MODFLOW–LGR—Documentation of ghost node local grid refinement (LGR2) for multiple areas and the boundary flow and head (BFH2) package
Steffen W. Mehl, Mary C. Hill
2013, Techniques and Methods 6-A44
This report documents the addition of ghost node Local Grid Refinement (LGR2) to MODFLOW-2005, the U.S. Geological Survey modular, transient, three-dimensional, finite-difference groundwater flow model. LGR2 provides the capability to simulate groundwater flow using multiple block-shaped higher-resolution local grids (a child model) within a coarser-grid parent model. LGR2 accomplishes this...
Late Quaternary stratigraphy, sedimentology, and geochemistry of an underfilled lake basin in the Puna (north-west Argentina)
Michael M. McGlue, Andrew S. Cohen, Geoffrey S. Ellis, Andrew L. Kowler
2013, Basin Research (25) 638-658
Depositional models of ancient lakes in thin-skinned retroarc foreland basins rarely benefit from appropriate Quaternary analogues. To address this, we present new stratigraphic, sedimentological and geochemical analyses of four radiocarbon-dated sediment cores from the Pozuelos Basin (PB; northwest Argentina) that capture the evolution of this low-accommodation Puna basin over the...
Caveats on tomographic images
Gillian R. Foulger, Giuliano F. Panza, Irina M. Artemieva, Ian D. Bastow, Fabio Cammarano, John R. Evans, Warren B. Hamilton, Bruce R. Julian, Michele Lustrino, Hans Thybo, Yanovskaya
2013, Terra Nova (25) 258-281
Geological and geodynamic models of the mantle often rely on joint interpretations of published seismic tomography images and petrological/geochemical data. This approach tends to neglect the fundamental limitations of, and uncertainties in, seismic tomography results. These limitations and uncertainties involve theory, correcting for the crust, the lack of rays throughout...
The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Minnesota
William J. Carswell Jr.
2013, Fact Sheet 2013-3051
Elevation data are essential to a broad range of applications, including forest resources management, wildlife and habitat management, national security, recreation, and many others. For the State of Minnesota, elevation data are critical for agriculture and precision farming, natural resources conservation, flood risk management, infrastructure and construction management, water supply...
Design of Cycle 3 of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program, 2013-23: Part 2: Science plan for improved water-quality information and management
Gary L. Rowe, Kenneth Belitz, Charlie R. Demas, Hedeff I. Essaid, Robert J. Gilliom, Pixie A. Hamilton, Anne B. Hoos, Casey J. Lee, Mark D. Munn, David W. Wolock
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1160
This report presents a science strategy for the third decade of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, which since 1991, has been responsible for providing nationally consistent information on the quality of the Nation's streams and groundwater; how water quality is changing over time; and the major natural and human...
Probabilistic accounting of uncertainty in forecasts of species distributions under climate change
Seth J. Wenger, Nicholas A. Som, Daniel C. Dauwalter, Daniel J. Isaak, Helen M. Neville, Charles H. Luce, Jason B. Dunham, Michael K. Young, Kurt D. Fausch, Bruce E. Rieman
2013, Global Change Biology (19) 3343-3354
Forecasts of species distributions under future climates are inherently uncertain, but there have been few attempts to describe this uncertainty comprehensively in a probabilistic manner. We developed a Monte Carlo approach that accounts for uncertainty within generalized linear regression models (parameter uncertainty and residual error), uncertainty among competing models (model...
Evaluating the effectiveness of an ultrasonic acoustic deterrent for reducing bat fatalities at wind turbines
Edward B. Arnett, Cris D. Hein, Michael R. Schirmacher, Manuela M.P. Huso, Joseph M. Szewczak
2013, PLoS ONE (8)
Large numbers of bats are killed by wind turbines worldwide and minimizing fatalities is critically important to bat conservation and acceptance of wind energy development. We implemented a 2-year study testing the effectiveness of an ultrasonic acoustic deterrent for reducing bat fatalities at a wind energy facility in Pennsylvania. We...
Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) affects vegetation more than seed banks in mixed-grass prairies of the Northern Great Plains
Diane L. Larson, Dustin F. Haines, Jennifer L. Larson
2013, Invasive Plant Science and Management (6) 416-432
Exotic plants have the ability to modify soil seed banks in habitats they invade, but little is known about the legacy of invasion on seed banks once an exotic plant has successfully been controlled. Natural areas previously invaded by leafy spurge in the northern Great Plains typically have one of...
