylvain Barbot, Tim J. Wright, James H. Foster, Alexander Saunders, Benjamin A. Brooks, Michael Bevis, Eric Kendrick, Todd Ericksen, Jonathan Avery, Robert Smalley Jr., Sergio R. Cimbaro, Luis E. Lenzano, Jorge Baron, Juan Carlos Báez, Arturo Echalar
2019, Science Advances (5)
Deformation associated with plate convergence at subduction zones is accommodated by a complex system involving fault slip and viscoelastic flow. These processes have proven difficult to disentangle. The 2010 Mw 8.8 Maule earthquake occurred close to the Chilean coast within a dense network of continuously recording Global Positioning System stations, which provide...
User's guide for the national hydrography dataset plus (NHDPlus) high resolution
Richard B. Moore, Lucinda D. McKay, Alan H. Rea, Timothy R. Bondelid, Curtis V. Price, Thomas G. Dewald, Craig M. Johnston
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1096
The National Hydrography Dataset Plus High Resolution (NHDPlus HR) is a scalable geospatial hydrography framework built from the High Resolution (1:24,000-scale or better) National Hydrography Dataset (NHD), nationally complete Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD), and ⅓-arc-second (10-meter ground spacing) 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) digital elevation model (DEM) data. The NHDPlus HR...
Determination of study reporting limits for pesticide constituent data for the California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment Program Priority Basin Project, 2004–2018—Part 1: National Water Quality Schedules 2003, 2032, or 2033, and 2060
Miranda S. Fram, Sylvia V. Stork
2019, Scientific Investigations Report 2019-5107
The California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment Program Priority Basin Project (GAMA-PBP) is a long-term cooperative project designed to assess the quality of groundwater resources used for public and domestic drinking water supplies in the State of California, to monitor and evaluate changes to that quality, to investigate the human...
Simulating land cover change impacts on groundwater recharge under selected climate projections, Maui, Hawaiʻi
Laura Brewington, Victoria Keener, Alan Mair
2019, Remote Sensing (11)
This project developed an integrated land cover/hydrological modeling framework using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) data, stakeholder input, climate information and projections, and empirical data to estimate future groundwater recharge on the Island of Maui, Hawaiʻi, USA. End-of-century mean annual groundwater recharge was estimated under...
Evaluation of Potential Translocation Sites for an Imperiled Cyprinid, theHornyhead Chub
Brian T. Hickerson, Annika W. Walters
2019, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (39) 205-218
Translocation of isolated species into suitable habitats may help secure vulnerable, geographically limited species. Due to the decline of Wyoming Hornyhead Chub Nocomis biguttatus, conservation actions such as translocation of populations within the plausible historical range are being considered to improve population redundancy and resiliency to disturbance events. Translocation of...
Time to branch out? Application of hierarchical survival models in plant phenology
Sarah Elmendorf, Theresa Crimmins, Katharine L. Gerst, Jake Weltzin
2019, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology (279)
The sensitivity of phenology to environmental drivers can vary across geography and species. As such, models developed to predict phenology are typically site- or taxon-specific. Generation of site- and taxon-specific models is limited by the intensive in-situ phenological monitoring effort required to generate sufficient data to parameterize each model. Where...
High rates of inflation during a noneruptive episode of seismic unrest at Semisopochnoi Volcano, Alaska in 2014–2015
Kimberly Degrandpre, Jeremy D. Pesicek, Zhong Lu, Heather R. DeShon, Diana Roman
2019, Journal of Geophysical Research (20) 6163-6186
Magma intrusion rate is a key parameter in eruption triggering but is poorly quantified in existing geodetic studies. Here we examine two episodes of rapid inflation in this context. Two noneruptive microseismic swarms were recorded at Semisopochnoi Volcano, Alaska in 2014–2015. We use differential SAR techniques and TerraSAR‐X images to...
