Ca, Sr, O and D isotope approach to defining the chemical evolution of hydrothermal fluids: example from Long Valley, CA, USA
Shaun T. Brown, B. Mack Kennedy, Donald J. DePaolo, Shaul Hurwitz, William C. Evans
2013, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (122) 209-225
We present chemical and isotopic data for fluids, minerals and rocks from the Long Valley meteoric-hydrothermal system. The samples encompass the presumed hydrothermal upwelling zone in the west moat of the caldera, the Casa Diablo geothermal field, and a series of wells defining a nearly linear, ∼16 km long, west-to-east...
Sensitivity of fish density estimates to standard analytical procedures applied to Great Lakes hydroacoustic data
Patrick M. Kocovsky, Lars G. Rudstam, Daniel L. Yule, David M. Warner, Ted Schaner, Bernie Pientka, John W. Deller, Holly A. Waterfield, Larry D. Witzel, Patrick J. Sullivan
2013, Journal of Great Lakes Research (39) 655-662
Standardized methods of data collection and analysis ensure quality and facilitate comparisons among systems. We evaluated the importance of three recommendations from the Standard Operating Procedure for hydroacoustics in the Laurentian Great Lakes (GLSOP) on density estimates of target species: noise subtraction; setting volume backscattering strength (Sv) thresholds from user-defined...
Seismotectonic framework of the 2010 February 27 Mw 8.8 Maule, Chile earthquake sequence
Gavin P. Hayes, Eric Bergman, Kendra J. Johnson, Harley M. Benz, Lucy Brown, Anne S. Meltzer
2013, Geophysical Journal International (195) 1034-1051
After the 2010 Mw 8.8 Maule earthquake, an international collaboration involving teams and instruments from Chile, the US, the UK, France and Germany established the International Maule Aftershock Deployment temporary network over the source region of the event to facilitate detailed, open-access studies of the aftershock sequence. Using data from...
Differentiation of subspecies and sexes of Beringian Dunlins using morphometric measures
H. River Gates, Stephen Yezerinac, Abby N. Powell, Pavel S. Tomkovich, Olga P. Valchuk, Richard B. Lanctot
2013, Journal of Field Ornithology (84) 389-402
Five subspecies of Dunlins (Calidris alpina) that breed in Beringia are potentially sympatric during the non-breeding season. Studying their ecology during this period requires techniques to distinguish individuals by subspecies. Our objectives were to determine (1) if five morphometric measures (body mass, culmen, head, tarsus, and wing chord) differed between...
Bird-vegetation associations in thinned and unthinned young Douglas-fir forests 10 years after thinning
Svetlana Yegorova, Matthew G. Betts, Joan Hagar, Klaus J. Puettmann
2013, Forest Ecology and Management (310) 1057-1070
Quantitative associations between animals and vegetation have long been used as a basis for conservation and management, as well as in formulating predictions about the influence of resource management and climate change on populations. A fundamental assumption embedded in the use of such correlations is that they remain relatively consistent...
AMAP Assessment 2013: Arctic Ocean acidification
2013, Report
This assessment report presents the results of the 2013 AMAP Assessment of Arctic Ocean Acidification (AOA). This is the first such assessment dealing with AOA from an Arctic-wide perspective, and complements several assessments that AMAP has delivered over the past ten years concerning the effects of climate change on Arctic...
Roles of patch characteristics, drought frequency, and restoration in long-term trends of a widespread amphibian
Blake R. Hossack, M. J. Adams, Christopher A. Pearl, Kristine W. Wilson, Evelyn L. Bull, Kristin Lohr, Debra Patla, David S. Pilliod, Jason Jones, Kevin Wheeler, Samuel McKay, P. Stephen Corn
2013, Conservation Biology (27) 1410-1420
Despite the high profile of amphibian declines and the increasing threat of drought and fragmentation to aquatic ecosystems, few studies have examined long-term rates of change for a single species across a large geographic area. We analyzed growth in annual egg-mass counts of the Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris) across...
Data-driven modeling of background and mine-related acidity and metals in river basins
Michael J Friedel
2013, Environmental Pollution (184) 530-539
A novel application of self-organizing map (SOM) and multivariate statistical techniques is used to model the nonlinear interaction among basin mineral-resources, mining activity, and surface-water quality. First, the SOM is trained using sparse measurements from 228 sample sites in the Animas River Basin, Colorado. The model performance is validated by...
