Resource competition model predicts zonation and increasing nutrient use efficiency along a wetland salinity gradient
Donald Schoolmaster, Camille L. Stagg
2018, Ecology (99) 670-680
A trade-off between competitive ability and stress tolerance has been hypothesized and empirically supported to explain the zonation of species across stress gradients for a number of systems. Since stress often reduces plant productivity, one might expect a pattern of decreasing productivity across the zones of the stress gradient. However,...
Using expert knowledge to incorporate uncertainty in cause-of-death assignments for modeling of cause-specific mortality
Daniel P. Walsh, Andrew S. Norton, Daniel J. Storm, Timothy R. Van Deelen, Dennis M. Heisy
2018, Ecology and Evolution (8) 509-520
Implicit and explicit use of expert knowledge to inform ecological analyses is becoming increasingly common because it often represents the sole source of information in many circumstances. Thus, there is a need to develop statistical methods that explicitly incorporate expert knowledge, and can successfully leverage this information while properly accounting...
Sediment erosion and delivery from Toutle River basin after the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens: A 30-year perspective
Jon J. Major, Adam R. Mosbrucker, Kurt R. Spicer
Charles Crisafulli, V. Dale, editor(s)
2018, Book chapter, Ecological responses at Mount St. Helens: Revisited 35 years after the 1980 eruption
Exceptional sediment yields persist in Toutle River valley more than 30 years after the major 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Differencing of decadal-scale digital elevation models shows the elevated load comes largely from persistent lateral channel erosion across the debris-avalanche deposit. Since the mid-1980s, rates of channel-bed-elevation change have diminished,...
Contaminants in tropical island streams and their biota
Elissa N. Buttermore, W. Gregory Cope, Thomas J. Kwak, Patrick B. Cooney, Damian Shea, Peter R. Lazaro
2018, Environmental Research (161) 615-623
Environmental contamination is problematic for tropical islands due to their typically dense human populations and competing land and water uses. The Caribbean island of Puerto Rico (USA) has a long history of anthropogenic chemical use, and its human population density is among the highest globally, providing a model environment to...
Use of remote sensing to detect and predict aquatic nuisance vegetation growth in coastal Louisiana: Summary of findings
Glenn M. Suir, Kevin J. Suir, Sijan Sapkota
2018, ERDC Technical Report ERDC/EL TR-18-3
On an annual basis, federal and state agencies are responsible for mapping and removing large expanses of aquatic nuisance vegetation from navigable waterways. This study set out to achieve four primary objectives: (1) utilize recent advancements in remote sensing techniques to classify the extent and distribution of aquatic vegetation in...
Monitoring algal blooms in drinking water reservoirs using the Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager
Darryl Keith, Jennifer Rover, Jason Green, Brian Zalewsky, Mike Charpentier, Glen Hursby, Joseph Bishop
2018, International Journal of Remote Sensing (39) 2818-2846
In this study, we demonstrated that the Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) sensor is a powerful tool that can provide periodic and system-wide information on the condition of drinking water reservoirs. The OLI is a multispectral radiometer (30 m spatial resolution) that allows ecosystem observations at spatial and temporal scales that...
Preparing for an uncertain future: Migrating shorebird response to past climatic fluctuations in the Prairie Potholes
Valerie A. Steen, Susan K. Skagen, Barry R. Noon
2018, Ecosphere (9) 1-12
The Prairie Pothole Region, situated in the northern Great Plains, provides important stopover habitat for migratory shorebirds. During spring migration in the U.S. Prairie Potholes, 7.3 million shorebirds refuel in the region's myriad small, freshwater wetlands. Shorebirds use mudflats, shorelines, and ephemeral wetlands that are far more abundant in wet years...
Deciphering the link between doubly uniparental inheritance of mtDNA and sex determination in bivalves: Clues from comparative transcriptomics
Charlotte Capt, Sébastien Renaut, Fabrizio Ghiselli, Liliana Milani, Nathan A. Johnson, Bernard E. Sietman, Donald Stewart, Sophie Breton
2018, Genome Biology and Evolution (10) 577-590
Bivalves exhibit an astonishing diversity of sexual systems and sex-determining mechanisms. They can be gonochoric, hermaphroditic or androgenetic, with both genetic and environmental factors known to determine or influence sex. One unique sex-determining system involving the mitochondrial genome has also been hypothesized to exist in bivalves with doubly uniparental inheritance...
