Cutthroat trout virus as a surrogate in vitro infection model for testing inhibitors of hepatitis E virus replication
Yannick Debing, James Winton, Johan Neyts, Kai Dallmeier
2013, Antiviral Research (100) 98-101
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is one of the most important causes of acute hepatitis worldwide. Although most infections are self-limiting, mortality is particularly high in pregnant women. Chronic infections can occur in transplant and other immune-compromised patients. Successful treatment of chronic hepatitis E has been reported with ribavirin and pegylated...
Thermal controls of Yellowstone cutthroat trout and invasive fishes under climate change
Robert K. Al-Chokhachy, Jay R. Alder, Steven W. Hostetler, Robert E. Gresswell, Bradley Shepard
2013, Global Change Biology (19) 3069-3081
We combine large observed data sets and dynamically downscaled climate data to explore historic and future (2050–2069) stream temperature changes over the topographically diverse Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (elevation range = 824–4017 m). We link future stream temperatures with fish growth models to investigate how changing thermal regimes could influence the future distribution and...
A GIS and statistical approach to identify variables that control water quality in hydrothermally altered and mineralized watersheds, Silverton, Colorado, USA
Douglas B. Yager, Raymond H. Johnson, Barnaby W. Rockwell, Jonathan S. Caine, Kathleen S. Smith
2013, Environmental Earth Sciences (70) 1057-1082
Hydrothermally altered bedrock in the Silverton mining area, southwest Colorado, USA, contains sulfide minerals that weather to produce acidic and metal-rich leachate that is toxic to aquatic life. This study utilized a geographic information system (GIS) and statistical approach to identify watershed-scale geologic variables in the Silverton area that influence...
Geomorphic and human influence on large-scale coastal change
Cheryl J. Hapke, Meredith G. Kratzmann, Emily A. Himmelstoss
2013, Geomorphology (199) 160-170
An increasing need exists for regional-scale measurements of shoreline change to aid in management and planning decisions over a broad portion of the coast and to inform assessments of coastal vulnerabilities and hazards. A recent dataset of regional shoreline change, covering a large portion of the U.S. East coast...
Center of Excellence for Geospatial Information Science research plan 2013-18
E. Lynn Usery
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1189
The U.S. Geological Survey Center of Excellence for Geospatial Information Science (CEGIS) was created in 2006 and since that time has provided research primarily in support of The National Map. The presentations and publications of the CEGIS researchers document the research accomplishments that include advances in electronic topographic map design,...
A comparison of adaptive sampling designs and binary spatial models: A simulation study using a census of Bromus inermis
Kathryn M. Irvine, Jamie Thornton, Vickie M. Backus, Matthew G. Hohmann, Erik A. Lehnhoff, Bruce D. Maxwell, Kurt Michels, Lisa Rew
2013, Environmetrics (24) 407-417
Commonly in environmental and ecological studies, species distribution data are recorded as presence or absence throughout a spatial domain of interest. Field based studies typically collect observations by sampling a subset of the spatial domain. We consider the effects of six different adaptive and two non-adaptive sampling designs and choice...
Validating predictions from climate envelope models
J. Watling, D. Bucklin, C. Speroterra, L. Brandt, C. Cabal, Stephanie S. Romañach, Frank J. Mazzotti
2013, PLoS ONE (8)
Climate envelope models are a potentially important conservation tool, but their ability to accurately forecast species’ distributional shifts using independent survey data has not been fully evaluated. We created climate envelope models for 12 species of North American breeding birds previously shown to have experienced poleward range shifts. For each...
A comparative assessment of tools for ecosystem services quantification and valuation
Kenneth J. Bagstad, Darius J. Semmens, Sissel Waage, Robert Winthrop
2013, Ecosystem Services (5) 27-39
To enter widespread use, ecosystem service assessments need to be quantifiable, replicable, credible, flexible, and affordable. With recent growth in the field of ecosystem services, a variety of decision-support tools has emerged to support more systematic ecosystem services assessment. Despite the growing complexity of the tool landscape, thorough reviews of...
Changes in the structure and function of northern Alaskan ecosystems when considering variable leaf-out times across groupings of species in a dynamic vegetation model
E.S. Euskirchen, T.B. Carman, Anthony D. McGuire
2013, Global Change Biology (20) 963-978
The phenology of arctic ecosystems is driven primarily by abiotic forces, with temperature acting as the main determinant of growing season onset and leaf budburst in the spring. However, while the plant species in arctic ecosystems require differing amounts of accumulated heat for leaf-out, dynamic vegetation models simulated over regional...
Seasonal flux and assemblage composition of planktic foraminifera from the northern Gulf of Mexico, 2008-2012
Caitlin E. Reynolds, Julie N. Richey, Richard Z. Poore
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1243
The U.S. Geological Survey anchored a sediment trap in the northern Gulf of Mexico beginning in 2008 to collect seasonal time-series data on the flux and assemblage composition of live planktic foraminifers. This report provides an update of the previous time-series data to include results from 2012. Ten species, or...
Partnering for science: proceedings of the USGS Workshop on Citizen Science
Megan Hines, Abigail Benson, David Govoni, Derek Masaki, Barbara Poore, Annie Simpson, Steven Tessler
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1234
What U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) programs use citizen science? How can projects be best designed while meeting policy requirements? What are the most effective volunteer recruitment methods? What data should be collected to ensure validation and how should data be stored? What standard protocols are most easily used by volunteers?...
