Physiomorphic transformation in extreme endurance migrants: Revisiting the case of bar-tailed godwits preparing for trans-pacific flights
Theunis Piersma, Robert E. Gill Jr., Daniel R. Ruthrauff
2021, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (9)
In a 1998 paper entitled “Guts don’t fly: small digestive organs in obese bar-tailed godwits,” Piersma and Gill (1998) showed that the digestive organs were tiny and the fat loads huge in individuals suspected of embarking on a non-stop flight from Alaska to New Zealand. It was suggested that prior...
Assessment of a conservative mixing model for the evaluation of constituent behavior below river confluences, Elqui River Basin, Chile
Catalina Rossi, Jorge Oyarzun, Pablo Pasten, Robert L. Runkel, Jorge Núñez, Denisse Duhalde, Hugo Maturana, Eduardo Rojas, José L. Arumí, Daniela Castillo, Ricardo Oyarzun
2021, River Research and Applications (37) 967-978
Fate and transport modeling of water-borne contaminants is a data demanding and costly endeavor, requiring considerable expes such, it becomes important to know when a complex modeling approach is required, and when a simpler approach is adequate. This is the main objective herein, where a conservative mixing model is used...
Prioritizing restoration areas to conserve multiple sagebrush-associated wildlife species
Courtney Jean Duchardt, Adrian P. Monroe, Julie A. Heinrichs, Michael S. O’Donnell, David R. Edmunds, Cameron L. Aldridge
2021, Biological Conservation (260)
Strategic restoration of altered habitat is one method for addressing worldwide biodiversity declines. Within the sagebrush steppe of western North America, habitat degradation has been linked to declines in many species, making restoration a priority for managers; however, limited funding, spatiotemporal variation in restoration success, and the need to manage for diverse...
Enhanced terrestrial runoff during Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 on the North Carolina Coastal Plain, USA
Christopher M Lowery, Jean Self-Trail, Craig Barrie
2021, Climate of the Past (17) 1227-1242
A global increase in the strength of the hydrologic cycle drove an increase in the flux of terrigenous sediments into the ocean during the Cenomanian–Turonian Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE2) and was an important mechanism driving nutrient enrichment and thus organic carbon burial. This global change is primarily known from isotopic...
Extensibility of U-net neural network model for hydrographic feature extraction and implications for hydrologic modeling
Larry V. Stanislawski, Ethan J. Shavers, Shaowen Wang, Zhe Jiang, E. Lynn Usery, Evan Moak, Alexander Duffy, Joel Schott
2021, Remote Sensing (13)
Accurate maps of regional surface water features are integral for advancing ecologic, atmospheric and land development studies. The only comprehensive surface water feature map of Alaska is the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD). NHD features are often digitized representations of historic topographic map blue lines and may be outdated. Here we...
Assessing habitat change and migration of barrier islands
Nicholas Enwright, Lei Wang, P. Soupy Dalyander, Hongqing Wang, Michael Osland, Rangley C. Mickey, Robert L. Jenkins III, Elizabeth Godsey
2021, Estuaries and Coasts (44) 2073-2086
Barrier islands are dynamic environments that experience gradual change from waves, tides, and currents, and rapid change from extreme storms. These islands are expected to change drastically over the coming century due to accelerated sea-level rise and changes in frequency and intensity of storm events. The dynamic nature of barrier...
Ecogeographic variation and taxonomic boundaries in Large Treeshrews (Scandentia, Tupaiidae: Tupaia tana Raffles, 1821) from Southeast Asia
Maya M. Juman, Neal Woodman, Link E. Olson, Eric J. Sargis
2021, Journal of Mammalogy (102) 1054-1066
The Large Treeshrew, Tupaia tana Raffles, 1821, is a small mammal (~205 g) from Southeast Asia with a complicated taxonomic history. Currently, 15 subspecies are recognized from Borneo, Sumatra, and smaller islands, and many were originally differentiated based on minor pelage differences and small sample sizes. We explored intraspecific variation in T. tana using...
Strategic testing approaches for targeted disease monitoring can be used to inform pandemic decision-making
James D. Nichols, Tiffany L. Bogich, Emily Howerton, Ottar N. Bjornstad, Rebecca K. Borchering, Matthew J. Ferrari, Murali Haran, Christopher P. Jewell, Kim M. Pepin, William J. M. Probert, Juliet R. C. Pulliam, Michael C. Runge, Michael J. Tildesley, Cecile Viboud, Katriona Shea
2021, PLoS Biology (19)
More than 1.6 million Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) tests were administered daily in the United States at the peak of the epidemic, with a significant focus on individual treatment. Here, we show that objective-driven, strategic sampling designs and analyses can maximize information gain at the population level,...