Assessing the influence of multiple stressors on stream diatom metrics in the upper Midwest, USA
Mark D. Munn, Ian R. Waite, Christopher P. Konrad
2018, Ecological Indicators (85) 1239-1248
Water resource managers face increasing challenges in identifying what physical and chemical stressors are responsible for the alteration of biological conditions in streams. The objective of this study was to assess the comparative influence of multiple stressors on benthic diatoms at 98 sites that spanned a range of stressors in...
Estimating factors influencing the detection probability of semiaquatic freshwater snails using quadrat survey methods
Elizabeth L. Roesler, Timothy B. Grabowski
2018, Hydrobiologia (808) 153-161
Developing effective monitoring methods for elusive, rare, or patchily distributed species requires extra considerations, such as imperfect detection. Although detection is frequently modeled, the opportunity to assess it empirically is rare, particularly for imperiled species. We used Pecos assiminea (Assiminea pecos), an endangered semiaquatic snail, as a case...
A molecular investigation of soil organic carbon composition across a subalpine catchment
Hsiao-Tieh Hsu, Corey R. Lawrence, Matthew J. Winnick, John R. Bargar, Katharine Maher
2018, Soil Systems (2) 1-23
The dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and turnover are a critical component of the global carbon cycle. Mechanistic models seeking to represent these complex dynamics require detailed SOC compositions, which are currently difficult to characterize quantitatively. Here, we address this challenge by using a novel approach that combines...
Variabilities in probabilistic seismic hazard maps for natural and induced seismicity in the central and eastern United States
S. Mostafa Mousavi, Gregory C. Beroza, Susan M. Hoover
2018, The Leading Edge (37) 141a1-141a9
Probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) characterizes ground-motion hazard from earthquakes. Typically, the time horizon of a PSHA forecast is long, but in response to induced seismicity related to hydrocarbon development, the USGS developed one-year PSHA models. In this paper, we present a display of the variability in USGS hazard curves...
Seismic hazard, risk, and design for South America
Mark D. Petersen, Stephen Harmsen, Kishor S. Jaiswal, Kenneth S. Rukstales, Nico Luco, Kathleen Haller, Charles Mueller, Allison Shumway
2018, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (108) 781-800
We calculate seismic hazard, risk, and design criteria across South America using the latest data, models, and methods to support public officials, scientists, and engineers in earthquake risk mitigation efforts. Updated continental scale seismic hazard models are based on a new seismicity catalog, seismicity rate models, evaluation of earthquake sizes,...
Examining fluvial fish range loss with SDMs
Andrew T. Taylor, Monica Papes, James M. Long
2018, Conservation Biology (32) 171-182
Fluvial fishes face increased imperilment from anthropogenic activities, but the specific factors contributing most to range declines are often poorly understood. For example, the range of the fluvial‐specialist shoal bass (Micropterus cataractae) continues to decrease, yet how perceived threats have contributed to range loss is largely unknown. We used species...
Groundwater connectivity of upland-embedded wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region
Brian Neff, Donald O. Rosenberry
2018, Wetlands (38) 51-63
Groundwater connections from upland-embedded wetlands to downstream waterbodies remain poorly understood. In principle, water from upland-embedded wetlands situated high in a landscape should flow via groundwater to waterbodies situated lower in the landscape. However, the degree of groundwater connectivity varies across systems due to factors such as geologic setting, hydrologic...
Image simulation and assessment of the colour and spatial capabilities of the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) on the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter
Livio L. Tornabene, Frank P. Seelos, Antoine Pommerol, Nicolas Thomas, Christy M. Caudill, Patricio Becerra, John C. Bridges, Shane Byrne, Marco Cardinale, Matthew Chojnacki, Susan J. Conway, Gabriele Cremonese, Colin M. Dundas, M. R. El-Maarry, Jennifer Fernando, Candice J. Hansen, Kayle Hansen, Tanya N. Harrison, Rachel Henson, Lucia Marinangeli, Alfred S. McEwen, Maurizio Pajola, Sarah S. Sutton, James J. Wray
2018, Space Science Reviews (214)
This study aims to assess the spatial and visible/near-infrared (VNIR) colour/spectral capabilities of the 4-band Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) aboard the ExoMars 2016 Trace Grace Orbiter (TGO). The instrument response functions for the CaSSIS imager was used to resample spectral libraries, modelled spectra and to construct spectrally...
Long‐term trends in fall age ratios of black brant
David H. Ward, Courtney L. Amundson, Robert A. Stehn, Christian P. Dau
2018, Journal of Wildlife Management (82) 362-373
Accurate estimates of the age composition of populations can inform past reproductive success and future population trajectories. We examined fall age ratios (juveniles:total birds) of black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans; brant) staging at Izembek National Wildlife Refuge near the tip of the Alaska Peninsula, southwest Alaska, USA, 1963 to 2015....
