Spatial differences in hydrologic characteristics and water chemistry of a temperate coastal plain peatland: The Great Dismal Swamp, USA
Gary K. Speiran, Frederick C. Wurster
2016, Conference Paper, Proceedings of the 15th International Peat Congress 2016
Spatial differences in hydrologic processes and geochemistry across forested peatlands control the response of the wetland-community species and resiliency to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Knowing these controls is essential to effectively managing peatlands as resilient wetland habitats. The Great Dismal Swamp is a 45,325 hectare peatland in the Atlantic Coastal...
Hydrological conditions and evaluation of sustainable groundwater use in the Sierra Vista Subwatershed, Upper San Pedro Basin, southeastern Arizona
Bruce Gungle, James B. Callegary, Nicholas V. Paretti, Jeffrey R. Kennedy, Christopher J. Eastoe, Dale S. Turner, Jesse E. Dickinson, Lainie R. Levick, Zachary P. Sugg
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5114
This study assessed progress toward achieving sustainable groundwater use in the Sierra Vista Subwatershed of the Upper San Pedro Basin, Arizona, through evaluation of 14 indicators of sustainable use. Sustainable use of groundwater in the Sierra Vista Subwatershed requires, at a minimum, a stable rate of groundwater discharge to, and...
Effects of salinity and flooding on post-hurricane regeneration potential in coastal wetland vegetation
Beth A. Middleton
2016, American Journal of Botany (103) 1420-1435
PREMISE OF THE STUDY: The nature of regeneration dynamics after hurricane flooding and salinity intrusion may play an important role in shaping coastal vegetation patterns. METHODS: The regeneration potentials of coastal species, types and gradients (wetland types from seaward to landward) were studied on the Delmarva Peninsula after Hurricane Sandy using...
California State Waters Map Series — Offshore of Monterey, California
Samuel Y. Johnson, Peter Dartnell, Stephen R. Hartwell, Guy R. Cochrane, Nadine E. Golden, Janet Watt, Clifton W. Davenport, Rikk G. Kvitek, Mercedes D. Erdey, Lisa M. Krigsman, Ray W. Sliter, Katherine L. Maier
Samuel Y. Johnson, Susan A. Cochran, editor(s)
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1110
IntroductionIn 2007, the California Ocean Protection Council initiated the California Seafloor Mapping Program (CSMP), designed to create a comprehensive seafloor map of high-resolution bathymetry, marine benthic habitats, and geology within the 3-nautical-mile limit of California’s State Waters. The CSMP approach is to create highly detailed seafloor maps through collection, integration,...
U.S. Geological Survey science strategy for highly pathogenic avian influenza in wildlife and the environment (2016–2020)
M. Camille Harris, John M. Pearce, Diann J. Prosser, C. LeAnn White, A. Keith Miles, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Christopher J. Brand, James P. Cronin, Susan De La Cruz, Christine L. Densmore, Thomas W. Doyle, Robert J. Dusek, Joseph P. Fleskes, Paul L. Flint, Gerald F. Guala, Jeffrey S. Hall, Laura E. Hubbard, Randall J. Hunt, S. Ip, Rachel A. Katz, Kevin W. Laurent, Mark P. Miller, Mark D. Munn, Andrew M. Ramey, Kevin D. Richards, Robin E. Russell, Joel P. Stokdyk, John Y. Takekawa, Daniel P. Walsh
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1121
IntroductionThrough the Science Strategy for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Wildlife and the Environment, the USGS will assess avian influenza (AI) dynamics in an ecological context to inform decisions made by resource managers and policymakers from the local to national level. Through collection of unbiased scientific information on the...
Numerical simulation of groundwater flow at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Naval Base Kitsap, Bremerton, Washington
Joseph L. Jones, Kenneth H. Johnson, Lonna M. Frans
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1135
Information about groundwater-flow paths and locations where groundwater discharges at and near Puget Sound Naval Shipyard is necessary for understanding the potential migration of subsurface contaminants by groundwater at the shipyard. The design of some remediation alternatives would be aided by knowledge of whether groundwater flowing at specific locations...
Estimating suspended sediment using acoustics in a fine-grained riverine system, Kickapoo Creek at Bloomington, Illinois
Amanda D. Manaster, Marian M. Domanski, Timothy D. Straub, Justin A. Boldt
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1117
Acoustic technologies have the potential to be used as a surrogate for measuring suspended-sediment concentration (SSC). This potential was examined in a fine-grained (97-100 percent fines) riverine system in central Illinois by way of installation of an acoustic instrument. Acoustic data were collected continuously over the span of 5.5...
