Future scenarios of land-use and land-cover change in the United States--the Marine West Coast Forests Ecoregion
Tamara S. Wilson, Benjamin M. Sleeter, Terry L. Sohl, Glenn Griffith, William Acevedo, Stacie Bennett, Michelle Bouchard, Ryan R. Reker, Christy Ryan, Kristi L. Sayler, Rachel Sleeter, Christopher E. Soulard
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1252
Detecting, quantifying, and projecting historical and future changes in land use and land cover (LULC) has emerged as a core research area for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Changes in LULC are important drivers of changes to biogeochemical cycles, the exchange of energy between the Earth’s surface and atmosphere, biodiversity,...
Northwestern salamanders Ambystoma gracile in mountain lakes: record oviposition depths among salamanders
R. Hoffman Jr., C.A. Pearl, G.L. Larson, B. Samora
2012, Herpetological Review (43) 553-556
Oviposition timing, behaviors, and microhabitats of ambystomatid salamanders vary considerably (Egan and Paton 2004; Figiel and Semlitsch 1995; Howard and Wallace 1985; Mac-Cracken 2007). Regardless of species, however, females typically oviposit using sites conducive to embryo development and survival. For example, the results of an experiment by Figiel and Semlitsch...
Do Daphnia use metalimnetic organic matter in a north temperate lake? An analysis of vertical migration
Chase Julian Brosseau, Timothy J. Cline, Jonathan J. Cole, James R. Hodgson, Michael L. Pace, Brian Weidel
2012, Inland Waters (2) 193-198
Diel vertical migration of zooplankton is influenced by a variety of factors including predation, food, and temperature. Research has recently shifted from a focus on factors influencing migration to how migration affects nutrient cycling and habitat coupling. Here we evaluate the potential for Daphnia migrations to incorporate metalimnetic productivity in...
Spring onset variations and trends in the continental United States: past and regional assessment using temperature-based indices
Mark D. Schwartz, Toby R. Ault, Julio L. Betancourt
2012, International Journal of Climatology
Phenological data are simple yet sensitive indicators of climate change impacts on ecosystems, but observations have not been made routinely or extensively enough to evaluate spatial and temporal patterns across most continents, including North America. As an alternative, many studies use weather-based algorithms to simulate specific phenological responses. Spring Indices...
Copper-nickel-rich, amalgamated ferromanganese crust-nodule deposits from Shatsky Rise, NW Pacific
J.R. Hein, T.A. Conrad, M. Frank, M. Christl, W.W. Sager
2012, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (13)
A unique set of ferromanganese crusts and nodules collected from Shatsky Rise (SR), NW Pacific, were analyzed for mineralogical and chemical compositions, and dated using Be isotopes and cobalt chronometry. The composition of these midlatitude, deep-water deposits is markedly different from northwest-equatorial Pacific (PCZ) crusts, where most studies have been...
Associations of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages with environmental variables in the upper Clear Creek watershed, California
Larry R. Brown, Jason T. May, Marissa Wulff
2012, Western North American Naturalist (72) 473-494
Benthic macroinvertebrates are integral components of stream ecosystems and are often used to assess the ecological integrity of streams. We sampled streams in the upper Clear Creek drainage in the Klamath—Siskiyou Ecoregion of northwestern California in fall 2004 (17 sites) and 2005 (original 17 plus 4 new sites) with the...
Step-changes in the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the Gulf of Maine, as documented by the GNATS time series
William M. Balch, D.T. Drapeau, B.C. Bowler, Thomas G. Huntington
2012, Marine Ecology Progress Series (450) 11-35
We identify step-changes in the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the Gulf of Maine (GoM) using the Gulf of Maine North Atlantic Time Series (GNATS), a series of oceanographic measurements obtained between September 1998 and December 2010 along a transect in the GoM running from Portland, ME, to Yarmouth,...
Ancient impact and aqueous processes at Endeavour Crater, Mars
S. W. Squyres, R. E. Arvidson, J.F. Bell III, F.J. Calef III, B. C. Clark, B. A. Cohen, L.A. Crumpler, P. A. de Souza Jr., W. H. Farrand, Ralf Gellert, J. Grant, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, J.A. Hurowitz, J. R. Johnson, B.L. Jolliff, A.H. Knoll, R. Li, S. M. McLennan, D. W. Ming, D. W. Mittlefehldt, T. J. Parker, G. Paulsen, M.S. Rice, S. W. Ruff, C. Schroder, A. S. Yen, K. Zacny
2012, Science (336) 570-576
The rover Opportunity has investigated the rim of Endeavour Crater, a large ancient impact crater on Mars. Basaltic breccias produced by the impact form the rim deposits, with stratigraphy similar to that observed at similar-sized craters on Earth. Highly localized zinc enrichments in some breccia materials suggest hydrothermal alteration of...