Detecting subtle change from dense landsat time series: Case studies of mountain pine beetle and spruce beetle disturbance
Su Ye, John Rogan, Zhe Zhu, Todd Hawbaker, Sarah J. Hart, Robert A. Andrus, Arjan J.H. Meddens, Jeffery A. Hicke, J. Ronald Eastman, Dominik Kulakowski
2021, Remote Sensing of Environment (263)
In contrast to abrupt changes caused by land cover conversion, subtle changes driven by a shift in the condition, structure, or other biological attributes of land often lead to minimal and slower alterations of the terrestrial surface. Accurate mapping and monitoring of subtle change are crucial for an early warning...
Holocene depositional history inferred from single-grain luminescence ages in southern California, North America
Sourav Saha, Seulgi Moon, Nathan D. Brown, Edward J. Rhodes, Katherine M. Scharer, Devin McPhillips, Sally F. McGill, Bryan A. Castillo
2021, Geophysical Research Letters (48)
Significant sediment flux and deposition in a sedimentary system are influenced by climate changes, tectonics, lithology, and the sedimentary system's internal dynamics. Identifying the timing of depositional periods from stratigraphic records is a first step to critically evaluate the controls of sediment flux and deposition. Here, we show that ages...
U.S. Geological Survey landscape science strategy 2020–2030
Karen E. Jenni, Sarah K. Carter, Nicholas G. Aumen, Zachary H. Bowen, John B. Bradford, Michael A. Chotkowski, Leslie Hsu, Peter S. Murdoch, Scott W. Phillips, Kevin L. Pope, Rudy Schuster, Melanie J. Steinkamp, Jake Weltzin, George Z. Xian
2021, Circular 1484
Across our Nation, multiple Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments are working with stakeholders and landowners to restore, conserve, and manage lands and resources to benefit fish, wildlife, and people. One of the largest Federal efforts is led by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), with multiple DOI agencies...
Bathymetry of New York City’s East of Hudson reservoirs and controlled lakes, 2017 to 2019
Elizabeth A. Nystrom, Courtney J. Huston, Robert J. Welk
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5057
New York City maintains an extensive system of reservoirs and aqueducts to provide drinking water to its residents, including 16 reservoirs and controlled lakes in Westchester and Putnam Counties in southern New York, east of the Hudson River (also called “East of Hudson reservoirs and controlled lakes”). These reservoirs were...
Permeable groundwater pathways and tritium migration patterns from the HANDLEY underground nuclear test, Pahute Mesa, Nevada
Tracie R. Jackson
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5032
The HANDLEY nuclear test was detonated at about 2,700 feet below the water table on March 26, 1970, in Pahute Mesa, south-central Nevada. Measured tritium concentrations in boreholes ER-20-12 and PM-3 indicate that a shallow tritium plume has migrated more than 1 mile (mi) downgradient from the HANDLEY test...
South Dakota and Landsat
U.S. Geological Survey
2021, Fact Sheet 2021-3035
Few States derive as much of their social and economic well-being from the land as South Dakota. Agriculture is the State’s primary industry. Hunting, fishing, tourism, mining, and hydroelectric power are also important economic and cultural drivers. Data from the U.S. Geological Survey Landsat program, archived at the U.S. Geological...
California and Landsat
U.S. Geological Survey
2021, Fact Sheet 2021-3034
California has remarkable geographic diversity, from 1,100 miles of Pacific shoreline to 33 million acres of trees, including its famous redwood forests along the Pacific Coast Highway, U.S. Route 101. And although California’s nickname is “The Golden State," it may also deserve the title of “The Extreme State.” Mount Whitney,...
Incorporating water quality analysis into navigation assessments as demonstrated in the Mississippi River Basin
Barbara Kleiss, Jennifer C. Murphy, Casey M. Mayne, Jake P. Allgeier, Amanda B. Edmondson, Katrina C. Ginsberg, Keaton E. Jones, Timothy J. Lauth, Emily L. Moe, Julie W. Murphy, Mead Allison
2021, Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering (147)
A description of historical and ambient water quality conditions is often required as part of navigational studies. This paper describes a series of tools developed by the USGS that can aid navigation managers in developing water quality assessments. The tools use R, a statistical software program, and...
