Lessons from the Tōhoku tsunami: A model for island avifauna conservation prioritization
Michelle H. Reynolds, Paul Berkowitz, John Klavitter, Karen Courtot
2017, Ecology and Evolution (7) 5873-5890
Earthquake-generated tsunamis threaten coastal areas and low-lying islands with sudden flooding. Although human hazards and infrastructure damage have been well documented for tsunamis in recent decades, the effects on wildlife communities rarely have been quantified. We describe a tsunami that hit the world's largest remaining tropical seabird rookery and estimate...
Simultaneous estimation of diet composition and calibration coefficients with fatty acid signature data
Jeffrey F. Bromaghin, Suzanne M. Budge, Gregory W. Thiemann, Karyn D. Rode
2017, Ecology and Evolution (7) 6103-6113
Knowledge of animal diets provides essential insights into their life history and ecology, although diet estimation is challenging and remains an active area of research. Quantitative fatty acid signature analysis (QFASA) has become a popular method of estimating diet composition, especially for marine species. A primary assumption of QFASA is...
Logistic quantile regression provides improved estimates for bounded avian counts: A case study of California Spotted Owl fledgling production
Brian S. Cade, Barry R. Noon, Rick D. Scherer, John J. Keane
2017, The Auk (134) 783-801
Counts of avian fledglings, nestlings, or clutch size that are bounded below by zero and above by some small integer form a discrete random variable distribution that is not approximated well by conventional parametric count distributions such as the Poisson or negative binomial. We developed a logistic quantile regression model...
Trophic structure of mesopelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico revealed by gut content and stable isotope analyses
Jennifer P. McClain-Counts, Amanda W.J. Demopoulos, Steve W. Ross
2017, Marine Ecology (38)
Mesopelagic fishes represent an important component of the marine food web due to their global distributions, high abundances and ability to transport organic material throughout a large part of the water column. This study combined stable isotope (SIAs) and gut content analyses (GCAs) to characterize the trophic structure of mesopelagic...
Prediction of forest canopy and surface fuels from Lidar and satellite time series data in a bark beetle-affected forest
Benjamin C. Bright, Andrew T. Hudak, Arjan J.H. Meddens, Todd Hawbaker, Jenny S. Briggs, Robert E. Kennedy
2017, Forests (9) 1-22
Wildfire behavior depends on the type, quantity, and condition of fuels, and the effect that bark beetle outbreaks have on fuels is a topic of current research and debate. Remote sensing can provide estimates of fuels across landscapes, although few studies have estimated surface fuels from remote sensing data. Here...
Simulated effects of YY-male stocking and manual suppression for eradicating nonnative Brook Trout populations
Daniel J. Schill, Kevin A. Meyer, Michael J. Hansen
2017, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (37) 1054-1066
Eradication of nonnative Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis populations is difficult to achieve with standard techniques, such as electrofishing removal or piscicides; new approaches are needed. A novel concept is to stock “supermale” hatchery fish with wild conspecifics. Supermales (MYY) have two Y-chromosomes, resulting in offspring that are all males; over time, successful...
Integrated geophysical characteristics of the 2015 Illapel, Chile, earthquake
Matthew W. Herman, Jennifer Nealy, William L. Yeck, William D. Barnhart, Gavin P. Hayes, Kevin P. Furlong, Harley M. Benz
2017, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (122) 4691-4711
On 16 September 2015, a Mw 8.3 earthquake ruptured the subduction zone offshore of Illapel, Chile, generating an aftershock sequence with 14 Mw 6.0–7.0 events. A double source W phase moment tensor inversion consists of a Mw 7.2 subevent and the main Mw 8.2 phase. We determine two slip models...
Effects of environmental covariates and density on the catchability of fish populations and interpretation of catch per unit effort trends
Josh Korman, Michael D. Yard
2017, Fisheries Research (189) 18-34
Article for outlet: Fisheries Research. Abstract: Quantifying temporal and spatial trends in abundance or relative abundance is required to evaluate effects of harvest and changes in habitat for exploited and endangered fish populations. In many cases, the proportion of the population or stock that is captured (catchability or capture probability)...
Biotic and abiotic factors influencing zooplankton vertical distribution in Lake Huron
Carly J. Nowicki, David B. Bunnell, Patricia M. Dieter, David M. Warner, Henry A. Vanderploeg, Joann F. Cavaletto, Christine M. Mayer, Jean V. Adams
2017, Journal of Great Lakes Research (43) 1044-1054
The vertical distribution of zooplankton can have substantial influence on trophic structure in freshwater systems, particularly by determining spatial overlap for predator/prey dynamics and influencing energy transfer. The zooplankton community in some of the Laurentian Great Lakes has undergone changes in composition and declines in total biomass, especially after 2003....
