Avian eggshell thickness in relation to egg morphometrics, embryonic development, and mercury contamination
Sarah H. Peterson, Josh T. Ackerman, Mark P. Herzog, Matthew Toney, Breanne Cooney, C. Alex Hartman
2020, Ecology and Evolution (10) 8715-8740
Eggshell thickness is important for physiological, ecological, and ecotoxicological studies on birds; however, empirical eggshell thickness measurements for many species and regions are limited. We measured eggshell thickness at the equator and the egg poles for 12 avian species and related eggshell thickness to egg morphometrics,...
Late Cenozoic climate change paces landscape adjustments to Yukon River capture
Adrian Bender, Richard O. Lease, Lee B. Corbett, Paul R. Bierman, Marc Caffee, Tammy M. Rittenour
2020, Nature Geoscience (13) 571-575
Late Cenozoic cooling and changes in glacial–interglacial cycle tempo are thought to increase global rates of erosion starting ~3 million years ago (Ma). Bedrock rivers set rates and patterns of erosion in most landscapes, but constraints on river response to late Cenozoic climate change remain elusive....
Salinity, water level, and forest structure contribute to baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) rhizosphere and endosphere community structure
Candice Y Lumibao, Elizabeth Kimbrough, Steven Formel, Richard Day, Andrew From, William H. Conner, Ken Krauss, Sunshine A Van Bael
2020, Wetlands (40) 2179-2188
As rising sea levels alter coastal ecosystems, there is a pressing need to examine the effects of saltwater intrusion on coastal communities. Using 16S Illumina profiling, we characterized the communities of baldcypress tree (Taxodium distichum) root endosphere and rhizosphere soil bacteria. Our study utilized established sites along salinity and flooding...
Anticipating future learning affects current control decisions: A comparison between passive and active adaptive management in an epidemiological setting
Benjamin D Atkins, Chris P. Jewell, Michael C. Runge, Matthew J. Ferrari, Katriona Shea, William J. M. Probert, Michael J. Tildesley
2020, Journal of Theoretical Biology (506)
Infectious disease epidemics present a difficult task for policymakers, requiring the implementation of control strategies under significant time constraints and uncertainty. Mathematical models can be used to predict the outcome of control interventions, providing useful information to policymakers in the event...
Biological nitrogen fixation across major biomes in Latin America: Patterns and global change effects
Carla R. G. Reis, Felipe S. Pacheco, Sasha C. Reed, Graciela Tejada, Gabriela B. Nardoto, Maria C. Forti, Jean Ometto
2020, Science of the Total Environment (746)
Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) supports terrestrial primary productivity and plays key roles in mediating human-induced changes in global nitrogen (N) and carbon cycling. However, there are still critical uncertainties in our understanding of the amount of BNF occurring across terrestrial ecosystems, and of how terrestrial BNF will respond to global...
Conditions and timing of high-grade metamorphism and ductile deformation of the southern segment of the Central Anatolian Ophiolite
Molly S. Radwany, Leah E. Morgan, Donna L. Whitney
2020, International Journal of Earth Sciences (109) 2393-2406
Ophiolitic fragments scattered over a wide area of Central Anatolia exhibit varying degrees of metamorphism, from unmetamorphosed to upper amphibolite facies, although geochemical similarities suggest they are all part of the Central Anatolian Ophiolite (CAO). Magmatic crystallization of oceanic crust in the CAO at ~ 91 Ma coincided with high-grade metamorphism of rocks...
Characterization of the unconventional Tuscaloosa marine shale reservoir in southwestern Mississippi, USA: Insights from optical and SEM petrography
Celeste D. Lohr, Brett J. Valentine, Paul C. Hackley, Frank T. Dulong
2020, Marine and Petroleum Geology (121)
This study presents new optical petrography and electron microscopy data, interpreted in the context of previously published petrophysical, geochemical, and mineralogical data, to further characterize the Tuscaloosa marine shale (TMS) as an unconventional reservoir in southwestern Mississippi. The basal high resistivity zone has a higher proportion of Type II sedimentary...
Mapping croplands of Europe, Middle East, Russia, and Central Asia using Landsat 30-m data, machine learning algorithms and Google Earth Engine
Aparna Phalke, Mutlu Ozdogan, Prasad Thenkabail, Tyler Erickson, Noel Gorelick
2020, ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (167) 104-122
Accurate and timely information on croplands is important for environmental, food security, and policy studies. Spatially explicit cropland datasets are also required to derive information on crop type, crop yield, cropping intensity, as well as irrigated areas. Large area defined as continental to global cropland mapping is challenging...
