Diet and macronutrient optimization in wild ursids: A comparison of grizzly bears with sympatric and allopatric black bears
Cecily M. Costello, Steven L. Cain, Shannon R Pils, Leslie Frattaroli, Mark A. Haroldson, Frank T. van Manen
2016, PLoS ONE (11) 1-22
When fed ad libitum, ursids can maximize mass gain by selecting mixed diets wherein protein provides 17 ± 4% of digestible energy, relative to carbohydrates or lipids. In the wild, this ability is likely constrained by seasonal food availability, limits of intake rate as body size increases, and competition. By...
Algorithms used in the Airborne Lidar Processing System (ALPS)
David B. Nagle, C. Wayne Wright
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1046
The Airborne Lidar Processing System (ALPS) analyzes Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL) data—digitized laser-return waveforms, position, and attitude data—to derive point clouds of target surfaces. A full-waveform airborne lidar system, the EAARL seamlessly and simultaneously collects mixed environment data, including submerged, sub-aerial bare earth, and vegetation-covered topographies.ALPS uses three...
Accounting for adaptive capacity and uncertainty in assessments of species’ climate-change vulnerability
Alisa A. Wade, Brian K. Hand, Ryan Kovach, Gordon Luikart, Diane Whited, Clint C. Muhlfeld
2016, Conservation Biology (31) 136-149
Climate change vulnerability assessments (CCVAs) are valuable tools for assessing species’ vulnerability to climatic changes, yet failure to include measures of adaptive capacity and to account for sources of uncertainty may limit their effectiveness. Here, we provide a more comprehensive CCVA approach that incorporates all three elements used for assessing...
Late Holocene volcanism at Medicine Lake Volcano, northern California Cascades
Julie M. Donnelly-Nolan, Duane E. Champion, Timothy L. Grove
2016, Professional Paper 1822
Late Holocene volcanism at Medicine Lake volcano in the southern Cascades arc exhibited widespread and compositionally diverse magmatism ranging from basalt to rhyolite. Nine well-characterized eruptions have taken place at this very large rear-arc volcano since 5,200 years ago, an eruptive frequency greater than nearly all other Cascade volcanoes....
Synthesis on biological soil crust research
Bettina Weber, Jayne Belnap, Burkhard Buedel
2016, Book chapter, Ecological studies
In this closing chapter, we summarize the advances in biocrust research made during the last 1.5 decades. In the first part of the chapter, we discuss how in some research fields, such as the microbial diversity of fungi, bacteria, and microfauna; the interaction between biocrusts and vascular plants; and in...
Spatially explicit modeling of annual and seasonal habitat for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in Nevada and Northeastern California—An updated decision-support tool for management
Peter S. Coates, Michael L. Casazza, Brianne E. Brussee, Mark A. Ricca, K. Benjamin Gustafson, Erika Sanchez-Chopitea, Kimberly Mauch, Lara Niell, Scott Gardner, Shawn Espinosa, David J. Delehanty
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1080
Successful adaptive management hinges largely upon integrating new and improved sources of information as they become available. As a timely example of this tenet, we updated a management decision support tool that was previously developed for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus, hereinafter referred to as “sage-grouse”) populations in Nevada and California....
Interdrainage morphological and genetic differentiation in the Escambia Map Turtle, Graptemys ernsti
Joshua R. Ennen, James Godwin, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Brian R. Kreiser, Brian Folt, Sarah Hazard
2016, Herpetological Conservation and Biology (11) 122-131
Graptemys ernsti, the Escambia Map Turtle, inhabits the Escambia/Conecuh River, the adjacent Yellow River, and the Pea River further to the east, all of which have been distinct drainage systems since the Pleistocene. We used continuous and meristic morphological and genetic data to compare populations of G. ernsti and found...
A possible transoceanic tsunami directed toward the U.S. west coast from the Semidi segment, Alaska convergent margin
Roland E. von Huene, John J. Miller, Peter Dartnell
2016, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (17) 645-659
The Semidi segment of the Alaska convergent margin appears capable of generating a giant tsunami like the one produced along the nearby Unimak segment in 1946. Reprocessed legacy seismic reflection data and a compilation of multibeam bathymetric surveys reveal structures that could generate such a tsunami. A 200 km long...
Development of a CE-QUAL-W2 temperature model for Crystal Springs Lake, Portland, Oregon
Norman L. Buccola, Adam J. Stonewall
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1076
During summer 2014, lake level, streamflow, and water temperature in and around Crystal Springs Lake in Portland, Oregon, were measured by the U.S. Geological Survey and the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services to better understand the effect of the lake on Crystal Springs Creek and Johnson Creek downstream....
