Modeling the long-term effects of introduced herbivores on the spread of an invasive tree
Bo Zhang, Donald L. DeAngelis, Min B. Rayamajhi, Daniel B. Botkin
2017, Landscape Ecology (32) 1147-1161
ContextMelaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) Blake (hereafter melaleuca) is an invasive tree from Australia that has spread over the freshwater ecosystems of southern Florida, displacing native vegetation, thus threatening native biodiversity. Suppression of melaleuca appears to be progressing through the introduction of insect species, the weevil, Oxiops vitiosa,...
Developing approaches for linear mixed modeling in landscape genetics through landscape-directed dispersal simulations
Jeffery R. Row, Steven T. Knick, Sara J. Oyler-McCance, Stephen C. Lougheed, Bradley C. Fedy
2017, Ecology and Evolution (7) 3751-3761
Dispersal can impact population dynamics and geographic variation, and thus, genetic approaches that can establish which landscape factors influence population connectivity have ecological and evolutionary importance. Mixed models that account for the error structure of pairwise datasets are increasingly used to compare models relating genetic differentiation to pairwise measures of...
Hydrology of the Claiborne aquifer and interconnection with the Upper Floridan aquifer in southwest Georgia
Debbie W. Gordon, Gerard Gonthier
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5017
The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a study, in cooperation with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, to define the hydrologic properties of the Claiborne aquifer and evaluate its connection with the Upper Floridan aquifer in southwest Georgia. The effort involved collecting and compiling hydrologic data from the aquifer in subarea 4...
The HayWired earthquake scenario—Earthquake hazards
Shane T. Detweiler, Anne M. Wein, editor(s)
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5013-A–H
The HayWired scenario is a hypothetical earthquake sequence that is being used to better understand hazards for the San Francisco Bay region during and after an earthquake of magnitude 7 on the Hayward Fault. The 2014 Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities calculated that there is a 33-percent likelihood of...
When mechanism matters: Bayesian forecasting using models of ecological diffusion
Trevor J. Hefley, Mevin Hooten, Robin E. Russell, Daniel P. Walsh, James A. Powell
2017, Ecology Letters (20) 640-650
Ecological diffusion is a theory that can be used to understand and forecast spatio-temporal processes such as dispersal, invasion, and the spread of disease. Hierarchical Bayesian modelling provides a framework to make statistical inference and probabilistic forecasts, using mechanistic ecological models. To illustrate, we show how hierarchical Bayesian models of...
Density-driven free-convection model for isotopically fractionated geogenic nitrate in sabkha brine
Warren W. Wood, J.K. Bohlke
2017, Groundwater (55) 199-207
Subsurface brines with high nitrate (NO3−) concentration are common in desert environments as atmospheric nitrogen is concentrated by the evaporation of precipitation and little nitrogen uptake. However, in addition to having an elevated mean concentration of ∼525 mg/L (as N), NO3− in the coastal sabkhas of Abu Dhabi is enriched...
Lyme disease ecology in a changing world: Consensus, uncertainty and critical gaps for improving control
A. Marm Kilpatrick, Andrew D.M. Dobson, Taal Levi, Daniel J. Salkeld, Andrea Swei, Howard S. Ginsberg, Anne Kjemtrup, Kerry A. Padgett, Per A. Jensen, Durland Fish, Nick H. Ogden, Maria A. Diuk-Wasser
2017, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (372)
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in temperate regions of North America, Europe and Asia, and the number of reported cases has increased in many regions as landscapes have been altered. Although there has been extensive work on the ecology and epidemiology of this disease in both Europe...
Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units - A model partnership program
Donald E. Dennerline, Dawn E. Childs
2017, Fact Sheet 2017-3022
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units (CRU) program is a unique model of cooperative partnership among the USGS, other U.S. Department of the Interior and Federal agencies, universities, State fish and wildlife agencies, and the Wildlife Management Institute. These partnerships are maintained as one of...
U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program—2016–2017 Research Abstracts
Donald E. Dennerline, Dawn E. Childs, editor(s)
2017, Circular 1427
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has several strategic goals that focus its efforts on serving the American people. The USGS Ecosystems Mission Area has responsibility for the following objectives under the strategic goal of “Science to Manage and Sustain Resources for Thriving Economies and Healthy Ecosystems”:Understand, model, and predict change...