An updated genetic marker for detection of Lake Sinai Virus and metagenetic applications
Deborah D. Iwanowicz, Judy Y. Wu-Smart, Tugce Olgun, Autumn H. Smart, Clint Otto, Dawn Lopez, Jay D. Evans, Robert S. Cornman
2020, PeerJ (8)
BackgroundLake Sinai Viruses (LSV) are common RNA viruses of honey bees (Apis mellifera) that frequently reach high abundance but are not linked to overt disease. LSVs are genetically heterogeneous and collectively widespread, but despite frequent detection in surveys, the ecological and geographic factors structuring their distribution in A. mellifera are not...
A comparative phylogeographic approach to facilitate recovery of an imperiled freshwater mussel (Bivalvia: Unionida: Potamilus inflatus)
Chase H. Smith, Nathan A. Johnson
2020, Diversity (12)
North American freshwaters are among the world’s most threatened ecosystems, and freshwater mussels are among the most imperiled inhabiting these systems. A critical aspect of conservation biology is delineating patterns of genetic diversity, which can be difficult when a taxon has been extirpated from a significant portion of its historical...
Remotely sensed thermal decay rate: An index for vegetation monitoring
Sanath S. Kumar, Lara Prihodko, Brianna M. Lind, Julius Anchang, Wenjie Ji, Christopher Wade Ross, Milkah Njoki Kahiu, Naga Manohar Velpuri, P. Niall Hanan
2020, Nature (10)
Vegetation buffers local diurnal land surface temperatures, however, this effect has found limited applications for remote vegetation characterization. In this work, we parameterize diurnal temperature variations as the thermal decay rate derived by using satellite daytime and nighttime land surface temperatures and modeled using Newton’s law of cooling. The relationship between...
GIS-Modeling of island hopping through the Philippines demonstrates trade-offs migrant grey-faced buzzards during oceanic crossings
Camille B. Concepcion, Keith L. Bildstein, Todd E. Katzner
2020, Journal of Engineering, Environment and Agriculture Research (2) 11-28
Migration can be costly with consequences that can influence population trajectories. These costs and consequences are especially heightened during over-water travels, which can be high-risk events for birds. We created spatial models to evaluate potential migratory responses of “oceanic”, island-hopping grey-faced buzzards that encounter variation in landscape parameters and weather...
Observations of an extreme atmospheric river storm with a diverse sensor network
Benjamin J. Hatchett, Q. Cao, Phillip B. Dawson, C. J. Ellis, C. W. Hecht, B. Kawzenuk, J. T. Lancaster, T. C. Osborne, A. M. Wilson, M. L. Anderson, M. D. Dettinger, J. F. Kalansky, M. L. Kaplan, D. P. Lettenmaier, N. S. Oakley, R. M. Ralph, D. W. Reynolds, A. B. White, M. Sierks, E. Sumargo
2020, Earth and Space Science (7)
Observational networks enhance real‐time situational awareness for emergency and water resource management during extreme weather events. We present examples of how a diverse, multitiered observational network in California provided insights into hydrometeorological processes and impacts during a 3‐day atmospheric river storm centered on 14 February 2019. This network, which has...
Behavioral response to high temperatures in a desert grassland bird: Use of shrubs as thermal refugia
Janet M. Ruth, William A. Talbot, Eric Krabbe Smith
2020, Western North American Naturalist (80) 265-275
Birds inhabiting hot, arid ecosystems contend with trade-offs between heat dissipation and water conservation. As temperatures increase, passerines engage in various behaviors to reduce exposure to heat, solar radiation and insolation, and reradiation of heat from the ground. These responses to rising temperatures may result...
Caldera collapse geometry revealed by near‐field GPS displacements at Kilauea Volcano in 2018
Paul Segall, Kyle R. Anderson, Fabio Pulvirenti, Taiyi Wang, Ingrid A. Johanson
2020, Geophysical Research Letters (47)
We employ near‐field GPS data to determine the subsurface geometry of a collapsing caldera during the 2018 Kīlauea eruption. Collapse occurred in 62 discrete events, with “inflationary” deformation external to the collapse, similar to previous basaltic collapses. We take advantage of GPS data from the collapsing block and independent constraints...
A 36-year record of rock avalanches in the Saint Elias Mountains of Alaska, with implications for future hazards
Erin K. Bessette-Kirton, Jeffrey A. Coe
2020, Frontiers in Earth Science (8)
Glacial retreat and mountain-permafrost degradation resulting from rising global temperatures have the potential to impact the frequency and magnitude of landslides in glaciated environments. Several recent events, including the 2015 Taan Fiord rock avalanche, which triggered a tsunami with one of the highest wave runups ever recorded, have called attention...