Obtaining changes in calibration-coil to seismometer output constants using sine waves
Adam T. Ringler, Charles R. Hutt, Lind S. Gee, Leo D. Sandoval, David C. Wilson
2013, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (104) 582-586
The midband sensitivity of a broadband seismometer is one of the most commonly used parameters from station metadata. Thus, it is critical for station operators to robustly estimate this quantity with a high degree of accuracy. We develop an in situ method for estimating changes in sensitivity using sine‐wave calibrations,...
Parasites affect food web structure primarily through increased diversity and complexity
Jennifer A. Dunne, Kevin D. Lafferty, Andrew P. Dobson, Ryan F. Hechinger, Armand M. Kuris, Neo D. Martinez, John P. McLaughlin, Kim N. Mouritsen, Robert Poulin, Karsten Reise, Daniel B. Stouffer, David W. Thieltges, Richard J. Williams, Claus Dieter Zander
2013, PLoS Biology (11)
Comparative research on food web structure has revealed generalities in trophic organization, produced simple models, and allowed assessment of robustness to species loss. These studies have mostly focused on free-living species. Recent research has suggested that inclusion of parasites alters structure. We assess whether such changes in network structure result...
Preliminary groundwater flow model of the basin-fill aquifers in Detrital, Hualapai, and Sacramento Valleys, Mohave County, northwestern Arizona
Fred D. Tillman, Bradley D. Garner, Margot Truini
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5122
Preliminary numerical models were developed to simulate groundwater flow in the basin-fill alluvium in Detrital, Hualapai, and Sacramento Valleys in northwestern Arizona. The purpose of this exercise was to gather and evaluate available information and data, to test natural‑recharge concepts, and to indicate directions for improving future regional groundwater models...
Host range, host ecology, and distribution of more than 11800 fish parasite species
Giovanni Strona, Maria Lourdes D. Palomares, Nicholas Bailly, Paolo Galli, Kevin D. Lafferty
2013, Ecology (94) 544
Our data set includes 38 008 fish parasite records (for Acanthocephala, Cestoda, Monogenea, Nematoda, Trematoda) compiled from the scientific literature, Internet databases, and museum collections paired to the corresponding host ecological, biogeographical, and phylogenetic traits (maximum length, growth rate, life span, age at maturity, trophic level, habitat preference, geographical range size,...
Predicting what helminth parasites a fish species should have using Parasite Co-occurrence Modeler (PaCo)
Giovanni Strona, Kevin D. Lafferty
2013, Journal of Parasitology (99) 6-10
Fish pathologists are often interested in which parasites would likely be present in a particular host. Parasite Co-occurrence Modeler (PaCo) is a tool for identifying a list of parasites known from fish species that are similar ecologically, phylogenetically, and geographically to the host of interest. PaCo uses data from FishBase...
The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Alaska
William J. Carswell Jr.
2013, Fact Sheet 2013-3083
Elevation data are essential to a broad range of applications, including forest resources management, wildlife and habitat management, national security, recreation, and many others. For the State of Alaska, elevation data are critical for aviation navigation and safety, natural resources conservation, oil and gas resources, flood risk management, geologic resource...
Evolutionary dynamics of a rapidly receding southern range boundary in the threatened California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii)
Jonathan Q. Richmond, Kelly R. Barr, Adam R. Backlin, Amy G. Vandergast, Robert N. Fisher
2013, Evolutionary Applications (6) 808-822
Populations forming the edge of a species range are often imperiled by isolation and low genetic diversity, with proximity to human population centers being a major determinant of edge stability in modern landscapes. Since the 1960s, the California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) has undergone extensive declines in heavily urbanized southern...
Effects of thinning on drought vulnerability and climate response in north temperate forest ecosystems
Anthony W. D’Amato, John B. Bradford, Shawn Fraver, Brian J. Palik
2013, Ecological Applications (23) 1735-1742
Reducing tree densities through silvicultural thinning has been widely advocated as a strategy for enhancing resistance and resilience to drought, yet few empirical evaluations of this approach exist. We examined detailed dendrochronological data from a long-term (>50 yrs) replicated thinning experiment to determine if density reductions conferred greater resistance and/or...
Potential depletion of surface water in the Colorado River and agricultural drains by groundwater pumping in the Parker-Palo Verde-Cibola area, Arizona and California
Stanley A. Leake, Sandra J. Owen-Joyce, Julian A. Heilman
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5134
Water use along the lower Colorado River is allocated as “consumptive use,” which is defined to be the amount of water diverted from the river minus the amount that returns to the river. Diversions of water from the river include surface water in canals and water removed from the river...
