Ordinary kriging as a tool to estimate historical daily streamflow records
William H. Farmer
2016, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (20) 2721-2735
Efficient and responsible management of water resources relies on accurate streamflow records. However, many watersheds are ungaged, limiting the ability to assess and understand local hydrology. Several tools have been developed to alleviate this data scarcity, but few provide continuous daily streamflow records at individual streamgages within an entire region....
Evaluation of leaf removal as a means to reduce nutrient concentrations and loads in urban stormwater
William R. Selbig
2016, Science of the Total Environment (571) 124-133
While the sources of nutrients to urban stormwater are many, the primary contributor is often organic detritus, especially in areas with dense overhead tree canopy. One way to remove organic detritus before it becomes entrained in runoff is to implement a city-wide leaf collection and...
A field ornithologist’s guide to genomics: Practical considerations for ecology and conservation
Sara J. Oyler-McCance, Kevin Oh, Kathryn Langin, Cameron L. Aldridge
2016, The Auk (133) 626-648
Vast improvements in sequencing technology have made it practical to simultaneously sequence millions of nucleotides distributed across the genome, opening the door for genomic studies in virtually any species. Ornithological research stands to benefit in three substantial ways. First, genomic methods enhance our ability to parse and simultaneously analyze both...
Quantifying the eroded volume of mercury-contaminated sediment using terrestrial laser scanning at Stocking Flat, Deer Creek, Nevada County, California, 2010–13
James F. Howle, Charles N. Alpers, Gerald W. Bawden, Sandra Bond
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5179
High-resolution ground-based light detection and ranging (lidar), also known as terrestrial laser scanning, was used to quantify the volume of mercury-contaminated sediment eroded from a stream cutbank at Stocking Flat along Deer Creek in the Sierra Nevada foothills, about 3 kilometers west of Nevada City, California. Terrestrial laser scanning was...
Catalog of microscopic organisms of the Everglades, Part 1—The cyanobacteria
Barry H. Rosen, Jan Mares
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1114
The microscopic organisms of the Everglades include numerous prokaryotic organisms, including the eubacteria, such as the cyanobacteria and non-photosynthetic bacteria, as well as several eukaryotic algae and protozoa that form the base of the food web. This report is part 1 in a series of reports that describe microscopic organisms...
Water resources of St. Helena Parish, Louisiana
Vincent E. White, Lawrence B. Prakken
2016, Fact Sheet 2016-3047
Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-resource management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the...
The effect of submerged aquatic vegetation expansion on a declining turbidity trend in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta
E.L. Hestir, David H. Schoellhamer, Jonathan Greenberg, Tara L. Morgan-King, S.L. Ustin
2016, Estuaries and Coasts (39) 1100-1112
Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) has well-documented effects on water clarity. SAV beds can slow water movement and reduce bed shear stress, promoting sedimentation and reducing suspension. However, estuaries have multiple controls on turbidity that make it difficult to determine the effect of SAV on water clarity. In this study, we...
Water resources of Livingston Parish, Louisiana
Vincent E. White, Lawrence B. Prakken
2016, Fact Sheet 2016-3048
Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-resource management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability,...
Comparison of benthos and plankton for selected areas of concern and non-areas of concern in western Lake Michigan Rivers and Harbors in 2012
Barbara C. Scudder Eikenberry, Amanda H. Bell, Hayley T. Olds, Daniel J. Burns
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5090
Recent data are lacking to assess whether impairments still exist at four of Wisconsin’s largest Lake Michigan harbors that were designated as Areas of Concern (AOCs) in the late 1980s due to sediment contamination and multiple Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs), such as those affecting benthos (macroinvertebrates) and plankton (zooplankton and...
Global assessment of schistosomiasis control over the past century shows targeting the snail intermediate host works best
Susanne H. Sokolow, Chelsea L. Wood, Isabel J. Jones, Scott J. Swartz, Melina Lopez, Michael H. Hsieh, Kevin D. Lafferty, Armand M. Kuris, Chloe Rickards, Giulio A. De Leo
2016, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases (10)
Background Despite control efforts, human schistosomiasis remains prevalent throughout Africa, Asia, and South America. The global schistosomiasis burden has changed little since the new anthelmintic drug, praziquantel, promised widespread control. Methodology We evaluated large-scale schistosomiasis control attempts over the past century and across the globe by identifying factors that predict control program success:...