Hydrogeologic and geochemical characterization of groundwater resources in Pine and Wah Wah Valleys, Iron, Beaver, and Millard Counties, Utah
Philip M. Gardner, Thomas M. Marston, Susan G. Buto, Lynette E. Brooks
2020, Scientific Investigations Report 2019-5139
Pine and Wah Wah Valleys are neighboring structural basins that encompass about 1,330 square miles in Beaver, Iron, and Millard Counties in Utah, approximately 50 miles northwest of Cedar City, Utah, and 50 miles southeast of Baker, Nevada. Perennial streamflow is limited and only exists in higher-altitude reaches of small...
Bot fly parasitism of Allegheny woodrats (Neotoma magister) in Virginia
Karen E. Powers, Michael T. Mengak, Robert R. Sheehy, W. Mark Ford, Richard J. Reynolds
2020, The American Midland Naturalist (184) 62-72
The Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) is a species of high conservation concern and relatively well-studied with respect to habitat use/associations, food habits, conservation genetics, and population trends. However, with the exception of raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) occurrence and etiology in woodrats, most disease and parasite...
Aquatic invasive species in the Chesapeake Bay drainage—Research-based needs and priorities of U.S. Geological Survey partners and collaborators
Christine L. Densmore
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1057
Executive SummaryThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is revising the Chesapeake Bay-based science plan to align it with recent U.S. Department of Interior and USGS science priorities that include, as stated in the plan, providing “an integrated understanding of the factors affecting fish habitat, fish health, and landscape conditions” in Chesapeake...
Oregon spotted frog (Rana pretiosa) migration from an aquatic overwintering site: Timing, duration, and potential environmental cues
Jay Bowerman, Christopher Pearl
2020, The American Midland Naturalist (184) 87-97
Relatively few North American anurans overwinter in water and information is sparse on their movement from overwintering habitat to breeding sites. Oregon spotted frogs (Rana pretiosa) breed explosively in early spring and often overwinter submerged at sites that are distanced from breeding habitats. In montane parts of their range, wintering...
Evaluating the utility of principal component analysis on EDS x-ray maps to determine bulk mineralogy
Karen Spaleta, Sarah M. Hayes, Rainer Newberry, Nadine M. Piatak
2020, Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research (44) 821-843
Due to advances in EDS technology, electron microscopy techniques have become an important tool to determine the relative abundance of mineral phases. However, few studies have directly compared EDS X‐ray mineralogy with traditional techniques for assessing bulk mineralogy and elemental composition. We show that analysing a...
Towards understanding relationships between atmospheric pressure variations and long-period horizontal seismic data: A case study
Alexis Casondra Bianca Alejandro, Adam T. Ringler, David C. Wilson, Robert E. Anthony, S.V. Moore
2020, Geophysical Journal International (223) 676-691
Variations in atmospheric pressure have long been known to introduce noise in long-period (>10 s) seismic records. This noise can overwhelm signals of interest such as normal modes and surface waves. Generally, this noise is most pronounced on the horizontal components where it arises due to tilting of the seismometer...
Kinematics of fault slip associated with the July 4-6 2019 Ridgecrest, Californai earthquakes sequence
Frederick Pollitz, Jessica R. Murray, Jerry L. Svarc, Charles Wicks, Evelyn Roeloffs, Sarah E. Minson, Katherine M. Scharer, Katherine J. Kendrick, Kenneth W. Hudnut, Johanna Nevitt, Benjamin A. Brooks, David Mencin
2020, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (110) 1688-1700
The 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence produced observable crustal deformation over much of central and southern California, as well as surface rupture over several tens of kilometers. To obtain a detailed picture of the fault slip involved in the 4 July M 6.4 foreshock and 6 July M 7.1 mainshock, we combine strong‐motion seismic...
Mapping the 3-D extent of the Stillwater Complex, Montana—Implications for potential platinum group element exploration and development
Carol A. Finn, Michael L. Zientek, Heather L. Parks, Dana E. Peterson
2020, Precambrian Research (348)
Geophysical models characterize the exposed and interpreted buried extent of the Stillwater Complex, critical for understanding the origin of the layered mafic intrusion and its associated high-grade platinum group element resources. The 3D models, constrained by gravity, magnetic, xenolith, seismic, borehole, and rock property data indicate that the likely maximum...
A GT-seq panel for walleye (Sander vitreus) provides important insights for efficient development and implementation of amplicon panels in non-model organisms
Matthew L. Bootsma, Kristen Gruenthal, Garrett McKinney, Levi Simmons, Loren Miller, Greg G. Sass, Wesley Larson
2020, Molecular Ecology Resources (20) 1706-1722
Targeted amplicon sequencing methods, such as genotyping-in-thousands by sequencing (GT-seq), facilitate rapid, accurate, and cost-effective analysis of hundreds of genetic loci in thousands of individuals. Development of GT-seq panels is nontrivial, but studies describing trade-offs associated with different steps of GT-seq panel development are rare. Here, we construct a dual-purpose...