Most rivers and streams run dry every year
Kristin Jaeger
2021, Nature (594) 335-336
The flowing waters of surface rivers and streams efficiently transport sediment, organic material and nutrients, among other things, from hillsides and overland areas to downstream lakes, reservoirs and the ocean. Along the way, rivers and streams (hereafter referred to collectively as streams) provide important resources for our communities and support...
Recovery and analysis of ancient beetle DNA from subfossil packrat middens using high-throughput sequencing
Aaron D. Smith, Marcin J. Kaminski, Kojun Kanda, Andrew D. Sweet, Julio L. Betancourt, Camille A. Holmgren, Elisabeth Hempel, Federica Alberti, Michael Hofreiter
2021, Scientific Reports (11)
The study of ancient DNA is revolutionizing our understanding of paleo-ecology and the evolutionary history of species. Insects are essential components in many ecosystems and constitute the most diverse group of animals. Yet they are largely neglected in ancient DNA studies. We report the results of...
Lower Granite Reservoir biological monitoring at 2015 disposal site
Rulon J Hemingway, Kenneth Tiffan
2021, Report
No abstract available....
Translocations maintain genetic diversity and increase connectivity in sea otters, Enhydra lutris
Shawn E. Larson, Roderick B. Gagne, James L. Bodkin, Michael J. Murray, Katherine Ralls, Lizabeth Bowen, Raphael Leblois, Sylvain Piry, Maria Cecilia Penedo, M. Tim Tinker, Holly B. Ernest
2021, Marine Mammal Science (37) 1475-1497
Sea otters, Enhydra lutris, were once abundant along the nearshore areas of the North Pacific. The international maritime fur trade that ended in 1911 left 13 small remnant populations with low genetic diversity. Subsequent translocations into previously occupied habitat resulted in several reintroduced populations along the coast...
Hemidactylus turcicus (Mediterranean Gecko). Endoparasite.
Chris T. McAllister, Charles R Bursey, Samuel R Fisher, Chelsea E Martin, Robert N. Fisher
2021, Herpetological Review (52) 408-409
Hemidactylus turcicus is a native of western India, Somalia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean region and is one of the most successful invasive species in the world (Kraus. 2009. Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer Verlag, Berlin. 563 pp.). Since its introduction into the USA...
Carbonate-hosted microbial communities are prolific and pervasive methane oxidizers at geologically diverse marine methane seep sites
Jeffrey J. Marlow, Daniel Hoer, Sean Jungbluth, Linda Reynard, Amy Gartman, Marko S. Chavez, Mohamed Y. El-Naggar, Noreen Tuross, Victoria Orphan, Peter R. Girguis
2021, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) (118)
At marine methane seeps, vast quantities of methane move through the shallow subseafloor, where it is largely consumed by microbial communities. This process plays an important role in global methane dynamics, but we have yet to identify all of the methane sinks in the deep sea. Here, we conducted a...
Evaluation of techniques for mitigating snowmelt infiltration-induced landsliding in a highway embankment
Eric Hinds, Ning Lu, Benjamin B. Mirus, Jonathan W. Godt, Alexandra Wayllace
2021, Engineering Geology (291)
Infiltration-induced landslides threaten transportation infrastructure around the world, and impose both direct costs through repair and remediation work and indirect costs through lost economic activity. Therefore, finding the most cost-effective techniques to mitigate slope failures that can impact critical infrastructure links is desirable. The Straight Creek landslide, which affects a...
Surface-mining modeling for USGS coal assessments
Paul E. Pierce
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1059
The value of national coal deposits is determined for the Solid Fuel Energy Resources Assessment and Research Project through economic evaluations using hypothetical mining models. Deposits near the surface are evaluated with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) surface-mining model, which is patterned after the standard mining techniques and infrastructures of...
Decision analysis of barrier placement and targeted removal to control invasive carp in the Tennessee River Basin
Max Post van der Burg, David R. Smith, Aaron R. Cupp, Mark W. Rogers, Duane Chapman
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1068
Controlling range expansion of invasive carp (specifically Hypophthalmichthys spp.) on the Tennessee River is important to conserve the ecological and economic benefits provided by the river. We collaborated with State and Federal agencies (the stakeholder group) to develop a decision framework and decision support model to evaluate strategies to control...
