Similar population dynamics before and after a chytridiomycosis outbreak in a tropical riparian amphibian species
Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo, Rebecca McCaffery, Ana V. Longo, Kelly R. Zamudio, Karen R. Lips
2025, Ecosphere (16)
Emerging infectious diseases can cause rapid, widespread host mortality, and the lack of demographic data before and after pathogen emergence complicates understanding mechanisms of host persistence. This challenge is further compounded by environmental conditions that influence host behavior, while driving pathogen growth and virulence. These interactions create complex disease outcomes...
Invasive wild pig movement and space use in a mixed-use forest landscape, South Carolina
Erin K. Buchholtz, Andrew Jamison, Greg Yarrow
2025, Stacks Journal (2025)
Invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) pose considerable ecological and economic challenges across their introduced range, and understanding their spatial ecology is critical for management. This research and accompanying dataset represents adult wild pig movement in South Carolina, United States based on 16 individuals collared in 2023-2024. Using hourly GPS collar...
Gas chemistry and isotope data for volcano monitoring at the Lassen Volcanic Center, Lassen Volcanic National Park
Deborah Bergfeld, Jennifer L. Lewicki, Sara Peek, Andrew Hunt
2025, Open-File Report 2025-1056
This report presents chemical and isotopic compositions of volcanic gases collected from thermal areas within Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California from 1974 through 2019. As the southernmost volcano in the Cascade Range and designated a very-high-threat volcano by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Lassen Volcanic Center (LVC) requires...
Noble and base metal distribution and processes affecting ore tenors in the disrupted lower stratigraphy of the Stillwater Complex, USA
Allen K. Andersen, Michael Jenkins
2025, Mineralium Deposita
Exploration continues for contact-style Ni-Cu sulfide and chromitite-associated PGE mineralization in ultramafic rocks of the Stillwater Complex. At the Iron and Chrome Mountain areas, massive sulfides occur along the complex’s footwall contact and anomalous concentrations of PGE+Au are associated with the three lowermost chromitite seams. Southeast of Chrome Mountain, magmatic...
Achieving interpretable machine learning by functional decomposition of black-box models into explainable predictor effects
David Kohler, David Rügamer, Lindsey J. Boyle, Kelly O. Maloney, Matthias Schmid
2025, npj Artificial Intelligence (1)
Machine learning (ML) models are often based on complex black-box architectures that are difficult to interpret. This interpretability problem can hinder the use of ML in fields like medicine, ecology, and insurance, and has boosted research in interpretable machine learning (IML). Here, we propose a novel approach for the functional...
Longer exposure to warm water increases subsequent thermal tolerance of brook trout in cold water: Acclimation timing and physiology
Amy M. Regish, Matthew O’Donnell, Benjamin Letcher, Timothy Lambert, Daniel J. Hall, Stephen D. McCormick
2025, Conservation Physiology (13)
Climate change has resulted in increased incidence and variability of warming episodes in cold-water streams that support salmonids. The capacity to acclimate to warm temperatures may allow cold-water fish to persist in spite of changing thermal regimes, but accurately predicting fish performance under fluctuating stream temperatures also requires understanding re-acclimation...
Rapid structured decision making for Hypomesus transpacificus (delta smelt) summer–fall freshwater outflow management
Brian D. Healy, Corey C. Phillis, Brian Mahardja, Cameron Koizumi, Catarina Pien, Nancy Parker, J. Louise Conrad, Julie Ekstrom, Julie Leimbach, Rafael Silberblatt, Tom Fischer, Chase Ehlo
2025, Open-File Report 2025-1055
Managers of the Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Projects (SWP) in California are confronted with difficult tradeoffs between water uses and associated values affected by water management decisions. These decisions involve altering the timing and magnitude of water releases from dams and reservoirs, which can affect habitats for...
USGS—An Unparalleled Scientific Asset
Shonte Jenkins, Emily Pindilli, David Applegate, Rachel E. Reagan
2025, General Information Product 263
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) delivers information critical to powering our economy, managing our natural resources, and keeping Americans safe and healthy.1Mapping the Nation$21B Geologic maps save users an estimated 15% in annual costs: a value of between $14B and $21B.$25.6B is the annual value to users of key Earth observation platforms...
Memory and jamming in fault zone sediments
Jhardel Dasent, Vashan Wright, Katherine M. Scharer, Michael Manga, Richard Kilburn
2025, Communications Earth & Environment (6)
Many subsurface processes involve transitions in granular material states, from arrested to creeping to flowing. Experiments and frameworks for idealized systems reveal that granular fabrics develop during shearing, co-evolve with applied stress, and govern such transitions. We use microtomography to test whether fabrics at two San Andreas fault sites reflect...