Geodatabase compilation of hydrogeologic, remote sensing, and water-budget-component data for the High Plains aquifer, 2011
Natalie A. Houston, Sophia L. Gonzales-Bradford, Amanda T. Flynn, Sharon L. Qi, Steven M. Peterson, Jennifer S. Stanton, Derek W. Ryter, Terry L. Sohl, Gabriel B. Senay
2013, Data Series 777
The High Plains aquifer underlies almost 112 million acres in the central United States. It is one of the largest aquifers in the Nation in terms of annual groundwater withdrawals and provides drinking water for 2.3 million people. The High Plains aquifer has gained national and international attention as a...
Predicting paddlefish roe yields using an extension of the Beverton–Holt equilibrium yield-per-recruit model
M.E. Colvin, Phillip William Bettoli, G.D. Scholten
2013, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (33) 940-949
Equilibrium yield models predict the total biomass removed from an exploited stock; however, traditional yield models must be modified to simulate roe yields because a linear relationship between age (or length) and mature ovary weight does not typically exist. We extended the traditional Beverton-Holt equilibrium yield model to predict roe...
Thinning increases climatic resilience of red pine
Matthew Magruder, Sophan Chhin, Brian Palik, John B. Bradford
2013, Canadian Journal of Forest Research (43) 878-889
Forest management techniques such as intermediate stand-tending practices (e.g., thinning) can promote climatic resiliency in forest stands by moderating tree competition. Residual trees gain increased access to environmental resources (i.e., soil moisture, light), which in turn has the potential to buffer trees from stressful climatic conditions. The influences of climate...
Linking river management to species conservation using dynamic landscape scale models
Mary Freeman, Gary R. Buell, Lauren E. Hay, W. Brian Hughes, Robert B. Jacobson, John W. Jones, S.A. Jones, Jacob H. LaFontaine, Kenneth R. Odom, James T. Peterson, Jeffrey W. Riley, J. Stephen Schindler, C. Shea, J.D. Weaver
2013, River Research and Applications (29) 906-918
Efforts to conserve stream and river biota could benefit from tools that allow managers to evaluate landscape-scale changes in species distributions in response to water management decisions. We present a framework and methods for integrating hydrology, geographic context and metapopulation processes to simulate effects of changes in streamflow on fish...
Comparison of bird community indices for riparian restoration planning and monitoring
Jock S. Young, Elisabeth M. Ammon, Peter J. Weisburg, Thomas E. Dilts, Wesley E. Newton, Diane C. Wong-Kone, Lisa G. Heki
2013, Ecological Indicators (34) 159-167
The use of a bird community index that characterizes ecosystem integrity is very attractive to conservation planners and habitat managers, particularly in the absence of any single focal species. In riparian areas of the western USA, several attempts at arriving at a community index signifying a functioning riparian bird community...
Does calving matter? Evidence for significant submarine melt
Timothy C. Bartholomaus, Christopher F. Larsen, Shad O’Neel
2013, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (380) 21-30
During the summer in the northeast Pacific Ocean, the Alaska Coastal Current sweeps water with temperatures in excess of 12 °C past the mouths of glacierized fjords and bays. The extent to which these warm waters affect the mass balance of Alaskan tidewater glaciers is uncertain. Here we report hydrographic measurements...
Sediment distribution and hydrologic conditions of the Potomac aquifer in Virginia and parts of Maryland and North Carolina
Randolph E. McFarland
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5116
Sediments of the heavily used Potomac aquifer broadly contrast across major structural features of the Atlantic Coastal Plain Physiographic Province in eastern Virginia and adjacent parts of Maryland and North Carolina. Thicknesses and relative dominance of the highly interbedded fluvial sediments vary regionally. Vertical intervals in boreholes of coarse-grained sediment...
The influence of stream thermal regimes and preferential flow paths on hyporheic exchange in a glacial meltwater stream
Karen D. Cozzetto, Kenneth E. Bencala, Michael N. Gooseff, Diane M. McKnight
2013, Water Resources Research (49) 5552-5569
Given projected increases in stream temperatures attributable to global change, improved understanding of relationships between stream temperatures and hyporheic exchange would be useful. We conducted two conservative tracer injection experiments in a glacial meltwater stream, to evaluate the effects of hyporheic thermal gradients on exchange processes, including preferential flow paths...