Science framework for conservation and restoration of the sagebrush biome: Linking the Department of the Interior’s Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy to long-term strategic conservation actions, Part 1. Science basis and applications
Jeanne C. Chambers, Jeffrey L. Beck, John B. Bradford, Jared Bybee, Steve Campbell, John Carlson, Thomas J Christiansen, Karen J. Clause, Gail Collins, Michele R. Crist, Jonathan B. Dinkins, Kevin Doherty, Fred Edwards, Shawn Espinosa, Kathleen A. Griffin, Paul Griffin, Jessica R. Haas, Steve E. Hanser, Douglas W. Havlina, Kenneth F. Henke, Jacob D. Hennig, Linda A Joyce, Francis F. Kilkenny, Sarah M Kulpa, Laurie L Kurth, Jeremy D Maestas, Mary E. Manning, Kenneth E. Mayer, Brian A. Mealor, Clinton McCarthy, Mike Pellant, Marco A. Perea, Karen L. Prentice, David A. Pyke, Lief A. Wiechman, Amarina Wuenschel
2017, General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-360
The Science Framework is intended to link the Department of the Interior’s Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy with long-term strategic conservation actions in the sagebrush biome. The Science Framework provides a multiscale approach for prioritizing areas for management and determining effective management strategies within the sagebrush biome. The emphasis is...
Amphibian conservation: clarifications to comments from Andreone
Erin L. Muths, Robert N. Fisher
2017, Oryx (51) 216-217
We appreciate the comments from Andreone (2016) regarding our proposed alternative strategy for addressing the amphibian crisis. Andreone recognizes the utility of an Incident Command System approach but doubts the feasibility of implementation at an international level. We stated in our original article, however, that ‘the feasibility of our suggestion...
Variable effects of climate on forest growth in relation to climate extremes, disturbance, and forest dynamics
Malcolm S. Itter, Andrew O. Finley, Anthony W. D’Amato, Jane R. Foster, John B. Bradford
2017, Ecological Applications (27) 1082-1095
Changes in the frequency, duration, and severity of climate extremes are forecast to occur under global climate change. The impacts of climate extremes on forest productivity and health remain difficult to predict due to potential interactions with disturbance events and forest dynamics—changes in forest stand composition, density, size and age...
Developing criteria to establish Trusted Digital Repositories
John Faundeen
2017, Data Science Journal (16) 1-13
This paper details the drivers, methods, and outcomes of the U.S. Geological Survey’s quest to establish criteria by which to judge its own digital preservation resources as Trusted Digital Repositories. Drivers included recent U.S. legislation focused on data and asset management conducted by federal agencies spending $100M USD or more...
Evaluation of harvest and information needs for North American sea ducks
Mark D. Koneff, Guthrie S. Zimmerman, Chris P. Dwyer, Kathleen K. Fleming, Paul I. Padding, Patrick K. Devers, Fred A. Johnson, Michael C. Runge, Anthony J. Roberts
2017, PLoS ONE (12) 1-29
Wildlife managers routinely seek to establish sustainable limits of sport harvest or other regulated forms of take while confronted with considerable uncertainty. A growing body of ecological research focuses on methods to describe and account for uncertainty in management decision-making and to prioritize research and monitoring investments to reduce the...
The California Seafloor and Coastal Mapping Program – Providing science and geospatial data for California's State Waters
Samuel Y. Johnson, Guy R. Cochrane, Nadine E. Golden, Peter Dartnell, Stephen Hartwell, Susan A. Cochran, Janet Watt
2017, Ocean and Coastal Management (140) 88-104
The California Seafloor and Coastal Mapping Program (CSCMP) is a collaborative effort to develop comprehensive bathymetric, geologic, and habitat maps and data for California's State Waters. CSCMP began in 2007 when the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) allocated funding for high-resolution...
Carbonate buffering and metabolic controls on carbon dioxide in rivers
Edward G. Stets, David Butman, Cory P. McDonald, Sarah M. Stackpoole, Michael D. DeGrandpre, Robert G. Striegl
2017, Global Biogeochemical Cycles (31) 663-677
Multiple processes support the significant efflux of carbon dioxide (CO2) from rivers and streams. Attribution of CO2 oversaturation will lead to better quantification of the freshwater carbon cycle and provide insights into the net cycling of nutrients and pollutants. CO2 production is closely related to O2consumption because of the metabolic linkage of...
A foundation for future assessment and management of groundwater resources
Kenneth D. Ehman, Brian D. Edwards
2017, Conference Paper
Sequence stratigraphic models for the Pleistocene to Holocene sediments of the Los Angeles (LA) Basin will provide better understanding of regional groundwater flow and have helped identify seawater intrusion pathways into important groundwater aquifers. Because groundwater provides more than one-third of the municipal water supply for the coastal LA Basin, the aquifer...
