Long period seismicity and very long period infrasound driven by shallow magmatic degassing at Mount Pagan, Mariana Islands
John J. Lyons, Matthew M. Haney, Cynthia A. Werner, Peter J. Kelly, Matthew R. Patrick, Christoph Kern, Frank A. Trusdell
2016, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (121) 188-209
Long period (LP) seismicity and very long period infrasound (iVLP) were recorded during continuous degassing from Mount Pagan, Mariana Islands, in July 2013 to January 2014. The frequency content of the LP and iVLP events and delay times between the two arrivals were remarkably stable and indicate nearly co-located sources....
Coupled downscaled climate models and ecophysiological metrics forecast habitat compression for an endangered estuarine fish
Larry R. Brown, Lisa M Komoroske, R Wayne Wagner, Tara Morgan-King, Jason T. May, Richard E Connon, Nann A. Fangue
2016, PLoS ONE
Climate change is driving rapid changes in environmental conditions and affecting population and species’ persistence across spatial and temporal scales. Integrating climate change assessments into biological resource management, such as conserving endangered species, is a substantial challenge, partly due to a mismatch between global climate forecasts and local or regional...
Delineation of the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley groundwater basin, Nevada
Joseph M. Fenelon, Keith J. Halford, Michael T. Moreo
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5175
This report delineates the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley (PMOV) groundwater basin, where recharge occurs, moves downgradient, and discharges to Oasis Valley, Nevada. About 5,900 acre-feet of water discharges annually from Oasis Valley, an area of springs and seeps near the town of Beatty in southern Nevada. Radionuclides in groundwater beneath Pahute...
Differences in energy expenditures and growth dilution explain higher PCB concentrations in male summer flounder
Charles P. Madenjian, Olaf P. Jensen, Richard R. Rediske, James P. O'Keefe, Anthony R. Vastano, Steven A. Pothoven
2016, PLoS ONE (11) 1-20
Comparison of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations between the sexes of mature fish may reveal important behavioral and physiological differences between the sexes. We determined whole-fish PCB concentrations in 23 female summer flounder Paralichthys dentatusand 27 male summer flounder from New Jersey coastal waters. To investigate the potential for differences in diet...
Fish assemblage composition and mapped mesohabitat features over a range of streamflows in the Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico, winter 2011-12, summer 2012
Daniel K. Pearson, Christopher L. Braun, J. Bruce Moring
2016, Scientific Investigations Map 3350
This report documents differences in the mapped spatial extents and physical characteristics of in-channel fish habitat evaluated at the mesohabitat scale during winter 2011–12 (moderate streamflow) and summer 2012 (low streamflow) at 15 sites on the Middle Rio Grande in New Mexico starting about 3 kilometers downstream from Cochiti Dam...
Development of working hypotheses linking management of the Missouri River to population dynamics of Scaphirhynchus albus (pallid sturgeon)
Robert B. Jacobson, Michael J. Parsley, Mandy L. Annis, Michael E. Colvin, Timothy L. Welker, Daniel A. James
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1236
This report documents a process of filtering of hypotheses that relate Missouri River Scaphirhynchus albus (pallid sturgeon) population dynamics to management actions including flow alterations, channel reconfigurations, and pallid sturgeon population augmentation. The filtering process was a partnership among U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Fish...
Ecological requirements for pallid sturgeon reproduction and recruitment in the Missouri River—Annual report 2013
Aaron J. DeLonay, Robert B. Jacobson, Kimberly A. Chojnacki, Patrick J. Braaten, Kevin J. Buhl, Brandon L Eder, Caroline M. Elliott, Susannah O. Erwin, David B. Fuller, Tyler M. Haddix, Hallie L.A. Ladd, Gerald E. Mestl, Diana M. Papoulias, Jason C. Rhoten, Christopher J. Wesolek, Mark L. Wildhaber
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1197
The Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project is a multiyear, multiagency collaborative research framework developed to provide information to support pallid sturgeon recovery and Missouri River management decisions. The project strategy integrates field and laboratory studies of pallid sturgeon reproductive ecology, early life history, habitat requirements, and physiology. The project scope of...
Ecological requirements for pallid sturgeon reproduction and recruitment in the Missouri River—A synthesis of science, 2005 to 2012
Aaron J. DeLonay, Kimberly A. Chojnacki, Robert B. Jacobson, Janice L. Albers, Patrick J. Braaten, Edward A. Bulliner, Caroline M. Elliott, Susannah O. Erwin, David B Fuller, Justin D. Haas, Hallie L.A. Ladd, Gerald E. Mestl, Diana M. Papoulias, Mark L. Wildhaber
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5145
This report is intended to synthesize the state of the scientific understanding of pallid sturgeon ecological requirements to provide recommendations for future science directions and context for Missouri River restoration and management decisions. Recruitment of pallid sturgeon has been low to non-existent throughout its range. Emerging understanding of the genetic...