Anatomical and genetic variation of western Oxyloma (Pulmonata: Succineidae) concerning the endangered Kanab ambersnail (Oxyloma haydeni kanabense) in Arizona and Utah
Melanie Culver, Hans-Werner Herrmann, Mark Miller, Barry Roth, Jeff Sorenson
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5164
The land snail genus Oxyloma (Pulmonata: Succineidae) includes the Federally endangered Kanab ambersnail (Oxyloma haydeni kanabense Pilsbry), which is known at the time of this study from only two locations in the United States: Three Lakes, Utah, and Vaseys Paradise, Arizona, on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park....
Geologic map of Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Murray County, Oklahoma
Charles D. Blome, David J. Lidke, Ronald R. Wahl, James A. Golab
2013, Scientific Investigations Map 3258
This 1:24,000-scale geologic map is a compilation of previous geologic maps and new geologic mapping of areas in and around Chickasaw National Recreation Area. The geologic map includes revisions of numerous unit contacts and faults and a number of previously “undifferentiated” rock units were subdivided in some areas. Numerous circular-shaped...
Design tradeoffs for trend assessment in aquatic biological monitoring programs
Martin E. Gurtz, John Van Sickle, Daren M. Carlisle, Steven G. Paulsen
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1222
Assessments of long-term (multiyear) temporal trends in biological monitoring programs are generally undertaken without an adequate understanding of the temporal variability of biological communities. When the sources and levels of variability are unknown, managers cannot make informed choices in sampling design to achieve monitoring goals in a cost-effective manner. We...
Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the South Coast Range-Coastal study unit, 2008: California GAMA Priority Basin Project
Carmen A. Burton, Michael Land, Kenneth Belitz
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5053
Groundwater quality in the South Coast Range–Coastal (SCRC) study unit was investigated from May through November 2008 as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The study unit is located in the Southern Coast Range hydrologic province and includes parts of Santa...
Water resources of Assumption Parish, Louisiana
Lawrence B. Prakken, John K. Lovelace
2013, Fact Sheet 2013-3061
Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Assumption Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for management of this vital resource. Information on the availability,...
The U.S. Geological Survey Bird Banding Laboratory: an integrated scientific program supporting research and conservation of North American birds
Gregory J. Smith
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1238
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) was established in 1920 after ratification of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act with the United Kingdom in 1918. During World War II, the BBL was moved from Washington, D.C., to what is now the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC). The...
Effects of stock use and backpackers on water quality in wilderness in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, USA
David W. Clow, Harrison Forrester, Benjamin Miller, Heidi Roop, James O. Sickman, Hodon Ryu, Jorge Santo Domingo
2013, Environmental Management (52) 1400-1414
During 2010-2011, a study was conducted in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI) to evaluate the influence of pack animals (stock) and backpackers on water quality in wilderness lakes and streams. The study had three main components: (1) a synoptic survey of water quality in wilderness areas of...
Laboratory evaluation of the Level TROLL 100 manufactured by In-Situ Inc.: results of pressure and temperature tests
Mark V. Carnley, Janice M. Fulford, Myron H. Brooks
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1173
The Level TROLL 100 manufactured by In-Situ Inc. was evaluated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility (HIF) for conformance to the manufacturer’s accuracy specifications for measuring pressure throughout the device’s operating temperature range. The Level TROLL 100 is a submersible, sealed, water-level sensing device with an operating...
Enhancements to the Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer Study (MERAS) groundwater-flow model and simulations of sustainable water-level scenarios
Brian R. Clark, Drew A. Westerman, D. Todd Fugitt
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5161
Arkansas continues to be one of the largest users of groundwater in the Nation. As such, long-term planning and management are essential to ensure continued availability of groundwater and surface water for years to come. The Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer Study (MERAS) model was developed previously as a tool to...
Use of multi-node wells in the Groundwater-Management Process of MODFLOW-2005 (GWM-2005)
David P. Ahlfeld, Paul M. Barlow
2013, Techniques and Methods 6-A47
Many groundwater wells are open to multiple aquifers or to multiple intervals within a single aquifer. These types of wells can be represented in numerical simulations of groundwater flow by use of the Multi-Node Well (MNW) Packages developed for the U.S. Geological Survey’s MODFLOW model. However, previous versions of the...
Characterization of water quality and biological communities, Fish Creek, Teton County, Wyoming, 2007-2011
Cheryl A. Eddy-Miller, David A. Peterson, Jerrod D. Wheeler, C. Scott Edmiston, Michelle L. Taylor, Daniel J. Leemon
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5117
Fish Creek, an approximately 25-kilometer-long tributary to Snake River, is located in Teton County in western Wyoming near the town of Wilson. Fish Creek is an important water body because it is used for irrigation, fishing, and recreation and adds scenic value to the Jackson Hole properties it runs through....
Estimation of sediment inflows to Lake Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 2009-11
K.G. Lee
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5152
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Tuscaloosa, evaluated the concentrations, loads, and yields of suspended sediment in the tributaries to Lake Tuscaloosa in west-central Alabama, from October 1, 2008, to January 31, 2012. The collection and analysis of these data will facilitate the comparison with historical...
Geospatial compilation of historical water-level altitudes in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers 1977-2013 and Jasper aquifer 2000-13 in the Gulf Coast aquifer system, Houston-Galveston Region, Texas
Michaela R. Johnson, Robert H.H. Ellis
2013, Data Series 793
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District, City of Houston, Fort Bend Subsidence District, Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, and Brazoria County Groundwater Conservation District has produced a series of annual reports depicting groundwater-level altitudes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers of the Gulf...
Evaluating changes to reservoir rule curves using historical water-level data
Ethan Mower, Leandro E. Miranda
2013, International Journal of River Basin Management (11) 323-328
Flood control reservoirs are typically managed through rule curves (i.e. target water levels) which control the storage and release timing of flood waters. Changes to rule curves are often contemplated and requested by various user groups and management agencies with no information available about the actual flood risk of such...
