Presence-absence surveys yield spatially imprecise information about nesting sites of an endangered, forest-nesting seabird
Jonathan J. Spurgeon, Lindsay J. Adrean, S. Kim Nelson, Matthew G. Betts, Daniel D. Roby, James W. Rivers
2024, PLoS ONE (19)
Presence-absence surveys are frequently used to monitor populations of rare and elusive species. Such data may also be used as a proxy for breeding activity, but links between presence-absence data and higher-order processes must be validated to determine their reliability. The Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) is a threatened seabird that...
Using camera traps to estimate site occupancy of invasive Argentine Black and White Tegus (Salvator merianae) in South Florida
Samantha N. Smith, Melissa A. Miller, Hardin Waddle, Sarah Cooke, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Andrea Currylow, Kevin Donmoyer, Frank J. Mazzotti
2024, Southeastern Naturalist (23) 425-447
The introduction of nonnative species is a leading cause of biodiversity loss. Many invasive species are cryptic or elusive in nature and therefore often evade detection, complicating their management. Occupancy modeling can reveal the presence and spread of invasive species over time and therefore has important management implications. Camera traps...
Using life history traits to assess climate change vulnerability in understudied species
Ross K Hinderer, Blake R. Hossack, Lisa A Eby
2024, Integrative Conservation (3) 368-381
Climate change is a primary threat to biodiversity, but for many species, we still lack information required to assess their relative vulnerability to changes. Climate change vulnerability assessment (CCVA) is a widely used technique to rank relative vulnerability to climate change based on species characteristics, such as their distributions, habitat...
New York State climate impacts assessment chapter 05: Ecosystems
Sheila Hess, Douglas A. Burns, Garrett Boudinot, Carrie Brown-Lima, Jason Corwin, John Foppert, George Robinson, Kevin C. Rose, Matthew D. Schlesinger, Rebecca Shuford, Amanda Stevens
2024, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (1542) 253-340
The people of New York have long benefited from the state's diversity of ecosystems, which range from coastal shorelines and wetlands to extensive forests and mountaintop alpine habitat, and from lakes and rivers to greenspaces in heavily populated urban areas. These ecosystems provide key services such as food, water, forest...
Retention of T‐bar anchor tags by adult steelhead during their upstream migration
Nicholas S. Voss, Joshua L. McCormick, William J. Lubenau, Brett J. Bowersox, Timothy Copeland, Michael C. Quist
2024, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (44) 1385-1391
Objective: T-bar anchor tags can be used to obtain recapture data from anglers, directly estimate exploitation, and evaluate population dynamics. Unfortunately, their use by biologists to study anadromous salmonid fisheries is limited. Two hurdles to adoption include the functional difficulty of tagging large anadromous salmonids using conventional tagging equipment and...
Using remote sensing to identify habitat for wintering Henslow's Sparrows (Centronyx henslowii)
Sierra A. Moore, Abigail W. Dwire, Thomas J. Prebyl, Todd M. Schneider, Elizabeth Ann Hunter
2024, The Wilson Journal of Ornithology (136) 436-447
The Henslow's Sparrow (Centronyx henslowii) is a grassland bird species that overwinters in the southeastern United States and is a species of conservation concern due to population declines primarily caused by habitat loss. Henslow's Sparrows often overwinter in marginal habitats, such as powerline rights-of-way (ROWs), clear cuts, and field edges...
Structured decision-making workshop: Chronic wasting disease management in free-ranging cervids in Massachusetts
Martin J. R Feehan, Jonathan D. Cook, Margaret McEachran, Susan M. McCarthy, David Wattles, Meghan Crawford, Michael Huguenin, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo
2024, Cooperator Science Series FWS/CSS-161-2024
This document describes the results of a 2.5-day rapid decision prototype workshop that evaluated management activities for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Massachusetts (MA) that were either proactive (i.e., actions taken prior to CWD arrival/detection) or reactive (i.e., actions taken after CWD arrival/detection). The workshop was led by members of...
A meta-analysis highlights the idiosyncratic nature of tradeoffs in laboratory models of virus evolution
Ketty Kabengele, Wendy Christine Turner, Paul E. Turner, C. Brandon Ogbunugafor
2024, Virus Evolution (10)
Different theoretical frameworks have been invoked to guide the study of virus evolution. Three of the more prominent ones are (i) the evolution of virulence, (ii) life history theory, and (iii) the generalism–specialism dichotomy. All involve purported tradeoffs between traits that define the evolvability and constraint of virus-associated phenotypes. However,...
Rock sample photogrammetry
Lucas Leonidus Evart
2024, Preprint
This step-by-step protocol describes the photogrammetry process used by the U.S. Geological Survey Spokane Imaging Lab (SPIMG) lab to create 3D models of geologic samples. Steps related to photographing small objects are applicable to photogrammetry in general, however, SPIMG-specific steps involving lab hardware and software may not be....