Analysis of rainfall-induced slope instability using a field of local factor of safety
Ning Lu, Başak Şener-Kaya, Alexandra Wayllace, Jonathan W. Godt
2012, Water Resources Research (48)
Slope-stability analyses are mostly conducted by identifying or assuming a potential failure surface and assessing the factor of safety (FS) of that surface. This approach of assigning a single FS to a potentially unstable slope provides little insight on where the failure initiates or the ultimate geometry and location of...
A remote-sensing, GIS-based approach to identify, characterize, and model spawning habitat for fall-run chum salmon in a sub-arctic, glacially fed river
Lisa Wirth, Amanda Rosenberger, Anupma Prakash, Rudiger Gens, F. Joseph Margraf, Toshihide Hamazaki
2012, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (141) 1349-1363
At northern limits of a species’ distribution, fish habitat requirements are often linked to thermal preferences, and the presence of overwintering habitat. However, logistical challenges and hydrologic processes typical of glacial systems could compromize the identification of these habitats, particularly in large river environments. Our goal was to identify and...
On the use of wave parameterizations and a storm impact scaling model in National Weather Service Coastal Flood and decision support operations
Anthony Mignone, H. Stockdon, M. Willis, J.W. Cannon, R. Thompson
2012, Conference Paper, 92nd American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting, January 22-26, 2012
National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) are responsible for issuing coastal flood watches, warnings, advisories, and local statements to alert decision makers and the general public when rising water levels may lead to coastal impacts such as inundation, erosion, and wave battery. Both extratropical and tropical cyclones can...
Methods for simulating solute breakthrough curves in pumping groundwater wells
J. Jeffrey Starn, Amvrossios C. Bagtzoglou, Gary A. Robbins
2012, Computers & Geosciences (48) 244-255
In modeling there is always a trade-off between execution time and accuracy. For gradient-based parameter estimation methods, where a simulation model is run repeatedly to populate a Jacobian (sensitivity) matrix, there exists a need for rapid simulation methods of known accuracy that can decrease execution time, and thus make the...
A historical estimate of apparent survival of American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) in Virginia
Erica Nol, Sean P. Murphy, Michael D. Cadman
2012, Waterbirds (35) 631-635
Using mark-recapture models, apparent survival was estimated from older banding and re-sighting data (1978–1983) of American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus) nesting on beaches and in salt marshes of coastal Virginia, USA. Oystercatchers nesting in salt marshes exhibited higher apparent survival (0.94 ±0.03) than birds nesting on beaches (0.81 ±0.06), a difference...
Geology and sequence stratigraphy of undiscovered oil and gas resources in conventional and continuous petroleum systems in the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Group and related strata, U.S. Gulf Coast Region
Russell F. Dubiel, Ofori N. Pearson, Janet K. Pitman, Krystal M. Pearson, Scott A. Kinney
2012, Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Transactions (62) 57-72
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently assessed the technically recoverable undiscovered oil and gas onshore and in State waters of the Gulf Coast region of the United States. The USGS defined three assessment units (AUs) with potential undiscovered conventional and continuous oil and gas resources in Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian to...
Emerging contaminants at a closed and an operating landfill in Oklahoma
William J. Andrews, Jason R. Masoner, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli
2012, Groundwater Monitoring & Remediation (32) 120-130
Landfills are the final depositories for a wide range of solid waste from both residential and commercial sources, and therefore have the potential to produce leachate containing many organic compounds found in consumer products such as pharmaceuticals, plasticizers, disinfectants, cleaning agents, fire retardants, flavorings, and preservatives, known as emerging contaminants...
Modeling responses of large-river fish populations to global climate change through downscaling and incorporation of predictive uncertainty
Mark L. Wildhaber, Christopher K. Wikle, Christopher J. Anderson, Kristie J. Franz, Edward H. Moran, Rima Dey
Helmut Mader, Julia Kraml, editor(s)
2012, Conference Paper, 9th International Symposium on Ecohydraulics 2012 Proceedings
Climate change operates over a broad range of spatial and temporal scales. Understanding its effects on ecosystems requires multi-scale models. For understanding effects on fish populations of riverine ecosystems, climate predicted by coarse-resolution Global Climate Models must be downscaled to Regional Climate Models to watersheds to river hydrology...
Assessing consumption of bioactive micro-particles by filter-feeding Asian carp
Nathan R. Jensen, Jon J. Amberg, James A. Luoma, Liza R. Walleser, Mark P. Gaikowski
2012, Journal of Aquaculture Research & Development (3)
Silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (SVC) and bighead carp H. nobilis (BHC) have impacted waters in the US since their escape. Current chemical controls for aquatic nuisance species are non-selective. Development of a bioactive micro-particle that exploits filter-feeding habits of SVC or BHC could result in a new control tool. It...