Genetic diversity and mutation of avian paramyxovirus serotype 1 (Newcastle disease virus) in wild birds and evidence for intercontinental spread
Andrew M. Ramey, Andrew B. Reeves, Haruko Ogawa, S. Ip, Kunitoshi Imai, V. N. Bui, Emi Yamaguchi, N. Y. Silko, C.L. Afonso
2013, Archives of Virology (158) 2495-2503
Avian paramyxovirus serotype 1 (APMV-1), or Newcastle disease virus, is the causative agent of Newcastle disease, one of the most economically important diseases for poultry production worldwide and a cause of periodic epizootics in wild birds in North America. In this study, we examined the genetic diversity of APMV-1 isolated...
Protocol for monitoring forest-nesting birds in National Park Service parks
Deanna K. Dawson, Murray G. Efford
2013, Report
These documents detail the protocol for monitoring forest-nesting birds in National Park Service parks in the National Capital Region Network (NCRN). In the first year of sampling, counts of birds should be made at 384 points on the NCRN spatially randomized grid, developed to sample terrestrial resources. Sampling should begin...
The suitability of a simplified isotope-balance approach to quantify transient groundwater-lake interactions over a decade with climatic extremes
Laura A. Sacks, Terrie M. Lee, Amy Swancar
2013, Journal of Hydrology (519) 3042-3053
Groundwater inflow to a subtropical seepage lake was estimated using a transient isotope-balance approach for a decade (2001–2011) with wet and dry climatic extremes. Lake water δ18O ranged from +0.80 to +3.48 ‰, reflecting the 4 m range in stage. The transient δ18O analysis discerned large differences in semiannual groundwater...
Estimating reef fish discard mortality using surface and bottom tagging: effects of hook injury and barotrauma
Paul J. Rudershausen, Jeffrey A. Buckel, Joseph E. Hightower
2013, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (71) 514-520
We estimated survival rates of discarded black sea bass (Centropristis striata) in various release conditions using tag–recapture data. Fish were captured with traps and hook and line from waters 29–34 m deep off coastal North Carolina, USA, marked with internal anchor tags, and observed for release condition. Fish tagged on...
Next generation of global land cover characterization, mapping, and monitoring
Chandra Giri, Bruce Pengra, J. Long, Thomas R. Loveland
2013, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation (25) 30-37
Land cover change is increasingly affecting the biophysics, biogeochemistry, and biogeography of the Earth's surface and the atmosphere, with far-reaching consequences to human well-being. However, our scientific understanding of the distribution and dynamics of land cover and land cover change (LCLCC) is limited. Previous global land cover assessments performed using...
Developing an outcome-based biodiversity metric in support of the field to market project: Final report
C. Ashton Drew, Louise B. Alexander-Vaughn, Jaime A. Collazo, Alexa McKerrow, John Anderson
2013, Technical Bulletin 334
Our objective was to create a metric that would calculate the relative impact of common commercial agricultural practices on terrestrial vertebrate richness. We sought to define impacts in fields (including field borders) of the southeastern region’s commercial production of corn, wheat, soy, and cotton. The metric is intended to serve...
An approach for characterizing the distribution of shrubland ecosystem components as continuous fields as part of NLCD
George Z. Xian, Collin G. Homer, Debbie Meyer, Brian J. Granneman
2013, ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (86) 136-149
Characterizing and quantifying distributions of shrubland ecosystem components is one of the major challenges for monitoring shrubland vegetation cover change across the United States. A new approach has been developed to quantify shrubland components as fractional products within National Land Cover Database (NLCD). This approach uses remote sensing data and...
Data management challenges in species distribution modeling
Colin Talbert, Marian Talbert, Jeffrey T. Morisette, David Koop
2013, Bulletin of the Technical Committee on Data Engineering (36) 31-40
An important component in the fields of ecology and conservation biology is understanding the environmental conditions and geographic areas that are suitable for a given species to inhabit. A common tool in determining such areas is species distribution modeling which uses computer algorithms to determine the spatial distribution of organisms. Most commonly the...
