Age-related reproductive performance of the Adélie penguin, a long-lived seabird exhibiting similar outcomes regardless of individual life-history strategy
Peter J. Kappes, Katie Dugger, Amélie Lescroël, Grant Ballard, Kerry J Barton, Phil O’B. Lyver, Peter R. Wilson
2021, Journal of Animal Ecology (90) 931-942
Age-related variation in reproductive performance in long-lived iteroparous vertebrate species is common, with performance being influenced by within-individual processes, such as improvement and senescence, in combination with among-individual processes, such as selective appearance and disappearance. Few studies of age-related reproductive performance have compared the role of these drivers within a...
Assessment of wave attenuation, current patterns, and sediment deposition and erosion during winter storms by living shoreline structures in Gandys Beach, New Jersey
H. Wang, William D. Capurso, Q. Chen, Ling Zhu, L.M. Niemoczynski, Gregg Snedden
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1040
This study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and Northeastern University in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy. This report summarizes field investigation and analysis of waves, current patterns, and sediment deposition and erosion along the Gandys Beach, New Jersey, salt marsh vegetated...
Nest site selection of White-tailed Hawks (Geranoaetus albicaudatus) on Texas barrier islands
C.L. Haralson-Strobel, Clint W. Boal, C. C. Fraquhar
2021, Wilson Journal of Ornithology (132) 668-677
The distribution of the White-tailed Hawk (Geranoaetus albicaudatus) in the United States is restricted to the prairies and savannas of the Gulf Coastal Plain of Texas. Although listed as a state threatened species, it remains one of the least studied raptors in North America. It appears to reach high densities...
lsforce: A Python-based single-force seismic inversion framework for massive landslides
Liam Toney, Kate E. Allstadt
2021, Seismological Research Letters (4) 2610-2626
We present an open‐source Python package, lsforce, for performing single‐force source inversions of long‐period (tens to hundreds of seconds) seismic signals. Although the software is designed primarily for landslides, it can be used for any single‐force seismic source. The package allows users to produce estimates...
Ground motions in urban Los Angeles from the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence
Filippos Filippitzis, Monica Kohler, Tom Heaton, Robert Graves, Robert W. Clayton, Richard G. Guy, J. J. Bunn, K. M. Chandy
2021, Earthquake Spectra (37) 2493-2522
We study ground-motion response in urban Los Angeles during the two largest events (M7.1 and M6.4) of the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence using recordings from multiple regional seismic networks as well as a subset of 350 stations from the much denser Community Seismic Network. In the first...
Estimates of food consumption rates for invasive Blue Catfish
Joseph Schmitt, Corbin D. Hilling, Donald J. Orth
2021, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (150) 465-476
As a prolific invasive species, Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus threaten native organisms in numerous estuarine and tidal freshwaters along the Atlantic coast of the United States. However, no published estimates of consumption rates are available for Blue Catfish in the scientific literature. This information is critical for development...
Breeding season space use by lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus Pallidicinctus) varies among ecoregions and breeding stages
Bram H.F. Verheijen, Reid T. Plumb, Chris K.J. Gulick, Christian A. Hagen, Samantha G. Robinson, Daniel S. Sullins, David A. Haukos
2021, The American Midland Naturalist (185) 149-174
Large-scale declines of grassland ecosystems in the conterminous United States since European settlement have led to substantial loss and fragmentation of lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) habitat and decreased their occupied range and population numbers by ∼85%. Breeding season space use is an important component of...
A framework for allocating conservation resources among multiple threats and actions
Joslin L. Moore, Abbey E Camaclang, Alana L. Moore, Cindy E Hauser, Michael C. Runge, Victor Picheny, Libby Rumpff
2021, Conservation Biology (35) 1639-1649
Land managers decide how to allocate resources among multiple threats that can be addressed through multiple possible actions. Additionally, these actions vary in feasibility, effectiveness, and cost. We sought to provide a way to optimize resource allocation to address multiple threats when multiple management options are...
Cold tolerance of mountain stoneflies (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) from the high Rocky Mountains
Scott Hotaling, Alisha A. Shah, Michael E. Dillon, J. Joseph Giersch, Lusha M. Tronstad, Debra S. Finn, H. Arthur Woods, Joanna L. Kelley
2021, Western North American Naturalist (81) 54-62
How aquatic insects cope with cold temperatures is poorly understood. This is particularly true for high-elevation species, which often experience a seasonal risk of freezing. In the Rocky Mountains, nemourid stoneflies (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) are a major component of mountain stream biodiversity and are typically found in streams fed by glaciers...