Conceptual and numerical groundwater flow model of the Iowa River alluvial aquifer near Tama County, Iowa, 1980 through 2022
Kendall M.F. Goldstein, Kyle W. Davis
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5086
The Iowa River alluvial aquifer is an important source of water on the Meskwaki Settlement in Tama County, Iowa, which is land owned by the Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa (commonly known as the Meskwaki Nation). The U.S. Geological Survey constructed a groundwater flow model, including...
Approximate inland extent of saltwater intrusion at the base of the Biscayne aquifer, Miami-Dade County, Florida, 2022
Jade Ziqiu Zhang, Corinne Renshaw
2025, Scientific Investigations Map 3541
Miami-Dade County is part of a densely populated urban corridor in southeastern Florida. The Biscayne aquifer serves as Miami-Dade County’s primary drinking water source and is characterized by highly permeable karstic limestone and carbonate sand. The aquifer’s coastal location and permeable nature make it susceptible to saltwater intrusion. Monitoring the...
Rice cultivation supports growth and survival of a threatened semi-aquatic reptile
Jonathan P. Rose, Allison M. Nguyen, Anna Jordan, Daniel Antonio Macias, Elliot James Schoenig, Giancarlo Ray Napolitano, Richard Kim, Julia S.M. Ersan, Alexandria M. Fulton, Brian Halstead
2025, Ecological Applications (35)
Integration of agroecosystems and other working landscapes with protected lands and waters is critical to the conservation of Earth's biodiversity. Rice agroecosystems support many species by providing aquatic habitat where natural wetlands have been altered or drained. In regions with long dry seasons, rice fields and associated irrigation canals provide...
Seasonal movements of nonnative White Catfish in the Penobscot River estuary
Andrea N. Casey, Matthew A. Mensinger, Joseph D. Zydlewski
2025, North American Journal of Fisheries Management
ObjectiveWhite Catfish Ameiurus catus has been introduced to coastal watersheds across the United States. In the Penobscot River, Maine, this species has become increasingly common in upstream habitats that have been made accessible by recent dam removals. We characterized the movements of White Catfish to understand the temporal...
Predicting sediment bulk density for San Francisco Estuary
Samantha C. McGill, Jessica R. Lacy
2025, San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science (23)
Sediment bulk density (ρ-dry) and particle size are two important parameters for predicting sediment bed erosion. ρ-dry, however, is difficult to measure accurately. The units of ρdry have not been consistently reported in the literature, leading to confusion, particularly in the calculation of sediment budgets that typically require integrating mass-based...
Geochemical and hydrological investigations of historical data collected at the Lee Acres Landfill and Giant Bloomfield Refinery, New Mexico, 1985–2020
Erin L. Gray, Christina L. Ferguson
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5091
The Lee Acres Landfill and Giant Bloomfield Refinery are adjacent properties near the City of Farmington, New Mexico, each having undergone monitoring and remediation related to historical site activities. At the landfill, site cleanup has included the installation of a capillary barrier over former liquid waste lagoons and periodic monitoring...
Biologging to identify nesting and non-nesting emergences for four species of imperiled sea turtles
Kristen Hart, Connor F. White, Donna J. Shaver, Margaret Lamont, Michael Cherkiss, Andrew G. Crowder, Nicholas M. Whitney
2025, Frontiers in Marine Science (12)
Quantifying sea turtle nesting behavior is essential for recovery planning and evaluating management actions. Traditional monitoring approaches, based on nest counts from beach surveys, can misclassify non-nesting emergences, obscure true fecundity, and underestimate clutch frequency, metrics that directly influence population models and regulatory decisions. Here, we demonstrate...
Exploring atmospheric deposition chemistry data across the United States
Ryan C. McCammon, Noel A. Deyette, Gregory A. Wetherbee
2025, Fact Sheet 2025-3041
The National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) collects atmospheric data to monitor air pollution effects on the quality of United States water supplies and ecosystems. The NADP requires consistent data collection at fixed locations and is governed by a committee with participation by many Federal and State agencies, universities, Tribes, and private companies. NADP conducts a spring...
A summary of grizzly bear distribution in the lower-48 US states in 2024
Cecily M. Costello, Justin A. Dellinger, Jennifer K. Fortin-Noreus, Mark Haroldson, Bryn Karabensh, Wayne F. Kasworm, Lori L. Roberts, Justin E. Teisberg, Frank T. van Manen, Tyler J. Vent
2025, Report
Understanding the distribution of grizzly bear populations in the lower-48 states, is important for their conservation and management, and for public safety. Previously, our research teams working in grizzly bear ecosystems in the lower-48 states used varying methods to estimate distribution of grizzly bear populations. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem...