A process to estimate net infiltration using a site-scale water-budget approach, Rainier Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, 2002–05
David W. Smith, Michael T. Moreo, C. Amanda Garcia, Keith J. Halford, Joseph M. Fenelon
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5078
This report documents a process used to estimate net infiltration from precipitation, evapotranspiration (ET), and soil data acquired at two sites on Rainier Mesa. Rainier Mesa is a groundwater recharge area within the Nevada National Security Site where recharged water flows through bedrock fractures to a deep (450 meters)...
Salish Kootenai College and U.S. Geological Survey partnership—Enhancing student opportunities and professional development
Roy Sando, Monique Fordham
2017, Fact Sheet 2017-3065
Salish Kootenai College (SKC), in the Flathead Reservation in the northwestern corner of Montana, is the largest of the seven Tribal colleges in the State. In 2011, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Tribal Liaison Monique Fordham from the Office of Tribal Relations/Office of Science Quality and Integrity began discussions with...
Modern landscape processes affecting archaeological sites along the Colorado River corridor downstream of Glen Canyon Dam, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona
Amy E. East, Joel B. Sankey, Helen C. Fairley, Joshua J. Caster, Alan Kasprak
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5082
The landscape of the Colorado River through Glen Canyon National Recreation Area formed over many thousands of years and was modified substantially after the completion of Glen Canyon Dam in 1963. Changes to river flow, sediment supply, channel base level, lateral extent of sedimentary terraces, and vegetation in the post-dam...
Polar bears and sea ice habitat change
George M. Durner, Todd C. Atwood
Andy Butterworth, editor(s)
2017, Book chapter, Marine mammal welfare
The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is an obligate apex predator of Arctic sea ice and as such can be affected by climate warming-induced changes in the extent and composition of pack ice and its impacts on their seal prey. Sea ice declines have negatively impacted some polar bear...
A synoptic view of the Third Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF3)
Edward H. Field, Thomas H. Jordan, Morgan T. Page, Kevin R. Milner, Bruce E. Shaw, Timothy E. Dawson, Glenn Biasi, Thomas E. Parsons, Jeanne L. Hardebeck, Andrew J. Michael, Ray J. Weldon, Peter M. Powers, Kaj M. Johnson, Yuehua Zeng, Peter Bird, Karen Felzer, Nicholas van der Elst, Christopher Madden, Ramon Arrowsmith, Maximillan J. Werner, Wayne R. Thatcher
2017, Seismological Research Letters (88) 1259-1267
Probabilistic forecasting of earthquake‐producing fault ruptures informs all major decisions aimed at reducing seismic risk and improving earthquake resilience. Earthquake forecasting models rely on two scales of hazard evolution: long‐term (decades to centuries) probabilities of fault rupture, constrained by stress renewal statistics, and short‐term (hours to years) probabilities of distributed...
Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, habitat suitability index model
J. Hardin Waddle
2017, Report, 2017 Coastal Master Plan
The 2012 Coastal Master Plan utilized Habitat Suitability Indices (HSIs) to evaluate potential project effects on wildlife species. Even though HSIs quantify habitat condition, which may not directly correlate to species abundance, they remain a practical and tractable way to assess changes in habitat quality from various restoration actions. As...
Landslide monitoring in the Atlantic Highlands area, New Jersey
Pamela A. Reilly, Francis X. Ashland, Alex R. Fiore
2017, Fact Sheet 2017-3068
Shallow and deep-seated landslides have occurred episodically on the steep coastal bluffs of the Atlantic Highlands area (Boroughs of Atlantic Highlands and Highlands) in New Jersey. The oldest documented deep-seated landslide occurred in April 1782 and significantly changed the morphology of the bluff. However, recent landslides have been mostly shallow...
Preliminary assessment of a water-quality monitoring program for total maximum daily loads in Johnson County, Kansas, January 2015 through June 2016
Teresa J. Rasmussen, Chelsea R. Paxson
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5089
Municipalities in Johnson County in northeastern Kansas are required to implement stormwater management programs to reduce pollutant discharges, protect water quality, and comply with applicable water-quality regulations in accordance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits for stormwater discharge. To this end, municipalities collect grab samples at streams entering and...
