Southern Rockies Ecoregion: Chapter 8 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000
Mark A. Drummond
2012, Professional Paper 1794-A-8
The Southern Rockies Ecoregion is a high-elevation mountainous ecoregion that covers approximately 138,854 km2 (53,612 mi2), including much of central Colorado and parts of southern Wyoming and northern New Mexico (fig. 1) (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997). It abuts six other ecoregions: the Wyoming Basin and Colorado Plateaus...
Northern Rockies Ecoregion: Chapter 7 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000
Janis L. Taylor
2012, Professional Paper 1794-A-7
The Northern Rockies Ecoregion (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997) covers approximately 162,746 km2 (63,200 mi2), primarily in Idaho but also including areas in western Montana and northeastern Washington (fig. 1). Canada forms the northern border of the ecoregion. To the west it is bordered by the Columbia Plateau...
Willamette Valley Ecoregion: Chapter 3 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000
Tamara S. Wilson, Daniel G. Sorenson
2012, Professional Paper 1794-A-3
The Willamette Valley Ecoregion (as defined by Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997) covers approximately 14,458 km² (5,582 mi2), making it one of the smallest ecoregions in the conterminous United States. The long, alluvial Willamette Valley, which stretches north to south more than 193 km and ranges from 32...
Puget Lowland Ecoregion: Chapter 2 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000
Daniel G. Sorenson
2012, Professional Paper 1794-A-2
The Puget Lowland Ecoregion covers an area of approximately 18,009 km² (6,953 mi²) within northwestern Washington (fig. 1) (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997). The ecoregion is located between the Coast Range Ecoregion to the west, which includes the Olympic Mountains, and the North Cascades and the Cascades Ecoregions...
Influences on Bythotrephes longimanus life-history characteristics in the Great Lakes
Steven A. Pothoven, Henry A. Vanderploeg, David M. Warner, Jeffrey S. Schaeffer, Stuart A. Ludsin, Randall M. Claramunt, Thomas F. Nalepa
2012, Journal of Great Lakes Research (38) 134-141
We compared Bythotrephes population demographics and dynamics to predator (planktivorous fish) and prey (small-bodied crustacean zooplankton) densities at a site sampled through the growing season in Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Erie. Although seasonal average densities of Bythotrephes were similar across lakes (222/m2 Erie, 247/m2 Huron, 162/m2 Michigan), temporal trends in...
A simple method for in situ monitoring of water temperature in substrates used by spawning salmonids
Christian E. Zimmerman, James E. Finn
2012, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (3) 288-295
Interstitial water temperature within spawning habitats of salmonids may differ from surface-water temperature depending on intragravel flow paths, geomorphic setting, or presence of groundwater. Because survival and developmental timing of salmon are partly controlled by temperature, monitoring temperature within gravels used by spawning salmonids is required to adequately describe the...
Using a non-physical behavioural barrier to alter migration routing of juvenile Chinook salmon in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta
R.W. Perry, J.G. Romine, N.S. Adams, A.R. Blake, J.R. Burau, S.V. Johnston, T.L. Liedtke
2012, River Research and Applications (30) 192-203
Anthropogenic alterations to river systems, such as irrigation and hydroelectric development, can negatively affect fish populations by reducing survival when fish are routed through potentially dangerous locations. Non-physical barriers using behavioural stimuli are one means of guiding fish away from such locations without obstructing water flow. In the Sacramento–San Joaquin...
Solute and geothermal flux monitoring using electrical conductivity in the Madison, Firehole, and Gibbon Rivers, Yellowstone National Park
R. Blaine McCleskey, Laura Clor, Jacob B. Lowenstern, William C. Evans, D. Kirk Nordstrom, Henry Heasler, Mark Huebner
2012, Applied Geochemistry (27) 2370-2381
The thermal output from the Yellowstone magma chamber can be estimated from the Cl flux in the major rivers in Yellowstone National Park; and by utilizing continuous discharge and electrical conductivity measurements the Cl flux can be calculated. The relationship between electrical conductivity and concentrations of Cl and other geothermal...
