High-frequency, long-duration water sampling in acid mine drainage studies: a short review of current methods and recent advances in automated water samplers
Thomas Chapin
2015, Applied Geochemistry (59) 118-124
Hand-collected grab samples are the most common water sampling method but using grab sampling to monitor temporally variable aquatic processes such as diel metal cycling or episodic events is rarely feasible or cost-effective. Currently available automated samplers are a proven, widely used technology and typically collect up to 24 samples...
Individual specialization in the foraging habits of female bottlenose dolphins living in a trophically diverse and habitat rich estuary
Sam Rossman, Peggy H. Ostrom, Megan Stolen, Nélio B. Barros, Hasand Gandhi, Craig A. Stricker, Randall S. Wells
2015, Oecologia (178) 415-425
We examine individual specialization in foraging habits (foraging habitat and trophic level) of female bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) resident in Sarasota Bay, Florida, USA, by analyzing time series of stable isotope (δ15N and δ13C) values in sequential growth layer groups within teeth. The isotope data provide a chronology of...
Evaluating unsupervised methods to size and classify suspended particles using digital in-line holography
Emlyn J. Davies, Daniel D. Buscombe, George W. Graham, W. Alex M. Nimmo-Smith
2015, Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology (32) 1241-1256
Substantial information can be gained from digital in-line holography of marine particles, eliminating depth-of-field and focusing errors associated with standard lens-based imaging methods. However, for the technique to reach its full potential in oceanographic research, fully unsupervised (automated) methods are required for focusing, segmentation, sizing and classification of particles. These...
Stable isotopes suggest low site fidelity in Bar-Headed Geese (Anser indicus) in Mongolia: Implications for disease transmission
Eli S. Bridge, Jeffrey F. Kelly, Xiangming Xiao, Nyambayar Batbayar, Tseveenmyadag Natsagdorj, Nichola J. Hill, John Y. Takekawa, Lucy A. Hawkes, Charles M. Bishop, Patrick J. Butler, Scott H. Newman
2015, Waterbirds (38) 123-132
Population connectivity is an important consideration in studies of disease transmission and biological conservation, especially with regard to migratory species. Determining how and when different subpopulations intermingle during different phases of the annual cycle can help identify important geographical regions or features as targets for conservation efforts and can help...
Exploration review
David R. Wilburn, Karyn A. Stanley, Nick A Karl
2015, Mining Engineering 16-38
This summary of international mineral exploration activities for the year 2014 draws upon information from industry sources, published literature, and specialists in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Minerals Information Center. The summary provides data on exploration budgets by region and mineral commodity, identifies significant mineral discoveries and areas of...
Variability and trends in global drought
Gregory J. McCabe, David M. Wolock
2015, Earth and Space Science (2) 223-228
Monthly precipitation (P) and potential evapotranspiration (PET) from the CRUTS3.1 data set are used to compute monthly P minus PET (PMPE) for the land areas of the globe. The percent of the global land area with annual sums of PMPE less than zero are used as an index of global drought (%drought)...
Application of science-based restoration planning to a desert river system
Brian G. Laub, Justin Jimenez, Phaedra E. Budy
2015, Environmental Management (55) 1246-1261
Persistence of many desert river species is threatened by a suite of impacts linked to water infrastructure projects that provide human water security where water is scarce. Many desert rivers have undergone regime shifts from spatially and temporally dynamic ecosystems to more stable systems dominated by homogenous physical habitat. Restoration...
Testing hypotheses on distribution shifts and changes in phenology of imperfectly detectable species
Thierry A. Chambert, William L. Kendall, James E. Hines, James D. Nichols, Paolo Pedrini, J. Hardin Waddle, Giacomo Tavecchia, Susan C. Walls, Simone Tenan
2015, Methods in Ecology and Evolution (6) 638-647
With ongoing climate change, many species are expected to shift their spatial and temporal distributions. To document changes in species distribution and phenology, detection/non-detection data have proven very useful. Occupancy models provide a robust way to analyse such data, but inference is usually focused on species spatial...