Resolving hyporheic and groundwater components of streambed water flux
Aditi S. Bhaskar, Judson W. Harvey, Eric J. Henry
2012, Water Resources Research (48)
Hyporheic and groundwater fluxes typically occur together in permeable sediments beneath flowing stream water. However, streambed water fluxes quantified using the thermal method are usually interpreted as representing either groundwater or hyporheic fluxes. Our purpose was to improve understanding of co-occurring groundwater and hyporheic fluxes using streambed temperature measurements and...
Bathythermal habitat use by strains of Great Lakes- and Finger Lakes-origin lake trout in Lake Huron after a change in prey fish abundance and composition
Roger A. Bergstedt, Ray L. Argyle, Charles C. Krueger, William W. Taylor
2012, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (141) 263-274
A study conducted in Lake Huron during October 1998–June 2001 found that strains of Great Lakes-origin (GLO) lake trout Salvelinus namaycush occupied significantly higher temperatures than did Finger Lakes-origin (FLO; New York) lake trout based on data from archival (or data storage) telemetry tags that recorded only temperature. During 2002...
Earthworm bioassays and seedling emergence for monitoring toxicity, aging and bioaccumulation of anthropogenic waste indicator compounds in biosolids-amended soil
Chad A. Kinney, Bryan R. Campbell, Regina Thompson, Edward T. Furlong, Dana W. Kolpin, Mark R. Burkhardt, Steven D. Zaugg, Stephen L. Werner, Anthony G. Hay
2012, Science of the Total Environment (433) 507-515
Land application of biosolids (treated sewage sludge) can be an important route for introducing xenobiotic compounds into terrestrial environments. There is a paucity of available information on the effects of biosolids amendment on terrestrial organisms. In this study, the influence of biosolids and biosolids aging on earthworm (Eisenia fetida) reproduction...
Enterococci in the environment
Muruleedhara N. Byappanahalli, Meredith B. Nevers, Asja Korajkic, Zachery R. Staley, Valerie J. Harwood
2012, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews (76) 685-706
Enterococci are common, commensal members of gut communities in mammals and birds, yet they are also opportunistic pathogens that cause millions of human and animal infections annually. Because they are shed in human and animal feces, are readily culturable, and predict human health risks from exposure to polluted recreational waters,...
The resilience and functional role of moss in boreal and arctic ecosystems
M. Turetsky, B. Bond-Lamberty, E.S. Euskirchen, J. J. Talbot, S. Frolking, A. D. McGuire, E.S. Tuittila
2012, New Phytologist (196) 49-67
Mosses in northern ecosystems are ubiquitous components of plant communities, and strongly influence nutrient, carbon and water cycling. We use literature review, synthesis and model simulations to explore the role of mosses in ecological stability and resilience. Moss community responses to disturbance showed all possible responses (increases, decreases, no change)...
Relationship between mid-water trawling effort and catch composition uncertainty in two large lakes (Huron and Michigan) dominated by alosines, osmerids, and coregonines
David M. Warner, Randall M. Claramunt, Jeffrey S. Schaeffer, Daniel L. Yule, Tom R. Hrabik, Bernie Peintka, Lars G. Rudstam, Jeffrey D. Holuszko, Timothy P. O’Brien
2012, Fisheries Research (123-124) 62-69
Because it is not possible to identify species with echosounders alone, trawling is widely used as a method for collecting species and size composition data for allocating acoustic fish density estimates to species or size groups. In the Laurentian Great Lakes, data from midwater trawls are commonly used for such...
Assessing California groundwater susceptibility using trace concentrations of halogenated volatile organic compounds
Daniel A. Deeds, Justin T. Kulongoski, Kenneth Belitz
2012, Environmental Science & Technology (46) 13128-13135
Twenty-four halogenated volatile organic compounds (hVOCs) and SF6 were measured in groundwater samples collected from 312 wells across California at concentrations as low as 10–12 grams per kilogram groundwater. The hVOCs detected are predominately anthropogenic (i.e., “ahVOCs”) and as such their distribution delineates where groundwaters are impacted and susceptible to...
A perspective on modern pesticides, pelagic fish declines, and unknown ecological resilience in highly managed ecosystems
Nathaniel L. Scholz, Erica Fleishman, Larry Brown, Inge Werner, Michael L. Johnson, Marjorie L. Brooks, Carys L. Mitchelmore, Daniel Schlenk
2012, BioScience (62) 428-434
Pesticides applied on land are commonly transported by runoff or spray drift to aquatic ecosystems, where they are potentially toxic to fishes and other nontarget organisms. Pesticides add to and interact with other stressors of ecosystem processes, including surface-water diversions, losses of spawning and rearing habitats, nonnative species, and harmful...