Groundwater depletion and sustainability of irrigation in the US High Plains and Central Valley
Bridget R. Scanlon, Claudia C. Faunt, Laurent Longuevergne, Robert C. Reedy, William M. Alley, Virginia L. McGuire, Peter B. McMahon
2012, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (109) 9320-9325
Aquifer overexploitation could significantly impact crop production in the United States because 60% of irrigation relies on groundwater. Groundwater depletion in the irrigated High Plains and California Central Valley accounts for ∼50% of groundwater depletion in the United States since 1900. A newly developed High Plains recharge map shows that...
Carbon dioxide and methane emissions from the Yukon River system
Robert G. Striegl, Mark M. Dornblaser, Cory P. McDonald, Jennifer R. Rover, Edward G. Stets
2012, Global Biogeochemical Cycles (26)
Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions are important, but poorly quantified, components of riverine carbon (C) budgets. This is largely because the data needed for gas flux calculations are sparse and are spatially and temporally variable. Additionally, the importance of C gas emissions relative to lateral C exports is...
Spatial and temporal patterns of surface water quality and ichthyotoxicity in urban and rural river basins in Texas
Matthew M. VanLandeghem, Matthew D. Meyer, Stephen B. Cox, Bibek Sharma, Reynaldo Patino
2012, Water Research (20) 6638-6651
The Double Mountain Fork Brazos River (Texas, USA) consists of North (NF) and South Forks (SF). The NF receives urban runoff and twice-reclaimed wastewater effluent, whereas the SF flows through primarily rural areas. The objective of this study was to determine and compare associations between standard water quality variables and...
Evaluating the negative effect of benthic egg predators on bloater recruitment in northern Lake Michigan
David B. Bunnell, Justin G. Mychek-Londer, James S. Diana, Wendylee Stott, Charles P. Madenjian
2012, Report
As the only extant deepwater cisco in Lake Michigan, bloater is currently at record low levels of abundance. Several mechanisms to regulate their recruitment have been proposed, including skewed sex ratios, predation on their larvae by adult alewife, and climatic factors during early life history stages, but none has...
Population status and habitat associations of the King Rail in the midwestern United States
Jason R. Bolenbaugh, Tom Cooper, Ryan S. Brady, Karen L. Willard, David G. Krementz
2012, Waterbirds (35) 535-545
The migratory population of the King Rail (Rallus elegans) has declined dramatically during the past 50 years, emphasizing the need to document the distribution and status of this species to help guide conservation efforts. In an effort to guide King Rail breeding habitat protection and restoration, a landscape suitability index...
Toxicity of waters from the St. Lawrence River at Massena Area-of-Concern to the plankton species Selenastrum capricornutum and Ceriodaphnia dubia
Barry P. Baldigo, Brian T. Duffy, Christopher J. Nally, Anthony M. David
2012, Journal of Great Lakes Research (38) 812-820
In 1972, the US and Canada committed to restore the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Great Lakes Ecosystem under the first Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. During subsequent amendments, part of the St. Lawrence River at Massena NY, and segments of three tributaries, were designated as one Area...
Effects of sea ice on winter site fidelity of Pacific common eiders (Somateria mollissima v-nigrum)
Margaret R. Petersen, David C. Douglas, Heather M. Wilson, Sarah E. McCloskey
2012, The Auk (129) 399-408
In northern marine habitats, the presence or absence of sea ice results in variability in the distribution of many species and the quality and availability of pelagic winter habitat. To understand the effects of ice on intra- and inter-annual winter site fidelity and movements in a northern sea-duck species, we...
Behavioral vs. molecular sources of conflict between nuclear and mitochondrial DNA: The role of male-biased dispersal in a Holarctic sea duck
Jeffrey L. Peters, Kimberly A. Bolender, John M. Pearce
2012, Molecular Ecology (21) 3562-3575
Genetic studies of waterfowl (Anatidae) have observed the full spectrum of mitochondrial (mt) DNA population divergence, from apparent panmixia to deep, reciprocally monophyletic lineages. Yet, these studies often found weak or no nuclear (nu) DNA structure, which was often attributed to male-biased gene flow, a common behaviour within this family....