Change in morphology and modern sediment thickness on the inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York between 2011 and 2014: Analysis of hurricane impact
William C. Schwab, Wayne E. Baldwin, John C. Warner, Jeffrey H. List, Jane F. Denny, Maria Liste Munoz, Ilgar Safak
2017, Marine Geology (391) 48-64
Seafloor mapping investigations conducted on the lower shoreface and inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York in 2011 and 2014, the period encompassing the impacts of Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, provide an unprecedented perspective regarding regional inner continental shelf sediment dynamics during large storm events. Analyses of these studies demonstrate that...
Detection of diazotrophy in the acetylene-fermenting anaerobe Pelobacter sp. strain SFB93
Denise M. Akob, Shaun Baesman, John M. Sutton, Janna L. Fierst, Adam C. Mumford, Yesha Shrestha, Amisha T. Poret-Peterson, Stacy C. Bennett, Darren S. Dunlap, Karl B. Haase, Ronald S. Oremland
2017, Applied and Environmental Microbiology (17) 1-10
Acetylene (C2H2) is a trace constituent of the present Earth's oxidizing atmosphere, reflecting a mixture of terrestrial and marine emissions from anthropogenic, biomass-burning, and unidentified biogenic sources. Fermentation of acetylene was serendipitously discovered during C2H2 block assays of N2O reductase, and Pelobacter acetylenicus was shown to grow on C2H2 via...
Quantitative microbial risk assessment for spray irrigation of dairy manure based on an empirical fate and transport model
Tucker R. Burch, Susan K. Spencer, Joel P. Stokdyk, Burney A Kieke, Rebecca A Larson, Aaron D. Firnstahl, Ana M Rule, Mark A. Borchardt
2017, Environmental Health Perspectives (125) 1-11
BACKGROUND: Spray irrigation for land-applying livestock manure is increasing in the United States as farms become larger and economies of scale make manure irrigation affordable. Human health risks from exposure to zoonotic pathogens aerosolized during manure irrigation are not well understood. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to a) estimate human health risks...
Balancing habitat delivery for breeding marsh birds and nonbreeding waterfowl: An integrated waterbird management and monitoring approach at Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge, Missouri
Brian W. Loges, James E. Lyons, Brian G. Tavernia
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1051
The Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge (CCNWR) in the Mississippi River flood plain of eastern Missouri provides high quality emergent marsh and moist-soil habitat benefitting both nesting marsh birds and migrating waterfowl. Staff of CCNWR manipulate water levels and vegetation in the 17 units of the CCNWR to provide conditions...
Flood-inundation maps for the Wabash River at Memorial Bridge at Vincennes, Indiana
Kathleen K. Fowler, Chad D. Menke
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5073
Digital flood-inundation maps for a 10.2-mile reach of the Wabash River from Sevenmile Island to 3.7 mile downstream of Memorial Bridge (officially known as Lincoln Memorial Bridge) at Vincennes, Indiana, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. The...
Climate scenarios for the Truckee-Carson River system
Michael D. Dettinger, Kelley Sterle, Karen Simpson, Loretta Singletary, Kelsey Fitzgerald, Maureen McCarthy
2017, Report
In this study, the scenarios ultimately take the form of gridded, daily (maximum and minimum) temperatures and precipitation totals spanning the entire Truckee-Carson River System, from which meteorological inputs to various hydrologic, water-balance and watermanagement models can be extracted by other parts of the Water for the Seasons project and...
Landscape complementation revealed through bipartite networks: An example with the Florida manatee
Catherine G. Haase, Robert J. Fletcher, Daniel H. Slone, James P. Reid, Susan M. Butler
2017, Landscape Ecology (32) 1999-2014
Context Landscape complementation, or how landscapes that contain two or more non-substitutable and spatially separated resources facilitate resource use, is critical for many populations. Implicit to the problem of landscape complementation is the movement of individuals to access multiple resources. Conventional measures of complementation, such as habitat area or distance between...
Characterization and origin of brines from the Bakken-Three Forks petroleum system in the Williston Basin, USA
Zell E. Peterman, Joanna N. Thamke, Kiyoto Futa, Thomas A. Oliver
2017, Mountain Geologist (54) 203-221
Brine (also referred to as ‘produced water’) samples were collected from 28 wells producing oil from the Late Devonian-Early Mississippian Bakken and Three Forks Formations in the Williston Basin of eastern Montana and western North Dakota. The samples were analyzed for major ions, trace metals, stable isotopes, and strontium isotopes. The brines in...