U.S. Geological Survey wildland fire science strategic plan, 2021–26
Paul F. Steblein, Rachel A. Loehman, Mark P. Miller, Joseph R. Holomuzki, Suzanna C. Soileau, Matthew L. Brooks, Mia Drane-Maury, Hannah M. Hamilton, Jason W. Kean, Jon E. Keeley, Mason Jr., Alexa McKerrow, James Meldrum, Edmund B. Molder, Sheila F. Murphy, Birgit Peterson, Geoffrey S. Plumlee, Douglas J. Shinneman, Phillip J. van Mantgem, Alison York
2021, Circular 1471
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Wildland Fire Science Strategic Plan defines critical, core fire science capabilities for understanding fire-related and fire-responsive earth system processes and patterns, and informing management decision making. Developed by USGS fire scientists and executive leadership, and informed by conversations with external stakeholders, the Strategic Plan is...
Water-quality, bed-sediment, and invertebrate tissue trace-element concentrations for tributaries in the Clark Fork Basin, Montana, October 2018–September 2019
Gregory D. Clark, Michelle I. Hornberger, Eric J. Hepler, Thomas E. Cleasby, Terry L. Heinert
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1027
Water, bed sediment, and invertebrate tissue were sampled in streams from Butte to near Missoula, Montana, as part of a monitoring program in the Clark Fork Basin. The sampling program was completed by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to characterize aquatic resources in...
The San Andreas fault paleoseismic record at Elizabeth Lake: Why are there fewer surface-rupturing earthquakes on the Mojave section?
Sean Bemis, Katherine M. Scharer, James D. Dolan
2021, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (111) 1590-1613
The structural complexity of active faults and the stress release history along the fault system may exert control on the locus and extent of individual earthquake ruptures. Fault bends, in particular, are often invoked as a possible mechanism for terminating earthquake ruptures. However, there are few records available to examine...
The Mars Orbiter for Resources, Ices, and Environments (MORIE) science goals and instrument trades in radar, imaging, and spectroscopy
Wendy M. Calvin, Nathaniel E. Putzig, Colin M. Dundas, Ali M Bramson, Briony H. N. Horgan, Kim D Seelos, Hanna G Sizemore, Bethany L. Ehlmann, Gareth A Morgan, John W Holt, Scott L. Murchie, G Wesley Patterson
2021, The Planetary Science Journal (2)
The Mars Orbiter for Resources, Ices, and Environments (MORIE) was selected as one of NASA's 2019 Planetary Mission Concept Studies. The mission builds upon recent discoveries and current knowledge gaps linked to two primary scientific questions: (1) when did elements of the cryosphere form and how are ice deposits linked...
Arctic insect emergence timing and composition differs across thaw ponds of varying morphology
Sarah M. Laske, Kirsty E. B. Gurney, Joshua C. Koch, Joel A. Schmutz, Mark S. Wipfli
2021, Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research (53) 110-126
Freshwater ponds provide habitats for aquatic insects that emerge and subsidize consumers in terrestrial ecosystems. In the Arctic, insects provide an important seasonal source of energy to birds that breed and rear young on the tundra. The abundance and timing of insect emergence from arctic thaw ponds is poorly understood,...
Measurement of suction pressure dynamics of sea lampreys, Petromyzon marinus
Hongyang Shi, Christopher Holbrook, Yunqi Cao, Nelson Sepulveda, Xiaobo Tan
2021, PLoS ONE (16)
Species-specific monitoring activities represent fundamental tools for natural resource management and conservation but require techniques that target species-specific traits or markers. Sea lamprey, a destructive invasive species in the Laurentian Great Lakes and conservation target in North America and Europe, is among very few fishes that...
Spatial and temporal distributions of Dreissena spp. veligers in Lake Huron: Does calcium limit settling success?
Darren S. Kirkendall, David Bunnell, Patricia Dieter, Lauren A. Eaton, Anett S Trebitz, Nicole M Watson
2021, Journal of Great Lakes Research (47) 1040-1049
The larval stage of invasive Dreissena spp. mussels (i.e., veligers) are understudied despite their seasonal numerical dominance among plankton. We report the spring and summer veliger densities and size structure across the main basin, North Channel, and Georgian Bay of Lake Huron, and seek to...
