Moving from decision to action in conservation science
Alexander Wright, Riley F Bernard, Brittany A. Mosher, Katherine O'Donnell, Taylor Braunagel, Graziella V. DiRenzo, Jillian Elizabeth Fleming, Charles Shafer, Adrianne B. Brand, Elise F. Zipkin, Evan H. Campbell Grant
2020, Biological Conservation (249)
Biodiversity loss is a major threat to the integrity of ecosystems and is projected to worsen, yet the path to successful conservation remains elusive. Decision support frameworks (DSFs) are increasingly applied by resource managers to navigate the complexity, uncertainty, and differing socio-ecological objectives inherent to conservation problems. Most published conservation...
Biological effects of hydrocarbon degradation intermediates: Is the total petroleum hydrocarbon analytical method adequate for risk assessment?
Barbara A. Bekins, Jennifer Brennan, Donald E. Tillitt, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Jennifer M. Illig, Dalma Martinovich-Weigelt
2020, Environmental Science & Technology (54) 11396-11404
In crude oil contaminant plumes, the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is mainly hydrocarbon degradation intermediates only partly quantified by the diesel range total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPHd) method. To understand potential biological effects of degradation intermediates, we tested three fractions of DOC:...
Flood-inundation maps for Dardenne Creek in St. Charles County, Missouri, 2019
David C. Heimann, Jonathon D. Voss, Paul H. Rydlund Jr.
2020, Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5060
Digital flood-inundation maps for a 9.9-mile reach of Dardenne Creek, St. Charles County, Missouri, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation, St. Charles County, and the Cities of O’Fallon and St. Peters, Mo. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood...
Aboveground and belowground vegetation biomass and nutrients
Todd M. Folse, Thomas E. McGinnis, Leigh A. Sharp, Jonathan L. West, Melissa K. Hymel, John P. Troutman, Dona Weifenbach, William M. Boshart, Laurie B. Rodrigue, Danielle C. Richardi, W. Bernard Wood, C. Mike Miller, Elizabeth M. Robinson, Angelina M. Freeman, Camille Stagg, Brady Couvillion, Holly Beck
2020, Report, A standard operating procedures manual for the Coastwide Reference Monitoring System-Wetlands and the System-Wide Assessment and Monitoring Program: Methods for site establishment, data collection, and quality assurance/quality control
Wetland biomass production, decomposition, and storage of organic matter govern estuarine energy transfer, in addition to determining the physical sustainability of marshes exposed to sea-level rise and subsidence. Peak standing biomass represents an indicator of wetland production or productivity but does not account for turnover (production and decomposition) of different pools of biomass with...
Imagery
Todd M. Folse, Thomas E. McGinnis, Leigh A. Sharp, Jonathan L. West, Melissa K. Hymel, John P. Troutman, Dona Weifenbach, William M. Boshart, Laurie B. Rodrigue, Danielle C. Richardi, W. Bernard Wood, C. Mike Miller, Elizabeth M. Robinson, Angelina M. Freeman, Camille Stagg, Brady Couvillion, Holly Beck
2020, Report, A standard operating procedures manual for the Coastwide Reference Monitoring System-Wetlands and the System-Wide Assessment and Monitoring Program: Methods for site establishment, data collection, and quality assurance/quality control
As part of CRMS, Digital Orthophoto Quarter Quadrangles (DOQQs) for the coastal region of Louisiana are created for years when coastwide land-water classifications are required. A DOQQ is a raster image in which displacement in the image caused by sensor orientation and terrain relief has been corrected. These images combine...
Now trending … Earthquake information
William S. Leith, Jeremy Fee, Eric M. Martinez, Lynda A. Lastowka
2020, Seismological Research Letters (91) 2900-2903
The U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program has overall successfully fulfilled its mission of providing timely earthquake information via web applications and other methods. Imagine a single month of earthquake data delivery, serving 3.6 billion total data requests, including 29 million pageviews by 7.1 million users, 606 million automated data...
Ultraviolet-assisted oiling assessment improves detection of oiled birds experiencing clinical signs of hemolytic anemia after exposure to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
J. A. Fallon, E. P. Smith, N. Shoch, J. D. Paruk, E. A. Adams, D. C. Evers, Patrick G.R. Jodice, M. Perkins, D. E. Meatty, W. A. Hopkins
2020, Ecotoxicology (29) 1399-1408
While large-scale oil spills can cause acute mortality events in birds, there is increasing evidence that sublethal oil exposure can trigger physiological changes that have implications for individual performance and survival. Therefore, improved methods for identifying small amounts of oil on birds are needed. Because ultraviolet (UV) light can be...
Assessing the potential for spectrally based remote sensing of salmon spawning locations
Lee R. Harrison, Carl J. Legleiter, Brandon T. Overstreet, Tomoko Bell, John Hannon
2020, River Research and Applications (36) 1618-1632
Remote sensing tools are increasingly used for quantitative mapping of fluvial habitats, yet few techniques exist for continuous sampling of aquatic organisms, such as spawning salmonids. This study assessed the potential for spectrally based remote sensing of salmon spawning locations (i.e., redds) using data acquired from...
