Flood-inundation maps for the Schoharie Creek at Prattsville, New York, 2014
Elizabeth A. Nystrom
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5190
Digital flood-inundation maps for a 2.6-mile reach of the Schoharie Creek at Prattsville, New York, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site...
State-space modeling to support management of brucellosis in the Yellowstone bison population
N. Thompson Hobbs, Chris Geremia, John Treanor, Rick Wallen, P.J. White, Mevin Hooten, Jack C. Rhyan
2015, Ecological Monographs (85) 525-556
The bison (Bison bison) of the Yellowstone ecosystem, USA, exemplify the difficulty of conserving large mammals that migrate across the boundaries of conservation areas. Bison are infected with brucellosis (Brucella abortus) and their seasonal movements can expose livestock to infection. Yellowstone National Park has embarked on a program of adaptive...
Seasonal cues of Arctic grayling movement in a small Arctic stream: the importance of surface water connectivity
Kurt C. Heim, Mark S. Wipfli, Matthew S. Whitman, Christopher D. Arp, Jeff Adams, Jeffrey A. Falke
2015, Environmental Biology of Fishes (99) 49-65
In Arctic ecosystems, freshwater fish migrate seasonally between productive shallow water habitats that freeze in winter and deep overwinter refuge in rivers and lakes. How these movements relate to seasonal hydrology is not well understood. We used passive integrated transponder tags and stream wide antennae to track 1035 Arctic grayling...
Incorporating microbial dormancy dynamics into soil decomposition models to improve quantification of soil carbon dynamics of northern temperate forests
Yujie He, Jinyan Yang, Qianlai Zhuang, Jennifer W. Harden, A. David McGuire, Yaling Liu, Gangsheng Wang, Lianhong Gu
2015, Journal of Geophysical Research G: Biogeosciences (120) 2596-2611
Soil carbon dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems play a significant role in the global carbon cycle. Microbial-based decomposition models have seen much growth recently for quantifying this role, yet dormancy as a common strategy used by microorganisms has not usually been represented and tested in these models against field observations. Here...
Population trends and survival of nesting green sea turtles Chelonia mydas on Aves Island, Venezuela
Marco A. Garcia-Cruz, Margarita Lampo, Claudia L. Penaloza, William L. Kendall, Genaro Sole, Kathryn M. Rodriguez-Clark
2015, Endangered Species Research (29) 103-116
Long-term demographic data are valuable for assessing the effect of anthropogenic impacts on endangered species and evaluating recovery programs. Using a 2-state open robust design model, we analyzed mark-recapture data from green turtles Chelonia mydas sighted between 1979 and 2009 on Aves Island, Venezuela, a rookery heavily impacted by human activities before...
Depth of artificial Burrowing Owl burrows affects thermal suitability and occupancy
Christopher P. Nadeau, Courtney J. Conway, Nathan Rathbun
2015, Journal of Field Ornithology (86) 288-297
Many organizations have installed artificial burrows to help bolster local Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) populations. However, occupancy probability and reproductive success in artificial burrows varies within and among burrow installations. We evaluated the possibility that depth below ground might explain differences in occupancy probability and reproductive success by affecting the...
Distribution, abundance, and habitat associations of a large bivalve (Panopea generosa) in a eutrophic, fjord estuary
P. Sean Mcdonald, Timothy E. Essington, Jonathan P. Davis, Aaron W.E. Galloway, Bethany C. Stevick, Gregory C. Jensen, Glenn R. VanBlaricom, David A. Armstrong
2015, Journal of Shellfish Research (34) 137-145
Marine bivalves are important ecosystem constituents and frequently support valuable fisheries. In many nearshore areas, human disturbance—including declining habitat and water quality—can affect the distribution and abundance of bivalve populations, and complicate ecosystem and fishery management assessments. Infaunal bivalves, in particular, are frequently cryptic and difficult to detect; thus, assessing...
Large divergence of satellite and Earth system model estimates of global terrestrial CO2 fertilization
W. Kolby Smith, Sasha C. Reed, Cory C. Cleveland, Ashley P Ballantyne, William R. L. Anderegg, William R. Wieder, Yi Y Liu, Steven W. Running
2015, Nature Climate Change (6) 306-310
Atmospheric mass balance analyses suggest that terrestrial carbon (C) storage is increasing, partially abating the atmospheric [CO2] growth rate, although the continued strength of this important ecosystem service remains uncertain. Some evidence suggests that these increases will persist owing to positive responses of vegetation growth (net primary productivity; NPP) to...