Modeled streamflow metrics on small, ungaged stream reaches in the Upper Colorado River Basin
Lindsay V. Reynolds, Patrick B. Shafroth
2016, Data Series 974
Modeling streamflow is an important approach for understanding landscape-scale drivers of flow and estimating flows where there are no streamgage records. In this study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with Colorado State University, the objectives were to model streamflow metrics on small, ungaged streams in the Upper...
Model analysis of check dam impacts on long-term sediment and water budgets in southeast Arizona, USA
Laura M. Norman, Rewati Niraula
2016, Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology (16) 125-137
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of check dam infrastructure on soil and water conservation at the catchment scale using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). This paired watershed study includes a watershed treated with over 2000 check dams and a Control watershed which has...
Salamander chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans) in the United States—Developing research, monitoring, and management strategies
Evan H. Campbell Grant, Erin L. Muths, Rachel A. Katz, Stefano Canessa, M. J. Adams, Jennifer R. Ballard, Lee Berger, Cheryl J. Briggs, Jeremy T. H. Coleman, Matthew J. Gray, M. Camille Harris, Reid N. Harris, Blake R. Hossack, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Jonathan E. Kolby, Karen R. Lips, Robert E. Lovich, Hamish I. McCallum, Joseph R. Mendelson III, Priya Nanjappa, Deanna H. Olson, Jenny G. Powers, Katherine L. D. Richgels, Robin E. Russell, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Annemarieke Spitzen-van der Sluijs, Mary Kay Watry, Douglas C. Woodhams, C. LeAnn White
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1233
The recently (2013) identified pathogenic chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), poses a severe threat to the distribution and abundance of salamanders within the United States and Europe. Development of a response strategy for the potential, and likely, invasion of Bsal into the United States is crucial to protect global salamander...
Impacts of Climate Change on Regulated Streamflow, Hydrologic Extremes, Hydropower Production, and Sediment Discharge in the Skagit River Basin
Se-Yeun Lee, Alan F. Hamlet, Eric E. Grossman
2016, Northwest Science (90) 23-43
Previous studies have shown that the impacts of climate change on the hydrologic response of the Skagit River are likely to be substantial under natural (i.e. unregulated) conditions. To assess the combined effects of changing natural flow and dam operations that determine impacts to regulated flow, a new integrated daily-time-step...
Summary of U.S. Geological Survey studies conducted in cooperation with the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, central Oklahoma, 2011–14
William J. Andrews, Carol Becker, Derek W. Ryter, S. Jerrod Smith
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5182
The U.S. Geological Survey conducted hydrologic studies and published three U.S. Geological Survey scientific investigations reports in cooperation with the Citizen Potawatomi Nation from 2011 to 2014 to characterize the quality and quantity of water resources. The study areas of those reports consisted of approximately 960 square miles in parts...
Population dynamics and evaluation of alternative management strategies for nonnative Lake Trout in Priest Lake, Idaho
Elizabeth L. Ng, Jim P. Fredericks, Michael C. Quist
2016, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (36) 40-54
Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush have been introduced widely throughout the western USA to enhance recreational fisheries, but high predatory demand can create challenges for management of yield and trophy fisheries alike. Lake Trout were introduced to Priest Lake, Idaho, during the 1920s, but few fishery-independent data are available to guide...
Resprouting and seeding hypotheses: A test of the gap-dependent model using resprouting and obligate seeding subspecies of Arctostaphylos
Jon E. Keeley, V. Thomas Parker, Michael C. Vasey
2016, Plant Ecology (217) 743-750
Ecological factors favoring either postfire resprouting or postfire obligate seeding in plants have received considerable attention recently. Three ecological models have been proposed to explain patterns of these two life history types. In this study, we test these three models using data from California chaparral. We take an...
Tomographic image of a seismically active volcano: Mammoth Mountain, California
Phillip B. Dawson, Bernard A. Chouet, Andrew M. Pitt
2016, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (121) 114-133
High-resolution tomographic P wave, S wave, and VP/VS velocity structure models are derived for Mammoth Mountain, California, using phase data from the Northern California Seismic Network and a temporary deployment of broadband seismometers. An anomalous volume (5.1 × 109 to 5.9 × 1010m3) of low P and low S wave...
Hydrologic conditions in the South Coast aquifer, Puerto Rico, 2010–15
Sigfredo Torres-Gonzalez, Jose M. Rodriguez
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1215
In 1958, the U.S. Geological Survey began documenting hydrologic conditions, including groundwater levels, groundwater withdrawals for agricultural irrigation and public water supply, and water quality, in the South Coast aquifer, Puerto Rico. This information has improved the understanding of the water resources of the region. The hydrologic data indicate that...