Early season tropical cyclones affect birds breeding on a barrier island
Theodore J. Zenzal Jr., Amanda Nicole Anderson, Brock Geary, Jessica Schulz, Robert C. Dobbs, Wylie C. Barrow, Hardin Waddle
2025, Gulf and Caribbean Research (36) 38-48
Animal populations often experience acute natural disturbances, most of which are connected to short—term weather events. Occurrences of early—season tropical cyclones during the peak of the avian breeding season are likely to increase with climate change, which can substantially impact populations of coastal breeding birds at multiple scales. To understand...
Designs for cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom monitoring in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California
Keith Bouma-Gregson, Lisa Lucas, Andrea Cecile Jaegge, Dulcinea Marie Avouris, Emily T. Richardson, Jacob Aaron Zwart, Tamara E. C. Kraus
2025, Preprint
Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHABs) are a growing concern in freshwater environments. These blooms can lead to degraded water quality, ecosystem disruptions, and public health threats due to the production of potent cyanotoxins. The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (California, USA; the Delta) has experienced CHABs since 1999, including CHABs that produce...
Land use and soil characteristics are associated with increased risk of treponeme-associated hoof disease in elk
Steven N. Winter, Glen A. Sargeant, Margaret A. Wild, Erin Clancey, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Kyle Garrison, Pilar Fernandez
2025, Ecosphere (16)
Environments can shape the occurrence and extent of disease outbreaks in wildlife. We studied the effects of environmental features on the occurrence of treponeme-associated hoof disease (TAHD), an emerging infectious disease of free-ranging elk (Cervus canadensis), in southwestern Washington, USA. During the 2016–2022 harvest seasons, successful elk hunters returned mandatory...
A transdisciplinary approach to growing an applied science of cultural evolution for a sustainable future
Jeremy S. Brooks, Rebecca Koomen, Peter Søgaard-Jørgensen, Richard Eugene Waggaman Berl, Wendy Chavez-Paez, Dustin Eirdosh, Moh Abdul Hakim, Susan Hanisch, Christine Lindell, James Liu, Minh Hiếu Nguyễn, Anne Pisor, Douglas Rogers, Rainer Romero-Canyas, Erik Thulin, Tim Waring
2025, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences (380)
Addressing sustainability challenges requires an integrative approach that bridges scientific research with practical application. The field of cultural evolution (CE) offers a perspective that may guide transitions and cultural transformations for a sustainable future. However, there have been few efforts to apply this field to sustainability challenges. This study explores...
Foundational principles of an applied cultural evolutionary science for natural resource management and conservation
Richard Eugene Waggaman Berl, Jonathan J. Fisk, Lily M. van Eeden, Jonathan Salerno, Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, Kirsten Leong, Jonathan W. Long, G. Scott Boomer, Christopher K. Williams, Ugo Arbieu, Lisa Lehnen, Adam Landon, Erle C. Ellis, Bas Verschuuren, Lincoln R. Larson, Michael C. Gavin
2025, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences (380)
Culture, as the filter through which people view the world and a key determinant of human behaviour, is central to the practice of natural resource management and conservation. Conservation is intended to moderate the impacts of human cultural modification of the environment, exists as an endeavour because...
Toward co-designed Earth System Models: Reflecting end-user priorities in local applications from a modeler's perspective
Yifan Cheng, Nicole M. Herman-Mercer, Andrew J. Newman, Keith Musselman, Cleo Woelfle-Hazard, Dylan Blaskey, Cassandra M. Brooks, Tvetene Carlson, Joshua C. Koch, Monica Morrison, Edda A. Mutter, Daniel Sarna-Wojcicki, Peyton Thomas, Jenessa Tlen, Ryan C. Toohey
2025, AGU Advances (6)
Earth System Models (ESM) are crucial for quantifying climate impacts across Earth's interconnected systems and supporting science-based adaptation and mitigation. However, not including end-users, especially decision-makers representing communities vulnerable to climate change, can limit model utility, increase epistemic risks, and lead to information misuse in decision-making. While the...
Imidacloprid in United States rivers, 2013–2022: Persistent presence and emerging chronic hazard
Samuel Adam Miller, Travis S. Schmidt, Larry B. Barber, Michelle L. Hladik, Dana W. Kolpin, Megan E. Shoda, Sarah M. Stackpoole
2025, Environmental Science & Technology (5) 7219-7230
Imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide, is used for agricultural and nonagricultural purposes and is toxic to nontarget organisms at low concentrations in aquatic ecosystems. A total of 12,547 water samples were collected from 2013 to 2022 from 77 rivers across the United States (U.S.) and were analyzed to...