Influence of habitat and intrinsic characteristics on survival of neonatal pronghorn
Christopher N. Jacques, Jonathan A. Jenks, Troy W. Grovenburg, Robert W. Klaver
2015, PLoS ONE (10)
Increased understanding of the influence of habitat (e.g., composition, patch size) and intrinsic (e.g., age, birth mass) factors on survival of neonatal pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) is a prerequisite to successful management programs, particularly as they relate to population dynamics and the role of population models in adaptive species management. Nevertheless,...
Bioelectrical impedance analysis: A new tool for assessing fish condition
Kyle J. Hartman, F. Joseph Margraf, Andrew W. Hafs, M. Keith Cox
2015, Fisheries (40) 590-600
Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is commonly used in human health and nutrition fields but has only recently been considered as a potential tool for assessing fish condition. Once BIA is calibrated, it estimates fat/moisture levels and energy content without the need to kill fish. Despite the promise held by BIA,...
Transport and deposition of asbestos-rich sediment in the Sumas River, Whatcom County, Washington
Christopher A. Curran, Scott W. Anderson, Jack E. Barbash, Christopher S. Magirl, Stephen E. Cox, Katherine K. Norton, Andrew S. Gendaszek, Andrew R. Spanjer, James R. Foreman
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5177
Heavy sediment loads in the Sumas River of Whatcom County, Washington, increase seasonal turbidity and cause locally acute sedimentation. Most sediment in the Sumas River is derived from a deep-seated landslide of serpentinite that is located on Sumas Mountain and drained by Swift Creek, a tributary to the Sumas River....
Science information to support Missouri River Scaphirhynchus albus (pallid sturgeon) effects analysis
Robert B. Jacobson, Michael J. Parsley, Mandy L. Annis, Michael E. Colvin, Timothy L. Welker, Daniel A. James
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1226
The Missouri River Pallid Sturgeon Effects Analysis (EA) was commissioned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop a foundation of understanding of how pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) population dynamics are linked to management actions in the Missouri River. The EA consists of several steps: (1) development of comprehensive,...
The shifting climate portfolio of the Greater Yellowstone Area
Adam J. Sepulveda, Mike T Tercek, Robert K. Al-Chokhachy, Andrew Ray, David P. Thoma, Blake R. Hossack, Gregory T. Pederson, Ann Rodman, Tom Olliff
2015, PLoS ONE (10)
Knowledge of climatic variability at small spatial extents (< 50 km) is needed to assess vulnerabilities of biological reserves to climate change. We used empirical and modeled weather station data to test if climate change has increased the synchrony of surface air temperatures among 50 sites within the Greater Yellowstone...
Stability of detectability over 17 years at a single site and other lizard detection comparisons from Guam
Gordon H. Rodda, Kathryn Dean-Bradley, Earl W. Campbell III, Thomas H. Fritts, Bjorn Lardner, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Robert N. Reed
2015, Journal of Herpetology (49) 513-521
To obtain quantitative information about population dynamics from counts of animals, the per capita detectabilities of each species must remain constant over the course of monitoring. We characterized lizard detection constancy for four species over 17 yr from a single site in northern Guam, a relatively benign situation because detection...
Caveats for correlative species distribution modeling
Catherine S. Jarnevich, Thomas J. Stohlgren, Sunil Kumar, Jeffrey T. Morisette, Tracy R. Holcombe
2015, Ecological Informatics (29) 6-15
Correlative species distribution models are becoming commonplace in the scientific literature and public outreach products, displaying locations, abundance, or suitable environmental conditions for harmful invasive species, threatened and endangered species, or species of special concern. Accurate species distribution models are useful for efficient and adaptive management and conservation, research, and...
Long-term changes in nitrate conditions over the 20th century in two Midwestern Corn Belt streams
Valerie J. Kelly, Edward G. Stets, Charles G. Crawford
2015, Journal of Hydrology (525) 559-571
Long-term changes in nitrate concentration and flux between the middle of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century were estimated for the Des Moines River and the Middle Illinois River, two Midwestern Corn Belt streams, using a novel weighted regression approach that is able to detect...
Efficient wetland surface water detection and monitoring via Landsat: Comparison with in situ data from the Everglades Depth Estimation Network
John Jones
2015, Remote Sensing (9) 12503-12538
The U.S. Geological Survey is developing new Landsat science products. One, named Dynamic Surface Water Extent (DSWE), is focused on the representation of ground surface inundation as detected in cloud-/shadow-/snow-free pixels for scenes collected over the U.S. and its territories. Characterization of DSWE uncertainty to facilitate its appropriate use in...