Financial risk innovation: Development of earthquake parametric triggers for contingent credit instruments
Guillermo Collich, Rafael Rosillo, Juan Martinez, David J. Wald, Juan Jose Durante
2020, Book chapter, Natural Disasters and Climate Change
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has developed financial risk management strategies for natural disasters focusing primarily on the emergency phase of the catastrophes where financial support is more cost-efficient and certainly most needed. The main IDB financial instrument to provide liquidity in the aftermath of catastrophic events is...
The GFDL Earth System Model Version 4.1 (GFDL-ESM 4.1): Overall coupled model description and simulation characteristics
John P Dunne, L W Horowitz, A. Adcroft, P. Ginoux, I.M. Held, J.C.H. Johns, John P. Krasting, Sergey Malyshev, V. Naik, F. Paulot, Elena Shevliakova, C. A. Stock, N Zadeh, V. Balaji, C Blanton, C Dupuis, J. Durachta, R Dussin, Paul P. G. Gauthier, S M Griffies, Huan Guo, Robert W. Hallberg, Matthew J. Harrison, Jian He, W Hurlin, Charles W. McHugh, R Menzel, Paul C. D. Milly, S Nikonov, D. Paynter, J J Ploshay, A. Radhakrishnan, K Rand, B Reichel, T.C. Robinson, M D Schwarzkopf, L Sentman, S. Underwood, H Vahlenkamp, M. Winton, Andrew T. Wittenberg, Bruce Wyman, Yujin Zeng, Ming Zhao
2020, Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems (JAMES) (12)
We describe the baseline coupled model configuration and simulation characteristics of GFDL's Earth System Model Version 4.1 (ESM4.1), which builds on component and coupled model developments at GFDL over 2013–2018 for coupled carbon-chemistry-climate simulation contributing to the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. In contrast...
Hydrology and geomorphology of the Taiya River near the West Creek Tributary, southeast Alaska
Janet H. Curran
2020, Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5059
The Taiya River flows through the Chilkoot Trail Unit of Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in southeast Alaska, which was founded to preserve cultural and historical resources and further understanding of natural processes active in the surrounding coastal-to-subarctic basin. Riverine processes exert an important influence on ecologically important boreal...
Understanding and documenting the scientific basis of selenium ecological protection in support of site-specific guidelines development for Lake Koocanusa, Montana, U.S.A., and British Columbia, Canada
Theresa S. Presser, David L. Naftz
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1098
Modeling of ecosystems is a part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s protocol for developing site-specific selenium guidelines for protection of aquatic life. Selenium as an environmental contaminant is known to bioaccumulate and cause reproductive effects in fish and wildlife. Here we apply a modeling methodology—ecosystem-scale selenium modeling—to understand and document...
A stress-similarity triggering model for aftershocks of the MW6.4 and MW7.1 Ridgecrest earthquakes
Jeanne L. Hardebeck
2020, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (110) 1716-1727
The July 2019 Mw">Mw 6.4 and 7.1 Ridgecrest earthquakes triggered numerous aftershocks, including clusters of off‐fault aftershocks in an extensional stepover of the Garlock fault, near the town of Olancha, and near Panamint...
Improving early warning of drought-driven food insecurity in Southern Africa using operational hydrological monitoring and forecasting products
Shraddhanand Shukla, Kristi Arsenault, Abda Hazra, Christa Peters-Lidard, Frank Davenport, Tamuka Magadzire, Chris Funk
2020, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (20) 1187-1201
The region of southern Africa (SA) has a fragile food economy and is vulnerable to frequent droughts. Interventions to mitigate food insecurity impacts require early warning of droughts —preferably as early as possible before the harvest season (typically, starting in April) and lean season (typically, starting in November). Hydrologic monitoring...
Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) not detected in an intensive survey of wild North American amphibians
J. Hardin Waddle, Daniel A. Grear, Brittany Mosher, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Michael J. Adams, Adam R. Backlin, William Barichivich, Adrianne B. Brand, Gary M. Bucciarelli, Daniel L. Calhoun, Tara Chestnut, Jon M. Davenport, Andrew E. Dietrich, Robert N. Fisher, Brad Glorioso, Brian J. Halstead, Marc P Hayes, R. Ken Honeycutt, Blake R. Hossack, Patrick M. Kleeman, Julio A. Lemos-Espinal, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Robert W. Atkinson, Erin L. Muths, Christopher Pearl, Katherine Richgels, Charles W Robinson, Mark F. Roth, Jennifer Rowe, Walter Sadinski, Brent H. Sigafus, Iga Stasiak, Samuel Sweet, Susan C. Walls, Gregory J Watkins-Colwell, C. LeAnn White, Lori A Williams, Megan E. Winzeler
2020, Scientific Reports (10)
The salamander chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans [Bsal]) is causing massive mortality of salamanders in Europe. The potential for spread via international trade into North America and the high diversity of salamanders has catalyzed concern about Bsal in the U.S. Surveillance programs for invading pathogens must initially meet challenges that include...