Water resources of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
Vincent E. White, Lawrence B. Prakken
2016, Fact Sheet 2016-3049
Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-resource management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability,...
Evaluation of National Atmospheric Deposition Program measurements for colocated sites CO89 and CO98 at Rocky Mountain National Park, water years 2010–14
Gregory A. Wetherbee
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5051
Atmospheric wet-deposition monitoring in Rocky Mountain National Park included precipitation depth and aqueous chemical measurements at colocated National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network (NADP/NTN) sites CO89 and CO98 (Loch Vale) during water years 2010–14 (study period). The colocated sites were separated by approximately 6.5 meters horizontally and 0.5 meter in...
Five-year evaluation of habitat remediation in Thunder Bay, Lake Huron: Comparison of constructed reef characteristics that attract spawning lake trout
J. Ellen Marsden, Thomas R. Binder, James Johnson, Ji He, Natalie Dingledine, Janice Adams, Nicholas S. Johnson, Tyler J. Buchinger, Charles C. Krueger
2016, Fisheries Research (183) 275-286
Degradation of aquatic habitats has motivated construction and research on the use of artificial reefs to enhance production of fish populations. However, reefs are often poorly planned, reef design characteristics are not evaluated, and reef assessments are short-term. We constructed 29 reefs in Thunder Bay, Lake Huron, in 2010 and...
The logic of comparative life history studies for estimating key parameters, with a focus on natural mortality rate
John M Hoenig, Amy Y.-H. Then, Elizabeth A. Babcock, Norman G. Hall, David A. Hewitt, Sybrand A. Hesp
2016, ICES Journal of Marine Science (73) 2453-2467
There are a number of key parameters in population dynamics that are difficult to estimate, such as natural mortality rate, intrinsic rate of population growth, and stock-recruitment relationships. Often, these parameters of a stock are, or can be, estimated indirectly on the basis of comparative life history studies. That is,...
Hurricane Sandy washover deposits on southern Long Beach Island, New Jersey
James M. Bishop, Bruce M. Richmond, Nicholas J. Zaremba, Brent D. Lunghino, Haunani H. Kane
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1090
Sedimentologic and topographic data from Hurricane Sandy washover deposits were collected from southern Long Beach Island, New Jersey, in order to document changes to the barrier-island beaches, dunes, and coastal wetlands caused by Hurricane Sandy and subsequent storm events. These data will provide a baseline dataset for use in future...
Near-field receiving water monitoring of trace metals and a benthic community near the Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant in south San Francisco Bay, California; 2015
Daniel J. Cain, Janet K. Thompson, Jeffrey Crauder, Francis Parchaso, A. Robin Stewart, Matthew A. Turner, Michelle I. Hornberger, Samuel N. Luoma
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1118
Trace-metal concentrations in sediment and in the clam Macoma petalum (formerly reported as Macoma balthica), clam reproductive activity, and benthic macroinvertebrate community structure were investigated in a mudflat 1 kilometer south of the discharge of the Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant (PARWQCP) in South San Francisco Bay,...
Characterization of mean transit time at large springs in the Upper Colorado River Basin, USA: A tool for assessing groundwater discharge vulnerability
John E. Solder, Bernard J. Stolp, Victor M. Heilweil, David D. Susong
2016, Hydrogeology Journal (24) 2017-2033
Environmental tracers (noble gases, tritium, industrial gases, stable isotopes, and radio-carbon) and hydrogeology were interpreted to determine groundwater transit-time distribution and calculate mean transit time (MTT) with lumped parameter modeling at 19 large springs distributed throughout the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB), USA. The predictive value of the MTT to...