Preserving geomorphic data records of flood disturbances
John A. Moody, Deborah A. Martin, Robert H. Meade
2015, GeoResJ (6) 164-174
No central database or repository is currently available in the USA to preserve long-term, spatially extensive records of fluvial geomorphic data or to provide future accessibility. Yet, because of their length and continuity these data are valuable for future research. Therefore, we built a public accessible website to preserve...
Using occupancy models to accommodate uncertainty in the interpretation of aerial photograph data: status of beaver in Central Oregon, USA
Christopher A. Pearl, M. J. Adams, Patricia K. Haggerty, Leslie Urban
2015, Wildlife Society Bulletin (2) 319-325
Beavers (Castor canadensis) influence habitat for many species and pose challenges in developed landscapes. They are increasingly viewed as a cost-efficient means of riparian habitat restoration and water storage. Still, information on their status is rare, particularly in western North America. We used aerial photography to evaluate changes in beaver...
Spatial requirements of different life-stages of the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) from a distinct population segment in the northern Gulf of Mexico
Margaret M. Lamont, Nathan Freeman Putman, Ikuko Fujisaki, Kristen M. Hart
2015, Herpetological Conservation and Biology (10) 26-43
Many marine species have complex life histories that involve disparate developmental, foraging and reproductive habitats and a holistic assessment of the spatial requirements for different life stages is a challenge that greatly complicates their management. Here, we combined data from oceanographic modeling, nesting surveys, and satellite tracking to examine the...
Suburbanization, estrogen contamination, and sex ratio in wild amphibian populations
Max R. Lambert, Geoffrey S. J. Giller, Larry B. Barber, Kevin C. Fitzgerald, David K. Skelly
2015, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (112) 11881-11886
Research on endocrine disruption in frog populations, such as shifts in sex ratios and feminization of males, has predominantly focused on agricultural pesticides. Recent evidence suggests that suburban landscapes harbor amphibian populations exhibiting similar levels of endocrine disruption; however the endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) sources are unknown. Here, we show...
A formalized approach to making effective natural resource management decisions for Alaska National Parks
Margaret C. MacCluskie, Angela Romito, James T. Peterson, James P. Lawler
2015, Alaska Park Science (14) 9-13
A fundamental goal of the National Park Service (NPS) is the long-term protection and management of resources in the National Park System. Reaching this goal requires multiple approaches, including the conservation of essential habitats and the identification and elimination of potential threats to biota and habitats. To accomplish these goals,...
High-rate injection is associated with the increase in U.S. mid-continent seismicity
Matthew Weingarten, Shemin Ge, Jonathan W. Godt, Barbara A. Bekins, Justin L. Rubinstein
2015, Science (348) 1336-340
An unprecedented increase in earthquakes in the U.S. mid-continent began in 2009. Many of these earthquakes have been documented as induced by wastewater injection. We examine the relationship between wastewater injection and U.S. mid-continent seismicity using a newly assembled injection well database for the central and eastern United States. We...
Newberry Volcano's youngest lava flows
Joel E. Robinson, Julie M. Donnelly-Nolan, Robert A. Jensen
2015, Scientific Investigations Map 3329
Most of Newberry Volcano's youngest lava flows are found within the Newberry National Volcanic Monument in central Oregon. Established November 5, 1990, the monument is managed by the U.S. Forest Service as part of the Deschutes National Forest. Since 2011, a series of aerial surveys over the monument collected elevation...
The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Connecticut
William J. Carswell Jr.
2015, Fact Sheet 2015-3036
Elevation data are essential to a broad range of applications, including forest resources management, wildlife and habitat management, national security, recreation, and many others. For the State of Connecticut, elevation data are critical for coastal zone management, flood risk management, natural resources conservation, agriculture and precision farming, sea level rise...