The suitability of using dissolved gases to determine groundwater discharge to high gradient streams
Tom Gleeson, Andrew H. Manning, Andrea Popp, Mathew Zane, Jordan F. Clark
2018, Journal of Hydrology (557) 561-572
Determining groundwater discharge to streams using dissolved gases is known to be useful over a wide range of streamflow rates but the suitability of dissolved gas methods to determine discharge rates in high gradient mountain streams has not been sufficiently tested, even though headwater streams are critical as ecological habitats...
Spatial patterns in occupancy and reproduction of Golden Eagles during drought: Prospects for conservation in changing environments
David Wiens, Patrick Kolar, W. Grainger Hunt, Teresa Hunt, Mark R. Fuller, Douglas A. Bell
2018, The Condor (120) 106-124
We used a broad-scale sampling design to investigate spatial patterns in occupancy and breeding success of territorial pairs of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in the Diablo Range, California, USA, during a period of exceptional drought (2014–2016). We surveyed 138 randomly selected sample sites over 4 occasions each year and identified...
Limited contribution of ancient methane to surface waters of the U.S. Beaufort Sea shelf
Katy J. Sparrow, John D. Kessler, John R. Southon, Fenix Garcia-Tigreros, Kathryn M. Schreiner, Carolyn D. Ruppel, John B. Miller, Scott J. Lehman, Xiaomei Xu
2018, Science Advances (4)
In response to warming climate, methane can be released to Arctic Ocean sediment and waters from thawing subsea permafrost and decomposing methane hydrates. However, it is unknown whether methane derived from this sediment storehouse of frozen ancient carbon reaches the atmosphere. We quantified the fraction of methane derived from ancient...
Biomarker responses of Peromyscus leucopus exposed to lead and cadmium in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District
W. Nelson Beyer, Stan W. Casteel, Kristen R. Friedrichs, Eric Gramlich, Ruth A. Houseright, John W. Nichols, Natalie Karouna-Renier, Dae Young Kim, Kathleen Rangen, Barnett A. Rattner, Sandra L. Schultz
2018, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (190) 1-16
Biomarker responses and histopathological lesions have been documented in laboratory mammals exposed to elevated concentrations of lead and cadmium. The exposure of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) to these metals and the potential associated toxic effects were examined at three contaminated sites in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District...
Modulators of mercury risk to wildlife and humans in the context of rapid global change
Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Ellen K. Silbergeld, Niladri Basu, Paco Bustamante, Fernando Diaz-Barriga, William A. Hopkins, Karen A. Kidd, Jennifer F. Nyland
2018, Ambio (47) 170-197
Environmental mercury (Hg) contamination is an urgent global health threat. The complexity of Hg in the environment can hinder accurate determination of ecological and human health risks, particularly within the context of the rapid global changes that are altering many ecological processes, socioeconomic patterns, and other factors like infectious disease...
Determinants of Pseudogymnoascus destructans within bat hibernacula: Implications for surveillance and management of white-nose syndrome
Michelle L. Verant, Elizabeth A. Bohuski, Katherine L. D. Richgels, Kevin J. Olival, Jonathan H. Epstein, David S. Blehert
2018, Journal of Applied Ecology (55) 820-829
Fungal diseases are an emerging global problem affecting human health, food security and biodiversity. Ability of many fungal pathogens to persist within environmental reservoirs can increase extinction risks for host species and presents challenges for disease control. Understanding factors that regulate pathogen spread and persistence in these...
Comparative analyses of hydrological responses of two adjacent watersheds to climate variability and change using the SWAT model
Sangchul Lee, In-Young Yeo, Ali M. Sadeghi, Gregory W. McCarty, Wells Hively, Megan W. Lang, Amir Sharifi
2018, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (22) 689-708
Water quality problems in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW) are expected to be exacerbated by climate variability and change. However, climate impacts on agricultural lands and resultant nutrient loads into surface water resources are largely unknown. This study evaluated the impacts of climate variability and change on two adjacent watersheds...
Morphological indicators of a mascon beneath Ceres' largest crater, Kerwan
Michael T. Bland, Anton Ermakov, Carol A. Raymond, David A. Williams, Tim J. Bowling, F. Preusker, Ryan S. Park, Simone Marchi, Julie C. Castillo-Rogez, R.R. Fu, Christopher T. Russell
2018, Geophysical Research Letters (45) 1297-1304
Gravity data of Ceres returned by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Dawn spacecraft is consistent with a lower density crust of variable thickness overlying a higher density mantle. Crustal thickness variations can affect the long‐term, postimpact modification of impact craters on Ceres. Here we show...