A maximum rupture model for the central and southern Cascadia subduction zone—reassessing ages for coastal evidence of megathrust earthquakes and tsunamis
Alan Nelson, Christopher DuRoss, Robert C. Witter, Harvey M. Kelsey, Simon E. Engelhart, Shannon A. Mahan, Harrison J. Gray, Andrea D. Hawkes, Benjamin P. Horton, Jason S. Padgett
2021, Quaternary Science Reviews (261)
A new history of great earthquakes (and their tsunamis) for the central and southern Cascadia subduction zone shows more frequent (17 in the past 6700 yr) megathrust ruptures than previous coastal chronologies. The history is based on along-strike correlations of Bayesian age models derived from evaluation of 554 radiocarbon ages that...
Bathymetric survey and sedimentation analysis of Lago Patillas, Puerto Rico, August 2019
Julieta M. Gómez-Fragoso
2021, Scientific Investigations Map 3471
In August 2019, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, conducted a bathymetric survey of Lago Patillas to update stage-volume data in order to determine the sediment infill rates and to generate a bathymetry map. Water-depth data were collected along predefined lines using...
Complex sedimentary processes in large coastal embayments and their potential for coastal morphological and paleo tropical cyclone studies: A case study from Choctawhatchee Bay Western Florida, U.S.A
P. N. Ranasinghe, Jeffrey P. Donnelly, R. L. Evans, Jessica R. Rodysill, N. U. Nanayakkara, Peter J. van Hengstum, Andrea D. Hawkes, Richard Sullivan, Michael Toomey
2021, Marine Geology (437)
Storminess and sea-level can both have a significant impact on landforms in cyclone-prone coastal regions, although much of our understanding comes from short-timescale modern observations. This study aims to understand the variability of sediment transport and deposition in the Choctawhatchee Bay/Santa Rosa Island in the northern Gulf of Mexico, establishing the dominant sediment transport...
Maryland and Landsat
U.S. Geological Survey
2021, Fact Sheet 2021-3022
Maryland, called “America in Miniature,” encompasses nearly every geographical feature in the United States except a desert. Water dominates the State, whose borders run along much of Chesapeake Bay. The bay is the country’s largest estuary, where freshwater from watershed tributaries mingles with the ocean’s saltwater and teems with life.The...
New York and Landsat
U.S. Geological Survey
2021, Fact Sheet 2021-3020
From the iconic skyline of New York City to the forested landscapes of the Adirondack Mountains and the countryside of the Allegheny Plateau, the State of New York is overflowing with diversity and life. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and two of the Great Lakes to the...
Risk-based decision-support groundwater modeling for the lower San Antonio River Basin, Texas, USA
Linzy K. Foster, Jeremy T. White, Andrew T. Leaf, Natalie A. Houston, Aarin Teague
2021, Groundwater (59) 581-596
A numerical surface-water/groundwater model was developed for the lower San Antonio River Basin to evaluate the responses of low base flows and groundwater levels within the basin under conditions of reduced recharge and increased groundwater withdrawals. Batch data assimilation through history matching used a simulation of...
Finding the win-win strategies in endangered species conservation
Sarah J. Converse, Hannah A. Sipe
2021, Animal Conservation (24) 161-162
No abstract available. ...
History of Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA: Since the termination of Lake Bonneville
Charles G. Oviatt, Genevieve Atwood, Robert S. Thompson
2021, Book chapter, Limnogeology: Progress, challenges and opportunities: A tribute to Elizabeth Gierlowski-Kordesch
During the past half century or so diverse histories of Great Salt Lake have been written from differing perspectives and all of them have contributed ideas and essential data. The published literature, however, can be confusing and misleading. In this chapter, we review and provide context for a number of...
Diatom record of holocene moisture variability in the San Bernardino Mountains, California, USA.
Scott W. Starratt, Matthew E. Kirby, Kristine Glover
2021, Syntheses in Limnogeology (2) 329-365
Lower Bear Lake, in the San Bernardino Mountains, contains a Holocene paleohydrology record for southern California. The diatom and sediment geochemistry record indicates that the region experienced a wet Early Holocene followed by a gradual decrease in precipitation, which was punctuated by four strong and five weak pluvial episodes. The...