Decision analysis to support development of the Glen Canyon Dam long-term experimental and management plan
Michael C. Runge, Kirk E. LaGory, Kendra Russell, Janet R. Balsom, R. Alan Butler, Coggins Jr., Katrina A. Grantz, John Hayse, Ihor Hlohowskyj, Josh Korman, James E. May, Daniel J. O’Rourke, Leslie A. Poch, James R. Prairie, Jack C. VanKuiken, Robert A. Van Lonkhuyzen, David R. Varyu, Bruce T. Verhaaren, Thomas D. Veselka, Nicholas T. Williams, Kelsey K. Wuthrich, Charles B. Yackulic, Robert P. Billerbeck, Glen W. Knowles
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5176
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, and Argonne National Laboratory, completed a decision analysis to use in the evaluation of alternatives in the Environmental Impact Statement concerning the long-term management of water releases from Glen Canyon Dam and associated management activities. Two...
Using noble gas tracers to constrain a groundwater flow model with recharge elevations: A novel approach for mountainous terrain
Jessica M. Doyle, Tom Gleeson, Andrew H. Manning, K. Ulrich Mayer
2015, Water Resources Research (51) 8094-8113
Environmental tracers provide information on groundwater age, recharge conditions, and flow processes which can be helpful for evaluating groundwater sustainability and vulnerability. Dissolved noble gas data have proven particularly useful in mountainous terrain because they can be used to determine recharge elevation. However, tracer-derived recharge elevations have not been utilized...
Insights into controls on hexavalent chromium in groundwater provided by environmental tracers, Sacramento Valley, California, USA
Andrew H. Manning, Christopher T. Mills, Jean M. Morrison, Lyndsay B. Ball
2015, Applied Geochemistry (62) 186-199
Environmental tracers are useful for determining groundwater age and recharge source, yet their application in studies of geogenic Cr(VI) in groundwater has been limited. Environmental tracer data from 166 wells located in the Sacramento Valley, northern California, were interpreted and compared to Cr concentrations to...
Detecting sea-level hazards: Simple regression-based methods for calculating the acceleration of sea level
Kara S. Doran, Peter A. Howd, Sallenger Jr.
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1187
This report documents the development of statistical tools used to quantify the hazard presented by the response of sea-level elevation to natural or anthropogenic changes in climate and ocean circulation. A hazard is a physical process (or processes) that, when combined with vulnerability (or susceptibility to the hazard), results in...
Climate change and wildfire risk in an expanding wildland–urban interface: a case study from the Colorado Front Range Corridor
Zhihua Liu, Michael C. Wimberly, Aashis Lamsal, Terry L. Sohl, Todd Hawbaker
2015, Landscape Ecology (30) 1943-1957
Context Wildfire is a particular concern in the wildland–urban interface (WUI) of the western United States where human development occurs close to flammable natural vegetation. Objectives (1) Assess the relative influences of WUI expansion versus climate-driven fire regime change on spatial and temporal...
Effects of gill-net trauma, barotrauma, and deep release on postrelease mortality of Lake Trout
Elizabeth L. Ng, Jim P. Fredericks, Michael C. Quist
2015, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (6) 265-277
Unaccounted postrelease mortality violates assumptions of many fisheries studies, thereby biasing parameter estimates and reducing efficiency. We evaluated effects of gill-net trauma, barotrauma, and deep-release treatment on postrelease mortality of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush. Lake trout were captured at depths up to 65 m with gill nets in Priest Lake, Idaho,...
Arctic biodiversity: Increasing richness accompanies shrinking refugia for a cold-associated tundra fauna
Andrew G. Hope, Eric Waltari, Jason L. Malaney, David C. Payer, J.A. Cook, Sandra L. Talbot
2015, Ecosphere (6) 1-67
As ancestral biodiversity responded dynamically to late-Quaternary climate changes, so are extant organisms responding to the warming trajectory of the Anthropocene. Ecological predictive modeling, statistical hypothesis tests, and genetic signatures of demographic change can provide a powerful integrated toolset for investigating these biodiversity responses to climate change, and relative resiliency...
Predicting effects of environmental change on a migratory herbivore
R. A. Stillman, K. A. Wood, Whelan Gilkerson, E. Elkinton, J. M. Black, David H. Ward, M. Petrie
2015, Ecosphere (6) 1-19
Changes in climate, food abundance and disturbance from humans threaten the ability of species to successfully use stopover sites and migrate between non‐breeding and breeding areas. To devise successful conservation strategies for migratory species we need to be able to predict how such changes will affect both individuals and populations....