Bioenergetics model for estimating food requirements of female Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)
S.R. Noren, Mark S. Udevitz, C.V. Jay
2012, Marine Ecology Progress Series (460) 261-275
Pacific walruses Odobenus rosmarus divergens use sea ice as a platform for resting, nursing, and accessing extensive benthic foraging grounds. The extent of summer sea ice in the Chukchi Sea has decreased substantially in recent decades, causing walruses to alter habitat use and activity patterns which could affect their energy...
Linking physical monitoring to coho and Chinook salmon populations in the Redwood Creek Watershed, California—Summary of May 3–4, 2012 Workshop
Mary Ann Madej, Alicia A. Torregrosa, Andrea Woodward
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1245
On Thursday, May 3, 2012, a science workshop was held at the Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) office in Arcata, California, with researchers and resource managers working in RNSP to share data and expert opinions concerning salmon populations and habitat in the Redwood Creek watershed. The focus of the...
Under trees and water at Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
Joel E. Robinson, Charles R. Bacon, Chris Wayne
2012, Scientific Investigations Map 3223
Crater Lake partially fills the caldera that formed approximately 7,700 years ago during the eruption of a 12,000-ft-high volcano known as Mount Mazama. The caldera-forming, or climactic, eruption of Mount Mazama devastated the surrounding landscape, left a thick deposit of pumice and ash in adjacent valleys, and spread a blanket...
Hydrostratigraphic interpretation of test-hole and surface geophysical data, Elkhorn and Loup River Basins, Nebraska, 2008 to 2011
Christopher M. Hobza, Paul A. Bedrosian, Benjamin R. Bloss
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1227
The Elkhorn-Loup Model (ELM) was begun in 2006 to understand the effect of various groundwater-management scenarios on surface-water resources. During phase one of the ELM study, a lack of subsurface geological information was identified as a data gap. Test holes drilled to the base of the aquifer in the ELM...
Temporal and spatial trends of chloride and sodium in groundwater in New Hampshire, 1960–2011
Laura Medalie
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1236
Data on concentrations of chloride and sodium in groundwater in New Hampshire were assembled from various State and Federal agencies and organized into a database. This report provides documentation of many assumptions and limitations of disparate data that were collected to meet wide-ranging objectives and investigates temporal and spatial trends...
Slope-Area Computation Program Graphical User Interface 1.0—A Preprocessing and Postprocessing Tool for Estimating Peak Flood Discharge Using the Slope-Area Method
D. Nathan Bradley
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3112
The slope-area method is a technique for estimating the peak discharge of a flood after the water has receded (Dalrymple and Benson, 1967). This type of discharge estimate is called an “indirect measurement” because it relies on evidence left behind by the flood, such as high-water marks (HWMs) on trees...
Expanded stream gauging includes groundwater data and trends
James E. Constantz, Jeannie R. B. Barlow, Cheryl Eddy-Miller, Rodney R. Caldwell, Jerrod D. Wheeler
2012, Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union (93) 497-497
Population growth has increased water scarcity to the point that documenting current amounts of worldwide water resources is now as critical as any data collection in the Earth sciences. As a key element of this data collection, stream gauges yield continuous hydrologic information and document long-term trends, recording high-frequency hydrologic...
Application of empirical predictive modeling using conventional and alternative fecal indicator bacteria in eastern North Carolina waters
Raul Gonzalez, Kathleen E. Conn, Joey Crosswell, Rachel Noble
2012, Water Research (46) 5871-5882
Coastal and estuarine waters are the site of intense anthropogenic influence with concomitant use for recreation and seafood harvesting. Therefore, coastal and estuarine water quality has a direct impact on human health. In eastern North Carolina (NC) there are over 240 recreational and 1025 shellfish harvesting water quality monitoring sites...
Salinity adaptation of the invasive New Zealand mud snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) in the Columbia River estuary (Pacific Northwest, USA): Physiological and molecular studies
Marshal Hoy, Bruce L. Boese, Louise Taylor, Deborah Reusser, Rusty Rodriguez
2012, Aquatic Ecology (46) 249-260
In this study, we examine salinity stress tolerances of two populations of the invasive species New Zealand mud snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum, one population from a high salinity environment in the Columbia River estuary and the other from a fresh water lake. In 1996, New Zealand mud snails were discovered in...