Water-quality trends and constituent-transport analysis for selected sampling sites in the Milltown Reservoir/Clark Fork River Superfund Site in the upper Clark Fork Basin, Montana, water years 1996–2015
Steven K. Sando, Aldo V. Vecchia
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5100
During the extended history of mining in the upper Clark Fork Basin in Montana, large amounts of waste materials enriched with metallic contaminants (cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc) and the metalloid trace element arsenic were generated from mining operations near Butte and milling and smelting operations near Anaconda. Extensive deposition...
Spatial and temporal variability in estuary habitat use by American alligators
Ikuko Fujisaki, Kristen M. Hart, Michael S. Cherkiss, Frank J. Mazzotti, Jeffrey S. Beauchamp, Brian M. Jeffery, Laura A. Brandt
2016, Estuaries and Coasts (39) 1561-1569
Estuarine habitat occupied by Alligator mississippiensis, a primarily freshwater species, is spatially and temporally heterogeneous largely due to a salinity gradient that fluctuates. Using long-term night light survey data, we examined seasonal patterns in alligators’ habitat use by size classes in midstream and downstream estuary zones of Shark River,...
Hierarchical animal movement models for population-level inference
Mevin Hooten, Frances E. Buderman, Brian M. Brost, Ephraim M. Hanks, Jacob S. Ivans
2016, Environmetrics (27) 322-333
New methods for modeling animal movement based on telemetry data are developed regularly. With advances in telemetry capabilities, animal movement models are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Despite a need for population-level inference, animal movement models are still predominantly developed for individual-level inference. Most efforts to upscale the inference to...
Island characteristics within wetlands influence waterbird nest success and abundance
C. Alex Hartman, Joshua T. Ackerman, Mark P. Herzog
2016, Journal of Wildlife Management (80) 1177-1188
Coastal waterbird populations are threatened by habitat loss and degradation from urban and agricultural development and forecasted sea level rise associated with climate change. Remaining wetlands often must be managed to ensure that waterbird habitat needs, and other ecosystem functions, are met. For many waterbirds, the availability of island nesting...
Evaluating habitat associations of a fish assemblage at multiple spatial scales in a minimally disturbed stream using low‐cost remote sensing
Brandon D. Cheek, Timothy B. Grabowski, Preston T. Bean, Jillian R. Groeschel, Stephan J. Magnelia
2016, Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems (26) 20-34
Habitat heterogeneity at multiple scales is a major factor affecting fish assemblage structure. However, assessments that examine these relationships at multiple scales concurrently are lacking. The lack of assessments at these scales is a critical gap in understanding as conservation and restoration efforts typically work at these levels.A combination...
Time-varying land subsidence detected by radar altimetry: California, Taiwan and north China
Cheinway Hwang, Yuande Yang, Ricky Kao, Jiancheng Han, C.K. Shum, Devin L. Galloway, Michelle Sneed, Wei-Chia Hung, Yung-Sheng Cheng, Fei Li
2016, Scientific Reports (6) 1-12
Contemporary applications of radar altimetry include sea-level rise, ocean circulation, marine gravity, and ice sheet elevation change. Unlike InSAR and GNSS, which are widely used to map surface deformation, altimetry is neither reliant on highly temporally-correlated ground features nor as limited by the available spatial coverage, and can provide long-term...
Estimating carbon sequestration in the piedmont ecoregion of the United States from 1971 to 2010
Jinxun Liu, Benjamin M. Sleeter, Zhiliang Zhu, Linda S. Heath, Zhengxi Tan, Tamara Wilson, Jason T. Sherba, Decheng Zhou
2016, Carbon Balance and Management (11) 1-13
Background: Human activities have diverse and profound impacts on ecosystem carbon cycles. The Piedmont ecoregion in the eastern United States has undergone significant land use and land cover change in the past few decades. The purpose of this study was to use newly available land use and land cover change...
Pacific walrus coastal haulout database, 1852-2016— Background report
Anthony S. Fischbach, Anatoly A. Kochnev, Joel L. Garlich-Miller, Chadwick V. Jay
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1108
Walruses are large benthic predators that rest out of water between foraging bouts. Coastal “haulouts” (places where walruses rest) are formed by adult males in summer and sometimes by females and young when sea ice is absent, and are often used repeatedly across seasons and years. Understanding the geography and historical...