A partial exponential lumped parameter model to evaluate groundwater age distributions and nitrate trends in long-screened wells
Bryant C. Jurgens, John Karl Bohlke, Leon J. Kauffman, Kenneth Belitz, Bradley K. Esser
2016, Journal of Hydrology (543) 109-126
A partial exponential lumped parameter model (PEM) was derived to determine age distributions and nitrate trends in long-screened production wells. The PEM can simulate age distributions for wells screened over any finite interval of an aquifer that has an exponential distribution of age with depth. The PEM has...
Predicting tree biomass growth in the temperate-boreal ecotone: is tree size, age, competition or climate response most important?
Jane R. Foster, Andrew O. Finley, Anthony W. D’Amato, John B. Bradford, Sudipto Banerjee
2016, Global Change Biology (22) 2138-2151
As global temperatures rise, variation in annual climate is also changing, with unknown consequences for forest biomes. Growing forests have the ability to capture atmospheric CO2and thereby slow rising CO2 concentrations. Forests’ ongoing ability to sequester C depends on how tree communities respond to changes in climate variation. Much of what...
Bayesian estimation of magma supply, storage, and eruption rates using a multiphysical volcano model: Kīlauea Volcano, 2000–2012
Kyle R. Anderson, Michael P. Poland
2016, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (447) 161-171
Estimating rates of magma supply to the world's volcanoes remains one of the most fundamental aims of volcanology. Yet, supply rates can be difficult to estimate even at well-monitored volcanoes, in part because observations are noisy and are usually considered independently rather than as part of a holistic system. In...
Sensitivity of Pliocene Arctic climate to orbital forcing, atmospheric CO2 and sea ice albedo parameterisation
Fergus W. Howell, Alan M. Haywood, Harry J. Dowsett, Steven J. Pickering
2016, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (441) 133-142
General circulation model (GCM) simulations of the mid-Pliocene Warm Period (mPWP, 3.264 to 3.025 Myr ago) do not reproduce the magnitude of Northern Hemisphere high latitude surface air and sea surface temperature (SAT and SST) warming that proxy data indicate. There is also large uncertainty regarding the state...
Groundwater geochemical and selected volatile organic compound data, Operable Unit 1, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Keyport, Washington, July 2015
Raegan L. Huffman
2016, Data Series 998
Previous investigations indicate that concentrations of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) are substantial in groundwater beneath the 9-acre former landfill at Operable Unit 1, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Keyport, Washington. The U.S. Geological Survey has continued to monitor groundwater geochemistry to ensure that conditions remain favorable for contaminant...
Estimating national water use associated with unconventional oil and gas development
Janet M. Carter, Kathleen M. Macek-Rowland, Joanna N. Thamke, Gregory C. Delzer
2016, Fact Sheet 2016-3032
The U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Water Availability and Use Science Program (WAUSP) goals are to provide a more accurate assessment of the status of the water resources of the United States and assist in the determination of the quantity and quality of water that is available for beneficial uses. These...
Landsat 8 and ICESat-2: Performance and potential synergies for quantifying dryland ecosystem vegetation cover and biomass
Nancy F. Glenn, Amy Neuenschwander, Lee A. Vierling, Lucas Spaete, Aihua Li, Douglas J. Shinneman, David S. Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Susan K. McIlroy
2016, Remote Sensing of Environment (185) 233-242
The Landsat 8 mission provides new opportunities for quantifying the distribution of above-ground carbon at moderate spatial resolution across the globe, and in particular drylands. Furthermore, coupled with structural information from space-based and airborne laser altimetry, Landsat 8 provides powerful capabilities for large-area, long-term studies that quantify temporal and...
Depth calibration of the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar, EAARL-B
C. Wayne Wright, Christine J. Kranenburg, Rodolfo J. Troche, Richard W. Mitchell, David B. Nagle
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1048
Introduction The original National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL) was extensively modified to increase the spatial sampling density and to improve performance in water ranging from 3 to 44 meters (m). The new (EAARL-B) sensor features a higher spatial density that was achieved by optically...
Effects of geolocators on hatching success, return rates, breeding movements, and change in body mass in 16 species of Arctic-breeding shorebirds
Emily Weiser, Richard B. Lanctot, Stephen C. Brown, José A. Alves, Phil F. Battley, Rebecca L. Bentzen, Joël Bêty, Mary Anne Bishop, Megan Boldenow, Loic Bollache, Bruce Casler, Maureen Christie, Jonathan T. Coleman, Jesse R. Conklin, Willow B. English, H. River Gates, Olivier Gilg, Marie-Andree Giroux, Ken Gosbell, Chris J. Hassell, Jim Helmericks, Andrew C. Johnson, Borgny Katrinardottir, Kari Koivula, Eunbi Kwon, Jean-François Lamarre, Johannes Lang, David B. Lank, Nicolas Lecomte, Joseph R. Liebezeit, Vanessa Loverti, Laura McKinnon, Clive Minton, David S. Mizrahi, Erica Nol, Veli-Matti Pakanen, Johanna Perz, Ron Porter, Jennie Rausch, Jeroen Reneerkens, Nelli Ronka, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Nathan R. Senner, Benoit Sittler, Paul A. Smith, Kristine M. Sowl, Audrey Taylor, David H. Ward, Stephen Yezerinac, Brett K. Sandercock
2016, Movement Ecology (4)
Background Geolocators are useful for tracking movements of long-distance migrants, but potential negative effects on birds have not been well studied. We tested for effects of geolocators (0.8–2.0 g total, representing 0.1–3.9 % of mean body mass) on 16 species of migratory shorebirds, including five species with 2–4...