Abundance-mediated species interactions
Joshua P. Twining, Ben Augustine, J. Andrew Royle, Angela K. Fuller
2024, Ecology (106)
Species interactions shape biodiversity patterns, community assemblage, and the dynamics of wildlife populations. Ecological theory posits that the strength of interspecific interactions is fundamentally underpinned by the population sizes of the involved species. Nonetheless, prevalent approaches for modeling species interactions predominantly center around occupancy states. Here, we use simulations to...
Real-time lava flow forecasting during the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption response
David Matthew Hyman, Hannah R. Dietterich, Elisabeth Gallant, Kendra J. Lynn, Michael H. Zoeller, Matthew R. Patrick, Jim Kauahikaua, Frank Trusdell, Ken Hon, Roger P. Denlinger, N. Leon Foks, R. Lopaka Lee, Jeff T. Falgout, Janice M. Gordon
2024, Bulletin of Volcanology (87)
On November 27, 2022, Mauna Loa (Hawai‘i) erupted for the first time in 38 years, initially producing lava flows that covered the floor of its summit caldera, Moku‘āweoweo. Over the first 12 h following the summit eruption, four main fissures opened on Mauna Loa’s...
The Europa Imaging System (EIS) investigation
E.P. Turtle, A.S. McEwen, G.W. Patterson, C. M. Ernst, C.M. Elder, K.A. Slack, S.E. Hawkins, J. McDermott, H. M. Meyer, R. DeMajistre, R. Espiritu, H. Seifert, J. Niewola, Michael T. Bland, M.K. Becker, J. Centurelli, G.C. Collins, P. Corlies, H. Darlington, I. J. Daubar, C. Derr, C. Detelich, E. Donald, W. Edens, L. Fletcher, C. Gardner, F. Graham, C.J. Hansen, C. Haslebacher, A.G. Hayes, D. Humm, T.A. Hurford, Randolph L. Kirk, N. W. Kutsop, W.J. Lees, D. T. Lewis, S. London, A. Magner, M.A. Mills, A.C. Barr Mlinar, F. Morgan, F. Nimmo, A. Ocasio Milanes, S. Osterman, C.B. Phillips, A. Pommerol, L. Prockter, L.C. Quick, G. Robbins, J.M. Soderblom, B.A. Stewart, A. Stickle, S.S. Sutton, N. Thomas, I. Torres, O.J. Tucker, R.B. Van Auken, K.A. Wilk
2024, Space Science Reviews (220)
The Europa Imaging System (EIS) consists of a Narrow-Angle Camera (NAC) and a Wide-Angle Camera (WAC) that are designed to work together to address high-priority science objectives regarding Europa’s geology, composition, and the nature of its ice shell. EIS accommodates variable geometry and illumination during rapid, low-altitude flybys with both...
Salt marsh habitats and diamondback terrapins in a rapidly changing climate: A review
Margaret M. Lamont, Michael J. Osland, Melissa M. Baustian
2024, Estuaries and Coasts (48)
The impacts associated with global climate change (e.g., sea-level rise, tropical storms, and warming temperatures) are expected to alter predator–prey interactions, foundation species, and plant community structure in coastal ecosystems. While the complex dynamics of these habitats have been examined under future climate predictions, few ecosystem models incorporate influences from...
Flood-inundation maps for the Cuyahoga River at Jaite, Ohio, 2024
Matthew T. Whitehead, Chad J. Ostheimer
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5115
Digital flood-inundation maps for a nearly 6-mile reach of the Cuyahoga River at Jaite, Ohio, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District Board of Trustees. The maps depict estimates of the extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water...
Increasing soil water drought in response to altered precipitation timing across the western United States
Fangyue Zhang, Joel A. Biederman, Daniel Rodolphe Schlaepfer, John B. Bradford, Sasha C. Reed, William K. Smith
2024, Ecohydrology (18)
Recent trends of rising temperatures and longer droughts between precipitation events are impacting water-limited dryland ecosystems in the western United States. Although ecosystem drought response depends directly on soil moisture, trends in soil moisture (e.g., edaphic drought) remain more poorly explored than precipitation (e.g., meteorological drought), representing an important knowledge...
Using the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio method to estimate thickness of the Barry Arm landslide, Prince William Sound, Alaska
Andrew L. Collins, Kate E. Allstadt, Dennis M. Staley
2024, Open-File Report 2024-1071
Conducting detailed investigations of large landslides is difficult, especially in the subsurface, largely due to environmental factors such as steep slopes, difficult access, and numerous objective hazards. These factors have made it challenging to accurately estimate the depth to the failure surface of the Barry Arm landslide, a large (roughly...