Fracture propagation and stability of ice shelves governed by ice shelf heterogeneity
Chris Borstad, Daniel Mcgrath, Allen Pope
2017, Geophysical Research Letters (44) 4186-4194
Tabular iceberg calving and ice shelf retreat occurs after full‐thickness fractures, known as rifts, propagate across an ice shelf. A quickly evolving rift signals a threat to the stability of Larsen C, the Antarctic Peninsula's largest ice shelf. Here we reveal the influence of ice shelf heterogeneity on the growth...
Long-term afterslip of the M6.0, 2004 Parkfield, California, earthquake—Implications for forecasting amount and duration of afterslip on other major creeping faults
James J. Lienkaemper, Forrest S. McFarland
2017, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (107) 1082-1093
We present the longest record of surface afterslip on a continental strike‐slip fault for the 2004 M 6.0 Parkfield, California, earthquake, from which we can derive critical information about the duration and predictability of afterslip relevant to urban displacement hazard applications. Surface slip associated with this event occurred entirely postseismically...
Shallow-depth location and geometry of the Piedmont Reverse splay of the Hayward Fault, Oakland, California
Rufus D. Catchings, Mark R. Goldman, David Trench, Michael Buga, Joanne H. Chan, Coyn J. Criley, Luther M. Strayer
2017, Open-File Report 2016-1123
The Piedmont Thrust Fault, herein referred to as the Piedmont Reverse Fault (PRF), is a splay of the Hayward Fault that trends through a highly populated area of the City of Oakland, California (fig. 1A). Although the PRF is unlikely to generate a large-magnitude earthquake, slip on the PRF or...
Identification of alginite and bituminite in rocks other than coal. 2006, 2009, and 2011 round robin exercises of the ICCP Identification of Dispersed Organic Matter Working Group
J. Kus, C.V. Araujo, A.G. Borrego, D. Flores, Paul C. Hackley, M. Hamor-Vido, Stavros Kalaitzidis, C.J. Kommeren, B. Kwiecinska, M. Mastalerz, J.G. Mendonca Filho, T.R. Menezes, M. Misz-Kennan, G.J. Nowak, H. Petersen, D. Rallakis, I. Suarez-Ruiz, I. Sykorova, D. Zivotić
2017, International Journal of Coal Geology (178) 26-38
The paper presents results of round robin exercises on photomicrograph-based identification of dispersed organic matter in source rocks that represent a range of marine and lacustrine deposits from worldwide localities and cover a range of thermal maturities. The round robin exercises were conducted by...
A groundwater-flow model for the Treasure Valley and surrounding area, southwestern Idaho
James R. Bartolino, Sean Vincent
2017, Fact Sheet 2017-3027
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in partnership with the Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) and Idaho Water Resource Board (IWRB), will construct a numerical groundwater-flow model of the Treasure Valley and surrounding area. Resource managers will use the model to simulate potential anthropogenic and climatic effects on groundwater for...
Precipitation collector bias and its effects on temporal trends and spatial variability in National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network data
Gregory A. Wetherbee
2017, Environmental Pollution (223) 90-101
Precipitation samples have been collected by the National Atmospheric Deposition Program's (NADP) National Trends Network (NTN) using the Aerochem Metrics Model 301 (ACM) collector since 1978. Approximately one-third of the NTN ACM collectors have been replaced with N-CON Systems, Inc. Model ADS 00-120 (NCON) collectors. Concurrent data were collected over...
Capturing spatiotemporal variation in wildfires for improving postwildfire debris-flow hazard assessments
Jessica R. Haas, Matthew P. Thompson, Anne C. Tillery, Joe H. Scott
2017, Book chapter, Natural Hazard Uncertainty Assessment: Modeling and Decision Support
Wildfires can increase the frequency and magnitude of catastrophic debris flows. Integrated, proactive natural hazard assessment would therefore characterize landscapes based on the potential for the occurrence and interactions of wildfires and postwildfire debris flows. This chapter presents a new modeling effort that can quantify the variability surrounding a key...
A window of opportunity for climate-change adaptation: Easing tree mortality by reducing forest basal area
John B. Bradford, David M. Bell
2017, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment (15) 11-17
Increasing aridity as a result of climate change is expected to exacerbate tree mortality. Reducing forest basal area – the cross-sectional area of tree stems within a given ground area – can decrease tree competition, which may reduce drought-induced tree mortality. However, neither the magnitude of expected mortality increases, nor...