Lake oxygen isotopes as recorders of North American Rocky Mountain hydroclimate: Holocene patterns and variability at multi-decadal to millennial time scales
Lesleigh Anderson, Max Berkelhammer, John A. Barron, Byron A. Steinman, Bruce P. Finney, Mark B. Abbott
2016, Global and Planetary Change (137) 131-148
Lake sediment oxygen isotope records (calcium carbonate-δ18O) in the western North American Cordillera developed during the past decade provide substantial evidence of Pacific ocean–atmosphere forcing of hydroclimatic variability during the Holocene. Here we present an overview of 18 lake sediment δ18O records along with a new compilation of lake water...
Assessing the impact of Hurricanes Irene and Sandy on the morphology and modern sediment thickness on the inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York
William C. Schwab, Wayne E. Baldwin, Jane F. Denny
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1238
This report documents the changes in seabed morphology and modern sediment thickness detected on the inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, before and after Hurricanes Irene and Sandy made landfall. Comparison of acoustic backscatter imagery, seismic-reflection profiles, and bathymetry collected in 2011 and in 2014 show that...
Hydrogeological framework, numerical simulation of groundwater flow, and effects of projected water use and drought for the Beaver-North Canadian River alluvial aquifer, northwestern Oklahoma
Derek W. Ryter, Jessica S. Correll
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5183
This report describes a study of the hydrology, hydrogeological framework, numerical groundwater-flow models, and results of simulations of the effects of water use and drought for the Beaver-North Canadian River alluvial aquifer, northwestern Oklahoma. The purpose of the study was to provide analyses, including estimating equal-proportionate-share (EPS) groundwater-pumping rates and...
Relations between rainfall–runoff-induced erosion and aeolian deposition at archaeological sites in a semi-arid dam-controlled river corridor
Brian D. Collins, David Bedford, Skye C. Corbett, Helen C. Fairley, Collin Cronkite-Ratcliff
2016, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (41) 899-917
Process dynamics in fluvial-based dryland environments are highly complex with fluvial, aeolian, and alluvial processes all contributing to landscape change. When anthropogenic activities such as dam-building affect fluvial processes, the complexity in local response can be further increased by flood- and sediment-limiting flows. Understanding these complexities is key to predicting...
Comparison of four different energy balance models for estimating evapotranspiration in the Midwestern United States
Ramesh K. Singh, Gabriel B. Senay
2016, Water (8)
The development of different energy balance models has allowed users to choose a model based on its suitability in a region. We compared four commonly used models—Mapping EvapoTranspiration at high Resolution with Internalized Calibration (METRIC) model, Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) model, Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) model,...
The effects of heterospecifics and climatic conditions on incubation behavior within a mixed-species colony
Peter S. Coates, Brianne E. Brussee, Roger L. Hothem, Kristy H. Howe, Michael L. Casazza, John M. Eadie
2016, Journal of Avian Biology (47) 399-408
Parental incubation behavior largely influences nest survival, a critical demographic process in avian population dynamics, and behaviors vary across species with different life history breeding strategies. Although research has identified nest survival advantages of mixing colonies, behavioral mechanisms that might explain these effects is largely lacking. We examined parental incubation...
Diel feeding ecology of Slimy Sculpin in a tributary to Skaneateles Lake, New York
Marc A. Chalupnicki, James H. Johnson
2016, American Midland Naturalist (175) 37-46
Interactions among the benthic community are typically overlooked but play an important role in fish community dynamics. We examined the diel feeding ecology of Slimy Sculpin (Cottus cognatus) from Grout Brook, a tributary to Skaneateles Lake. Of the six time periods examined, Slimy Sculpin consumed the least during the nighttime...
Integrative modelling reveals mechanisms linking productivity and plant species richness
James B. Grace, T. Michael Anderson, Eric W. Seabloom, Elizabeth T. Borer, Peter B. Adler, W Stanley Harpole, Yann Hautier, Helmut Hillebrand, Eric M. Lind, Meelis Partel, Jonathan D. Bakker, Yvonne M. Buckley, Michael J. Crawley, Ellen Ingman Damschen, Kendi F. Davies, Philip A. Fay, Jennifer Firn, Daniel S. Gruner, Andy Hector, Johannes M.H. Knops, Andrew S. MacDougall, Brett A. Melbourne, John W. Morgan, John L. Orrock, Suzanne M. Prober, Melinda D. Smith
2016, Nature (529) 390-393
How ecosystem productivity and species richness are interrelated is one of the most debated subjects in the history of ecology. Decades of intensive study have yet to discern the actual mechanisms behind observed global patterns. Here, by integrating the predictions from multiple theories into a single model and using data...