Novel molecular resources to facilitate future genetics research on freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae)
Nathan A. Johnson, Chase H. Smith
2020, Data (5)
Molecular data have been an integral tool in the resolution of the evolutionary relationships and systematics of freshwater mussels, despite the limited number of nuclear markers available for Sanger sequencing. To facilitate future studies, we evaluated the phylogenetic informativeness of loci from the recently published anchored hybrid enrichment (AHE) probe...
Are the stress drops of small earthquakes good predictors of the stress drops of moderate-to-large earthquakes?
Jeanne L. Hardebeck
2020, Journal of Geophysical Research- Solid Earth (125)
The stress drops of small earthquakes often exhibit spatial patterns of variability. If moderate and large earthquakes follow the same spatial patterns, the stress drops of possible future damaging earthquakes could be better predicted by considering the stress drops of nearby small events. Better stress drop predictability could reduce...
Using density surface models to estimate spatio-temporal changes in population densities and trend
Richard J. Camp, David L Miller, Len Thomas, Steve T. Buckland, Steve J. Kendall
2020, Ecography (43) 1079-1089
Precise measures of population abundance and trend are needed for species conservation; these are most difficult to obtain for rare and rapidly changing populations. We compare uncertainty in densities estimated from spatio–temporal models with that from standard design‐based methods. Spatio–temporal models allow us to target priority areas where, and at...
The effects of tissue fixation on sequencing and transcript abundance of nucleic acids from microdissected liver samples of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
Heather L. Walsh, Adam Sperry, Vicki S. Blazer
2020, PLoS ONE
There is an increasing emphasis on effects-based monitoring to document responses associated with exposure to complex mixtures of chemicals, climate change, pathogens, parasites and other environmental stressors in fish populations. For decades aquatic monitoring programs have included the collection of tissues preserved for microscopic pathology. Consequently, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded...
Management of remnant tallgrass prairie by grazing or fire: Effects on plant communities and soil properties
Diane L. Larson, Daniel L. Hernández, Jennifer L. Larson, Julia B. Leone, Nora P. Pennarola
2020, Ecosphere (11)
Tallgrass prairie is a disturbance‐dependent ecosystem that has suffered steep declines in the midwestern United States. The necessity of disturbance, typically fire or grazing, presents challenges to managers who must apply them on increasingly small and fragmented parcels. The goal of this study was to compare...
Landslides after wildfire: Initiation, magnitude, and mobility
Francis K. Rengers, Luke McGuire, Nina S. Oakley, Jason W. Kean, Dennis M. Staley, Hui Tang
2020, Landslides (17) 2631-2641
In the semiarid Southwestern USA, wildfires are commonly followed by runoff-generated debris flows because wildfires remove vegetation and ground cover, which reduces soil infiltration capacity and increases soil erodibility. At a study site in Southern California, we initially observed runoff-generated debris flows in the first year following fire. However, at...
Boreal blazes: Biomass burning and vegetation types archived in the Juneau Icefield
Natalie Kehrwald, Jeramy Roland Jasmann, Melissa E. Dunham, David G. Ferris, Erich C. Osterburg, Joshua Kennedy, Jeremy C. Havens, Larry B. Barber, Sarah K. Fortner
2020, Environmental Research Letters (15)
The past decade includes some of the most extensive boreal forest fires in the historical record. Warming temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, the desiccation of thick organic soil layers, and increased ignition from lightning all contribute to a combustive combination. Smoke aerosols travel thousands of kilometers, before blanketing...
Metamorphic amphiboles in the Ironwood Iron-Formation, Gogebic Iron Range, Wisconsin: Implications for potential resource development
Carlin J. Green, Robert R. Seal, II, Nadine M. Piatak, William F. Cannon, Ryan J. McAleer, Julia Nord
2020, American Mineralogist (105) 1259-1269
No abstract available. ...
Kelp forest monitoring at Naval Base Ventura County, San Nicolas Island, California: Fall 2018 and Spring 2019, fifth annual report
Michael C. Kenner, Joseph A. Tomoleoni
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1091
IntroductionKelp forests and rocky reefs are among the most recognized marine ecosystems and provide the primary habitat for several species of fishes, invertebrates, and algal assemblages (Stephens and others, 2006). In addition, kelp forests have been shown to be important carbon dioxide sinks (Wilmers and others, 2012) and are...
Characterization of peak streamflow and stages at selected streamgages in eastern and northeastern Oklahoma from the May to June 2019 flood event—With an emphasis on flood peaks downstream from dams and on tributaries to the Arkansas River
Jason M. Lewis, David J. Williams, Sarah J. Harris, A.R. Trevisan
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1090
As much as 22 inches of rain fell in Oklahoma in May 2019, resulting in historic flooding along the Arkansas River and its tributaries in eastern and northeastern Oklahoma. The flooding along the Arkansas River and its tributaries that began in May continued into June 2019. Peaks of record were...