Increasing neonicotinoid use and the declining butterfly fauna of lowland California
Matthew L. Forister, Bruce Cousens, Joshua G. Harrison, Kayce Anderson, James H. Thorne, Dave Waetjen, Chris C. Nice, Matt De Parsia, Michelle Hladik, Robert Meese, Heidi van Vliet, Arthur M. Shapiro
2016, Biology Letters (12)
The butterfly fauna of lowland Northern California has exhibited a marked decline in recent years that previous studies have attributed in part to altered climatic conditions and changes in land use. Here, we ask if a shift in insecticide use towards neonicotinoids is associated with butterfly declines at four sites...
Volcanic air pollution over the Island of Hawai'i: Emissions, dispersal, and composition. Association with respiratory symptoms and lung function in Hawai'i Island school children
Elizabeth K. Tam, Rei Miike, Susan Labrenz, Andrew Sutton, Tamar Elias, James A. Davis, Yi-Leng Chen, Kelan Tantisira, Douglas Dockery, Edward Avol
2016, Environment International (92-93) 543-552
Background Kilauea Volcano on the Island of Hawai'i has erupted continuously since 1983, releasing approximately 300–12000 metric tons per day of sulfur dioxide (SO2). SO2 interacts with water vapor to produce an acidic haze known locally as “vog”. The combination of wind speed and direction, inversion layer height, and local terrain lead...
Sediment load and distribution in the lower Skagit River, Skagit County, Washington
Christopher A. Curran, Eric E. Grossman, Mark C. Mastin, Raegan L. Huffman
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5106
The Skagit River delivers about 40 percent of all fluvial sediment that enters Puget Sound, influencing flood hazards in the Skagit lowlands, critically important estuarine habitat in the delta, and some of the most diverse and productive agriculture in western Washington. A total of 175 measurements of suspended-sediment load,...
Short-period volcanic gas precursors to phreatic eruptions: Insights from Poás Volcano, Costa Rica
Maarten de Moor, Alessandro Aiuppa, Javier Pacheco, Geoffroy Avard, Christoph Kern, Marco Liuzzo, Maria Martinez, Gaetano Giudice, Tobias P. Fischer
2016, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (442) 218-227
Volcanic eruptions involving interaction with water are amongst the most violent and unpredictable geologic phenomena on Earth. Phreatic eruptions are exceptionally difficult to forecast by traditional geophysical techniques. Here we report on short-term precursory variations in gas emissions related to phreatic blasts at Poás volcano, Costa Rica, as measured with...
Network global navigation satellite system survey to harmonize water-surface elevation data for the Rainy River Basin
Jeffrey R. Ziegeweid, R. Jason Silliker, Brenda K. Densmore, Justin Krahulik
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5109
Continuously recording water-level streamgages in Rainy Lake and Namakan Reservoir are used to regulate water levels according to rule curves established in 2000 by the International Joint Commission; however, water levels at streamgages were referenced to a variety of vertical datums, confounding efforts to model the flow of water through...
Efficacy of spray –Dried Pseudomonas fluorescens, strain CL145A (Zequanox®), for controlling Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) within Lake Minnetonka, MN enclosures
James A. Luoma, Todd J. Severson
2016, Report
The efficacy of whole water column and subsurface applications of the biopesticide Zequanox®, a commercially prepared spray-dried powder formulation of Pseudomonas fluorescens (strain CL145A), were evaluated for controlling zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) within 27-m2 enclosures in Lake Minnetonka (Deephaven, Minnesota). Five treatments consisting of (1) two whole water column Zequanox...
Development of targeted delivery techniques for Zequanox®
Todd J. Severson, James A. Luoma
2016, Report
The effects of water temperature and concentration on the physical characteristics of Zequanox®, a dead-cell spray-dried powder formulation of Pseudomonas fluorescens (strain CL145A) used for controlling invasive dreissenid mussels (zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, and quagga mussel, Dreissena bugensis), were investigated to determine optimal temperature-specific concentrations and delivery techniques for use...
Environmental DNA mapping of Zebra Mussel populations
Jon Amberg, Christopher M. Merkes
2016, Report
Environmental DNA (eDNA) has become a popular tool for detecting aquatic invasive species, but advancements have made it possible to potentially answer other questions like reproduction, movement, and abundance of the targeted organism. In this study we developed a Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) eDNA protocol. We then determined if this...
Geomorphological control on variably saturated hillslope hydrology and slope instability
Formetta Giuseppe, Silvia Simoni, Jonathan W. Godt, Ning Lu, Riccardo Rigon
2016, Water Resources Research (52) 4590-4607
In steep topography, the processes governing variably saturated subsurface hydrologic response and the interparticle stresses leading to shallow landslide initiation are physically linked. However, these processes are usually analyzed separately. Here, we take a combined approach, simultaneously analyzing the influence of topography on both hillslope hydrology and the effective stress...