Geometric targets for UAS Lidar
B. Wilkinson, H.A. Lassiter, A. Abd-Elrahman, Raymond Carthy, P. Ifju, E. Broadbent, N. Grimes
2019, Remote Sensing (11)
Lidar from small unoccupied aerial systems (UAS) is a viable method for collecting geospatial data associated with a wide variety of applications. Point clouds from UAS lidar require a means for accuracy assessment, calibration, and adjustment. In order to carry out these procedures, specific locations within the point cloud must...
Validating a landsat time-series of fractional component cover across western U.S. Rangelands
Matthew B. Rigge, Collin G. Homer, Hua Shi, Debra K. Meyer
2019, Remote Sensing (11)
Western U.S. rangelands have been quantified as six fractional cover (0%–100%) components over the Landsat archive (1985–2018) at a 30 m resolution, termed the “Back-in-Time” (BIT) dataset. Robust validation through space and time is needed to quantify product accuracy. Here, we used field data collected concurrently with high-resolution satellite (HRS) images...
Exposure and potential effects of pesticides and pharmaceuticals in protected streams of the US National Park Service southeast Region
Paul M. Bradley, Kristin M. Romanok, Jeffrey R. Duncan, William Battaglin, Jimmy Clark, Michelle L. Hladik, Bradley Huffman, Luke Iwanowicz, Celeste A. Journey, Kelly Smalling
2019, Science of the Total Environment (704)
Globally protected areas offer refugia for a broad range of taxa including threatened and endangered species. The United States National Park Service (NPS) manages public lands to preserve biodiversity, but increasing park visitation and development of surrounding landscapes increase exposure to and effects from bioactive contaminants. The risk (exposure and...
Depth to bedrock based on modeling of gravity data of the eastern part of Edwards Air Force Base, California
Victoria Langenheim, Andrew Morita, Allen H. Christensen, Geoffrey Cromwell, Christopher P. Ely
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1128
We describe a gravity survey acquired to determine the thickness of basin-fill deposits (depth to bedrock) and to delineate geologic structures that might influence groundwater flow beneath the eastern part of Edwards Air Force Base, California. Inversion of these gravity data combined with geologic map and well information provides an...
Developing and optimizing shrub parameters representing sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems in the Northern Great Basin using the Ecosystem Demography (EDv2.2) model
Karun Pandit, Hamid Dasthi, Nancy Glenn, Alejandro Flores, Kaitlin C. Maguire, Douglas J. Shinneman, Gerald Flerchinger, Aaron Fellow
2019, Geoscientific Model Development (12) 4585-4601
Ecosystem dynamic models are useful for understanding ecosystem characteristics over time and space because of their efficiency over direct field measurements and applicability to broad spatial extents. Their application, however, is challenging due to internal model uncertainties and complexities arising from distinct qualities of the ecosystems being analyzed. The sagebrush-steppe...
High-resolution and accurate topography reconstruction of Mount Etna from Pleiades satellite data
Monica Palaseanu-Lovejoy, Marina Bisson, Claudia Spinetti, Maria Fabrizia Buongiorno, Oleg Alexandrov, Thomas Cecere
2019, Remote Sensing (11)
The areas characterized by dynamic and rapid morphological changes need accurate topography information with frequent updates, especially if these are populated and involve infrastructures. This is particularly true in active volcanic areas such as Mount (Mt.) Etna, located in the northeastern portion of Sicily, Italy. The Mt. Etna volcano is...
A pragmatic approach for comparing species distribution models to increasing confidence in managing piping plover habitat
Brooke Maslo, Sara Zeigler, Evan Drake, Todd Pover, Nathaniel G. Plant
2019, Conservation Science and Practice (2)
Conservation management often requires decision-making without perfect knowledge of the at-risk species or ecosystem. Species distribution models (SDMs) are useful but largely under-utilized due to model uncertainty. We provide a case study that utilizes an ensemble modeling approach of two independently derived SDMs to explicitly address common modeling impediments and...