Regional oxygen reduction and denitrification rates in groundwater from multi-model residence time distributions, San Joaquin Valley, USA
Christopher T. Green, Bryant C. Jurgens, Yong Zhang, Jeffrey Starn, Michael J. Singleton, Bradley K. Esser
2016, Journal of Hydrology (145) 47-55
Rates of oxygen and nitrate reduction are key factors in determining the chemical evolution of groundwater. Little is known about how these rates vary and covary in regional groundwater settings, as few studies have focused on regional datasets with multiple tracers and methods of analysis that account for effects of...
Effects of variations in flow characteristics through W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam on downstream water quality in the Caloosahatchee River Estuary and in McIntyre Creek in the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, southern Florida, 2010–13
Amanda Booth, Lars E. Soderqvist, Travis M. Knight
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5033
The U.S. Geological Survey studied water-quality trends at the mouth of McIntyre Creek, an entry point to the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, to investigate correlations between flow rates and volumes through the W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam and water-quality constituents inside the refuge from March 2010 to December...
Preliminary investigation of groundwater flow and trichloroethene transport in the Surficial Aquifer System, Naval Industrial Reserve Ordnance Plant, Fridley, Minnesota
Jeffrey N. King, J. Hal Davis
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1066
Industrial practices at the Naval Industrial Reserve Ordnance Plant, in Fridley, Minnesota, caused soil and groundwater contamination. Some volatile organic compounds from the plant might have discharged to the Mississippi River, forced by the natural hydraulic gradient in the surficial aquifer system. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency included the Naval...
Wind energy development: Methods for assessing risks to birds and bats pre-construction
Todd E. Katzner, Victoria Bennett, Tricia A. Miller, Adam E. Duerr, Melissa A. Braham, Amanda Hale
2016, Human-Wildlife Interactions (10) 42-52
Wind power generation is rapidly expanding. Although wind power is a low-carbon source of energy, it can impact negatively birds and bats, either directly through fatality or indirectly by displacement or habitat loss. Pre-construction risk assessment at wind facilities within the United States is usually required only on public lands....
Novel insights from NMR spectroscopy into seasonal changes in the composition of dissolved organic matter exported to the Bering Sea by the Yukon River
Xiaoyan Cao, George R. Aiken, Robert G. M. Spencer, Kenna D. Butler, Jingdong Mao, Klaus Schmidt-Rohr
2016, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (181) 72-88
Seasonal (spring freshet, summer–autumn, and winter) variability in the chemical composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from the Yukon River was determined using advanced one- and two-dimensional (2D) solid-state NMR spectroscopy, coupled with isotopic measurements and UV–visible spectroscopy. Analyses were performed on two major DOM fractions, the hydrophobic organic acid...
Calorific value and compositional ultimate analysis with a case study of a Texas lignite
Ricardo A. Olea, James Luppens, Juan J. Egozcue, Vera Pawlowsky-Glahn
2016, International Journal of Coal Geology (162) 27-33
Measurements to determine coal quality as fuel include proximate analysis, ultimate analysis and calorific value. The latter is an attribute taking non-negative real values, so a simple transformation is sufficient for its spatial modeling applying geostatistics. The analyses, however, involve proportions that follow the properties of compositional data, thus requiring special preprocessing for an adequate...
Nature, distribution, and origin of Titan’s Undifferentiated Plains
Rosaly Lopes, M. J. Malaska, A. Solomonidou, Gall A. Le, M.A. Janssen, Catherine D. Neish, E. P. Turtle, S. P. D. Birch, A. G. Hayes, J. Radebaugh, A. Coustenis, A. Schoenfeld, B.W. Stiles, Randolph L. Kirk, K. L. Mitchell, E. R. Stofan, K. J. Lawrence, Cassini RADAR Team
2016, Icarus (270) 162-182
The Undifferentiated Plains on Titan, first mapped by Lopes et al. (Lopes, R.M.C. et al., 2010. Icarus, 205, 540–588), are vast expanses of terrains that appear radar-dark and fairly uniform in Cassini Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. As a result, these terrains are often referred to as “blandlands”. While the...