Net primary productivity of subalpine meadows in Yosemite National Park in relation to climate variability
Peggy E. Moore, Jan W. Van Wagtendonk, Julie L. Yee, Mitchel P. McClaran, David N. Cole, Neil K. McDougald, Matthew L. Brooks
2013, Western North American Naturalist (73) 409-418
Subalpine meadows are some of the most ecologically important components of mountain landscapes, and primary productivity is important to the maintenance of meadow functions. Understanding how changes in primary productivity are associated with variability in moisture and temperature will become increasingly important with current and anticipated changes in climate. Our...
Evidence of Hybridization between Common Gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) and Butler’s Gartersnakes (Thamnophis butleri) in Wisconsin (USA).
Joshua M. Kapfer, Brian L. Sloss, Gregor W. Schuurman, Rori A. Paloski, Jeffrey M. Lorch
2013, Journal of Herpetology (47) 400-405
Snakes within the genus Thamnophis (Gartersnakes and Ribbonsnakes) are often found in sympatry throughout their geographic distributions. Past work has indicated that some sympatric species within this genus may hybridize, but research of this nature is limited. We attempted to determine whether hybridization occurs between two Thamnophis species native to the upper midwestern United...
Effect of land cover and use on dry season river runoff, runoff efficiency, and peak storm runoff in the seasonal tropics of Central Panama
Fred L. Ogden, Trey D. Crouch, Robert F. Stallard, Jefferson S. Hall
2013, Water Resources Research (49) 8443-8462
A paired catchment methodology was used with more than 3 years of data to test whether forests increase base flow in the dry season, despite reduced annual runoff caused by evapotranspiration (the “sponge-effect hypothesis”), and whether forests reduce maximum runoff rates and totals during storms. The three study catchments were:...
Hydrologic monitoring and selected hydrologic and environmental studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Georgia, 2011–2013
John S. Clarke, Melinda J. Dalton (compiler)
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1278
This compendium of papers describes results of hydrologic monitoring and hydrologic and environmental studies completed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Georgia during 2011–2013. The USGS addresses a wide variety of water issues in the State of Georgia working with local, State, and Federal partners. As the primary Federal...
Flood-inundation maps for the Elkhart River at Goshen, Indiana
Kellan R. Strauch
2013, Scientific Investigations Map 3269
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, created digital flood-inundation maps for an 8.3-mile reach of the Elkhart River at Goshen, Indiana, extending from downstream of the Goshen Dam to downstream from County Road 17. The inundation maps, which can be...
Occurrence of fungicides and other pesticides in surface water, groundwater, and sediment from three targeted-use areas in the United States, 2009
James L. Orlando, Kelly L. Smalling, Timothy J. Reilly, Adam Boehlke, Michael T. Meyer, Kathryn Kuivila
2013, Data Series 797
Surface-water, groundwater, and suspended- and bedsediment samples were collected in three targeted-use areas in the United States where potatoes were grown during 2009 and analyzed for an extensive suite of fungicides and other pesticides by gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Fungicides were detected in all...
Sea-floor geology and topography offshore in northeastern Long Island Sound
L.J. Poppe, K.Y. McMullen, S.D. Ackerman, K.A. Glomb
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1060
Datasets of gridded multibeam bathymetry, covering approximately 52.9 square kilometers, were used to interpret character and geology of the sea floor in northeastern Long Island Sound. Although originally collected for charting purposes during National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hydrographic survey H12012, these acoustic data and the sea-floor sampling and photography...
Petrologic and isotopic data from the Cretaceous (Campanian) Blackhawk Formation and Star Point Sandstone (Mesaverde Group), Wasatch Plateau, Utah
Neil S. Fishman, Christine E. Turner, Fred Peterson
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1254
The presence of discrete minerals associated with coal—whether (1) detrital or authigenic constituents of the coals or in thin mudstone or siltstone units interbedded with coals, or (2) authigenic phases that formed along cleats—might influence its utilization as an energy resource. The build-up of sintered ash deposits on the surfaces...
Streamflow statistics for unregulated and regulated conditions for selected locations on the Yellowstone, Tongue, and Powder Rivers, Montana, 1928-2002
Katherine J. Chase
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5173
Major floods in 1996 and 1997 on the Yellowstone River in Montana intensified public debate over the effects of human activities on the Yellowstone River. In 1999, the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council was formed to address conservation issues on the river. The Yellowstone River Conservation District Council partnered with...