Habituation of adult sea lamprey repeatedly exposed to damage-released alarm and predator cues
Istvan Imre, Richard T. Di Rocco, Grant E. Brown, Nicholas S. Johnson
2016, Environmental Biology of Fishes (99) 613-620
Predation is an unforgiving selective pressure affecting the life history, morphology and behaviour of prey organisms. Selection should favour organisms that have the ability to correctly assess the information content of alarm cues. This study investigated whether adult sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus habituate to conspecific damage-released alarm cues (fresh and...
Droughts may increase susceptibility of prairie dogs to fleas: Incongruity with hypothesized mechanisms of plague cycles in rodents
David A. Eads, Dean E. Biggins, Dustin H. Long, Kenneth L. Gage, Michael F. Antolin
2016, Journal of Mammalogy (97) 1044-1053
Plague is a reemerging, rodent-associated zoonosis caused by the flea-borne bacterium Yersinia pestis. As a vector-borne disease, rates of plague transmission may increase when fleas are abundant. Fleas are highly susceptible to desiccation under hot-dry conditions; we posited that their densities decline during droughts. We evaluated this hypothesis with black-tailed prairie...
A review and synthesis of recreation ecology research findings on visitor impacts to wilderness and protected natural areas
Jeffrey L. Marion, Yu-Fai Leung, Holly Eagleston, Kaitlin Burroughs
2016, Journal of Forestry (114) 352-362
The 50th anniversary of the US Wilderness Act of 1964 presents a worthy opportunity to review our collective knowledge on how recreation visitation affects wilderness and protected natural area resources. Studies of recreation impacts, examined within the recreation ecology field of study, have spanned 80 years and generated more than 1,200 citations....
Potential postwildfire debris-flow hazards—A prewildfire evaluation for the Jemez Mountains, north-central New Mexico
Anne C. Tillery, Jessica R. Haas
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5101
Wildfire can substantially increase the probability of debris flows, a potentially hazardous and destructive form of mass wasting, in landscapes that have otherwise been stable throughout recent history. Although the exact location, extent, and severity of wildfire or subsequent rainfall intensity and duration cannot be known, probabilities of fire and...
Beach nourishment alternative assessment to constrain cross-shore and longshore sediment transport
Servet Karasu, Paul A. Work, Ergun Uzlu, Murat Kankal, Omer Yuksek
2016, Applied Ocean Research (59) 459-471
A combined field and laboratory investigation was conducted to assess five options for creation of a recreational beach on a steep, armored shoreline on the eastern Black Sea coast. All designs incorporated a beach nourishment project placed between two existing, shore-normal, rubble-mound groins. Alternatives included the placement of a nearshore...
Pathway-based approaches for assessment of real-time exposure to an estrogenic wastewater treatment plant effluent on fathead minnow reproduction
Jenna E. Cavallin, Kathleen M. Jensen, Michael D. Kahl, Daniel L. Villeneuve, Kathy Lee, Anthony L. Schroeder, Joe Mayasich, Evan P. Eid, Krysta R. Nelson, Rebecca Y. Milsk, Brett R. Blackwell, Jason P. Berninger, Carlie A. LaLone, Chad Blanskma, Terri M. Jicha, Colleen M. Elonen, Rodney C. Johnson, Gerald T. Ankley
2016, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (35) 702-716
Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are known contributors of chemical mixtures into the environment. Of particular concern are endocrine-disrupting compounds, such as estrogens, which can affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis function in exposed organisms. The present study examined reproductive effects in fathead minnows exposed for 21 d to a historically estrogenic...
Macroinvertebrate community sample collection methods and data collected from Sand Creek and Medano Creek, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado, 2005–07
Morgan A. Ford, Robert E. Zuellig, David M. Walters, James F. Bruce
2016, Data Series 1012
This report provides a table of site descriptions, sample information, and semiquantitative aquatic macroinvertebrate data from 105 samples collected between 2005 and 2007 from 7 stream sites within the Sand Creek and Medano Creek watersheds in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Saguache County, Colorado. Additionally, a short description...
Insular ecosystems of the southeastern United States—A regional synthesis to support biodiversity conservation in a changing climate
Jennifer M. Cartwright, William J. Wolfe
2016, Professional Paper 1828
In the southeastern United States, insular ecosystems—such as rock outcrops, depression wetlands, high-elevation balds, flood-scoured riparian corridors, and insular prairies and barrens—occupy a small fraction of land area but constitute an important source of regional and global biodiversity, including concentrations of rare and endemic plant taxa. Maintenance of this biodiversity...
Ecosystem vulnerability to climate change in the southeastern United States
Jennifer M. Cartwright, Jennifer Costanza
2016, Fact Sheet 2016-3052
Two recent investigations of climate-change vulnerability for 19 terrestrial, aquatic, riparian, and coastal ecosystems of the southeastern United States have identified a number of important considerations, including potential for changes in hydrology, disturbance regimes, and interspecies interactions. Complementary approaches using geospatial analysis and literature synthesis integrated information on ecosystem biogeography...