The dynamics of sea otter prey selection under population growth and expansion
Clint Leach, Ben Weitzman, Jim Bodkin, Daniel Esler, George G. Esslinger, Kimberly A. Kloecker, Daniel Monson, Jamie N. Womble, Mevin B. Hooten
2024, Ecosphere (15)
Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) were extirpated from much of their range in the North Pacific by the early 1900s but have made a remarkable recovery in Southeast Alaska. Sea otter populations have been particularly successful in Glacier Bay, Alaska, a protected tidewater glacier fjord with a diverse and productive nearshore...
Monitoring animal populations with cameras using open, multistate, N-mixture models
Alexej P.K. Siren, Michael T. Hallworth, Jillian R. Kilborn, Chris A. Bernier, Nicholas L. Fortin, Katherina D. Geider, Riley K. Patry, Rachel M. Cliche, Leighlan S. Prout, Suzanne J. Gifford, Scott Wixsom, Toni Lyn Morelli, Tammy L. Wilson
2024, Ecology and Evolution (14)
Remote cameras have become a mainstream tool for studying wildlife populations. For species whose developmental stages or states are identifiable in photographs, there are opportunities for tracking population changes and estimating demographic rates. Recent developments in hierarchical models allow for the estimation of ecological states and rates over time for...
Assessment of the interconnection between Tampa Bay and the Floridan aquifer system: Historical groundwater data compilation and analysis, 1976–2022
Jeremy D. Decker
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5073
The U.S. Geological Survey used existing data collected after the last major navigational channel modification in the mid-1980s to investigate groundwater levels and chloride concentrations in wells in the Floridan aquifer system and other aquifers beneath and near Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay is located on the west-central coast of Florida...
A partially nonergodic ground-motion model for Fourier amplitude spectra for the San Francisco Bay area, California, USA
Morgan P. Moschetti, Eric M. Thompson, Ryan Peterson, James Andrew Smith, Brad T. Aagaard
2024, Conference Paper
We develop a partially nonergodic ground-motion model (GMM) for Fourier amplitude spectra for the San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA, using the Bayless and Abrahamson (2019) GMM as a reference ergodic GMM and developing location-dependent adjustments to the predicted median and variance. We compile regional ground-motion data from moment magnitude (𝑀w)...
Natural resource management confronts the growing scale and severity of ecosystem responses to drought and wildfire
Seth M. Munson, Anna L. Vaughn, Brian Petersen, John B. Bradford, Michael C. Duniway
2024, Ecology and Society (29)
Intensification of drought and wildfire associated with climate change has triggered widespread ecosystem stress and transformation. Natural resource managers are on the frontline of these changes, yet their perspectives on whether management actions match the scale and align with the severity of ecosystem responses to improve outcomes are not well...
Challenges in developing vertical hazard for seismic analysis of concrete dams
N. Simon Kwong, Sanaz Rezaeian, Andrew James Makdisi, Nico Luco
2024, Conference Paper
The seismic response of concrete dams depends on both the horizontal (H) and vertical (V) components of ground motion (GM), and excluding the V components when conducting response history analyses (RHAs) may underestimate the seismic fragility. Although V components of GM time series could be selected to be consistent with...
Development of USGS NSHMs: Do small changes in hazard imply small changes in risk?
N. Simon Kwong, Kishor S. Jaiswal
2024, Conference Paper
One of the flagship products from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM). Since 1976, the NSHM has been periodically updated to reflect newly published earthquake science and provide probabilistic estimates of seismic hazard for the United States. During each update cycle, alternative models are...
Geophysical modeling of a possible blind geothermal system near Battle Mountain, NV
Tait E. Earney, Jonathan M.G. Glen, Jared R. Peacock, James Faulds, William D. Schermerhorn, Grant Harold Rea-Downing, Jacob Elliott Anderson, Cary R. Lindsey, Maria Richards
2024, Conference Paper, Using the Earth to save the Earth
The northeastern portion of the Reese River basin in north-central Nevada is the focus of detailed geophysical and geological studies as part of the INGENIOUS project, which aims to identify new, commercially viable hidden geothermal systems in the Great Basin region of the western U.S. This location, herein referred to...
Reconciling bias in moderate magnitude earthquake ground motions predicted by numerical simulations
K. C. Sajan, Chukwuebuka C. Nweke, Jonathon P. Stewart, Robert Graves
2024, Conference Paper
Recent studies found a significant underprediction in ground motion intensity measures for finite-fault simulations of moderate magnitude events in southern California relative to established ground motion models. This study aims to understand the source(s) of this bias by evaluating ground motion residuals. For this, simulations have been performed for a...