Continuous monitoring of sediment and nutrients in the Illinois River at Florence, Illinois, 2012-13
Paul J. Terrio, Timothy D. Straub, Marian M. Domanski, Nicholas A. Siudyla
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5040
The Illinois River is the largest river in Illinois and is the primary contributing watershed for nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended-sediment loading to the upper Mississippi River from Illinois. In addition to streamflow, the following water-quality constituents were monitored at the Illinois River at Florence, Illinois (U.S. Geological Survey station number...
Water resources of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
Vincent E. White, Lawrence B. Prakken
2015, Fact Sheet 2015-3001
Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on...
Soil- and groundwater-quality data for petroleum hydrocarbon compounds within Fuels Area C, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, 2014
David A. Bender, Barbara L. Rowe
2015, Data Series 939
Ellsworth Air Force Base is an Air Combat Command located approximately 10 miles northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota. Ellsworth Air Force Base occupies about 6,000 acres within Meade and Pennington Counties, and includes runways, airfield operations, industrial areas, housing, and recreational facilities. Fuels Area C within Ellsworth Air Force...
The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Delaware
William J. Carswell Jr.
2015, Fact Sheet 2015-3031
Elevation data are essential to a broad range of applications, including forest resources management, wildlife and habitat management, national security, recreation, and many others. For the State of Delaware, elevation data are critical for agriculture and precision farming, river and stream resource management, natural resources conservation, flood risk management, coastal...
Literature review of the potential effects of formalin on nitrogen oxidation efficiency of the biofilters of recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) for freshwater finfish
Kim T. Fredricks
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1097
A comprehensive literature review was done for the effects of formalin on biofilter function in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) using these databases: ISI/Web of Knowledge, Scopus, and Pubmed. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed as the literature review was conducted. The initial search produced 5,682 potential citations. Once the literature...
Literature review of the potential effects of hydrogen peroxide on nitrogen oxidation efficiency of the biofilters of recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) for freshwater finfish
Kim T. Fredricks
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1096
A comprehensive literature review was done for the effects of hydrogen peroxide (HP) on biofilter function in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) using these databases: ISI/Web of Knowledge, Scopus, and Pubmed. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed as the literature review was conducted. The initial search produced 5,748 potential citations. Once...
Intersexual allometry differences and ontogenetic shifts of coloration patterns in two aquatic turtles, Graptemys oculifera and Graptemys flavimaculata
Joshua R. Ennen, Peter V. Lindeman, Jeffrey E. Lovich
2015, Ecology and Evolution (5) 2296-2305
Coloration can play critical roles in a species' biology. The allometry of color patterns may be useful for elucidating the evolutionary mechanisms responsible for shaping the traits. We measured characteristics relating to eight aspects of color patterns from Graptemys oculifera and G. flavimaculata to investigate the allometric differences among male, female, and unsexed juvenile specimens....
Performance of species occurrence estimators when basic assumptions are not met: a test using field data where true occupancy status is known
David A. W. Miller, Larissa L. Bailey, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Brett T. McClintock, Linda A. Weir, Theodore R. Simons
2015, Methods in Ecology and Evolution (6) 557-565
Populations are rarely censused. Instead, observations are subject to incomplete detection, misclassification and detection heterogeneity that result from human and environmental constraints. Though numerous methods have been developed to deal with observational uncertainty, validation under field conditions is rare because truth is rarely known in these cases. We...
Evaluating rehabilitation efforts following the Milford Flat Fire: successes, failures, and controlling factors
Michael C. Duniway, Emily C. Palmquist, Mark E. Miller
2015, Ecosphere (6)
Uncontrolled wildfire in arid and semiarid ecosystems has become an increasing concern in recent decades. Active rehabilitation of fire-affected areas is often quickly initiated to minimize long-term ecosystem damage. However, the complex soil-geomorphic-vegetation patterns and low and variable moisture conditions in these regions makes restoration challenging. To further inform these...
