Aftershock distribution as a constraint on the geodetic model of coseismic slip for the 2004 Parkfield earthquake
Ninfa Bennington, Clifford Thurber, Kurt Feigl, Murray-Moraleda Jessica
2011, Pure and Applied Geophysics (168) 1553-1565
Several studies of the 2004 Parkfield earthquake have linked the spatial distribution of the event’s aftershocks to the mainshock slip distribution on the fault. Using geodetic data, we find a model of coseismic slip for the 2004 Parkfield earthquake with the constraint that the edges of coseismic slip patches align...
Quantifying solute transport processes: Are chemically "conservative" tracers electrically conservative?
Kamini Singha, Li Li, Frederick D. Day-Lewis, Aaron B. Regberg
2011, Geophysics (76) F53-F63
The concept of a nonreactive or conservative tracer, commonly invoked in investigations of solute transport, requires additional study in the context of electrical geophysical monitoring. Tracers that are commonly considered conservative may undergo reactive processes, such as ion exchange, thus changing the aqueous composition of the system. As a result,...
Chapter 11: Management considerations
Steven T. Knick, Steven E. Hanser, Matthias Leu, Cameron L. Aldridge, Scott E. Nielsen, Mary M. Rowland, Sean P. Finn, Michael J. Wisdom
2011, Book chapter, Sagebrush ecosystem conservation and management: Ecoregional assessment tools and models for the Wyoming Basins
We conducted an ecoregional assessment of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems in the Wyoming Basins and surrounding regions (WBEA) to determine broad-scale species-environmental relationships. Our goal was to assess the potential influence from threats to the sagebrush ecosystem on associated wildlife through the use of spatially explicit occurrence and abundance models....
Portrait of a small population of boreal toads (Anaxyrus boreas)
Erin Muths, Rick D. Scherer
2011, Herpetologica (67) 369-377
Much attention has been given to the conservation of small populations, those that are small because of decline, and those that are naturally small. Small populations are of particular interest because ecological theory suggests that they are vulnerable to the deleterious effects of environmental, demographic, and genetic stochasticity as well...
Assessment of mangrove forests in the Pacific region using Landsat imagery
Bibek Bhattarai, Chandra Giri
2011, Journal of Applied Remote Sensing (5)
The information on the mangrove forests for the Pacific region is scarce or outdated. A regional assessment based on a consistent methodology and data sources was needed to understand their true extent. Our investigation offers a regionally consistent, high resolution (30 m), and the most comprehensive mapping of mangrove forests...
Challenges of predicting the potential distribution of a slow-spreading invader: a habitat suitability map for an invasive riparian tree
Catherine S. Jarnevich, Lindsay V. Reynolds
2011, Biological Invasions (13) 153-163
Understanding the potential spread of invasive species is essential for land managers to prevent their establishment and restore impacted habitat. Habitat suitability modeling provides a tool for researchers and managers to understand the potential extent of invasive species spread. Our goal was to use habitat suitability modeling to map potential...
I3N risk assessment and pathway analysis: Tools for the prevention of biological invasions
Annie Simpson, Elizabeth A. Sellers
2011, Conference Paper, Plant invasions: Policies, politics, and practices; Proceedings of the 5th Biennial Weeds Across Borders Conference
Information on invasive alien species from published and unpublished accounts and databases is usually scattered in locations and formats that are not easily accessible. Customized informatics tools for collecting and organizing invasive species information can help resource managers better control biological invasions. The Invasives Information Network (I3N) of the Inter-American...
Tracking the autumn migration of the bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) with satellite telemetry and relationship to environmental conditions
Yaonan Zhang, Meiyu Hao, John Y. Takekawa, Fumin Lei, Baoping Yan, Diann J. Prosser, David C. Douglas, Zhi Xing, Scott H. Newman
2011, International Journal of Zoology (2011)
The autumn migration routes of bar-headed geese captured before the 2008 breeding season at Qinghai Lake, China, were documented using satellite tracking data. To assess how the migration strategies of bar-headed geese are influenced by environmental conditions, the relationship between migratory routes, temperatures, and vegetation coverage at stopovers sites estimated...
Phase and amplitude inversion of crosswell radar data
Karl J. Ellefsen, Aldo T. Mazzella, Robert Horton, Jason R. McKenna
2011, Geophysics (76)
Phase and amplitude inversion of crosswell radar data estimates the logarithm of complex slowness for a 2.5D heterogeneous model. The inversion is formulated in the frequency domain using the vector Helmholtz equation. The objective function is minimized using a back-propagation method that is suitable for a 2.5D model and that...
Carbon and nitrogen biogeochemistry of a Prairie Pothole Wetland, Stutsman County, North Dakota, USA
JoAnn M. Holloway, Martin B. Goldhaber, Christopher T. Mills
2011, Applied Geochemistry (26, supplement) S44-S47
The concentration and form of dissolved organic C (DOC) and N species (NH4+ and NO3-) were investigated as part of a larger hydrogeochemical study of the Cottonwood Lake Study Area within the Prairie Potholes region. Groundwater, pore water and surface wetland water data were used to help characterize the relationships...
Effects of climate change on nutrition and genetics of White-tailed Ptarmigan
Sara J. Oyler-McCance, Craig A. Stricker, Judy St. John, Clait E. Braun, Gregory T. Wann, Cameron L. Aldridge
Brett K. Sandercock, Kathy Martin, Gernot Segelbacher, editor(s)
2011, Book chapter, Ecology, conservation, and management of grouse (Studies in Avian Biology no. 39)
White-tailed Ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura) are well suited as a focal species for the study of climate change because they are adapted to cool, alpine environments that are expected to undergo unusually rapid climate change. We compared samples collected in the late 1930s, the late 1960s, and the late 2000s...
High throughput computing: a solution for scientific analysis
M. O'Donnell
2011, Report
Public land management agencies continually face resource management problems that are exacerbated by climate warming, land-use change, and other human activities. As the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) works with managers in U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) agencies and other federal, state, and private entities,...
Status and distribution of mangrove forests of the world using earth observation satellite data
Chandra Giri, E. Ochieng, Larry L. Tieszen, Zhi-Liang Zhu, Ashbindu Singh, Thomas R. Loveland, Jeffery G. Masek, Norm Duke
2011, Global Ecology and Biogeography (20) 154-159
Aim Our scientific understanding of the extent and distribution of mangrove forests of the world is inadequate. The available global mangrove databases, compiled using disparate geospatial data sources and national statistics, need to be improved. Here, we mapped the status and distributions of global mangroves using recently available Global Land...
Hibernacula selection by Townsend's big-eared bat in Southwestern Colorado
Mark A. Hayes, Robert A. Schorr, Kirk W. Navo
2011, Journal of Wildlife Management (75) 137-143
In western United States, both mine reclamations and renewed mining at previously abandoned mines have increased substantially in the last decade. This increased activity may adversely impact bats that use these mines for roosting. Townsend's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii) is a species of conservation concern that may be impacted by...
An evaluation of agreement between pectoral spines and otoliths for estimating ages of catfishes
J.A. Olive, Harold Schramm Jr., Patrick D. Gerard, E. Irwin
2011, American Fisheries Society Symposium (77) 679-688
Otoliths have been shown to provide more accurate ages than pectoral spine sections for several catfish populations; but sampling otoliths requires euthanizing the specimen, whereas spines can be sampled non-lethally. To evaluate whether, and under what conditions, spines provide the same or similar age estimates as otoliths, we examined data...
Life-history notes on Cambarus hubbsi creaser (Hubbs crayfish) from the South Fork Spring River, Arkansas
E.R. Larson, Daniel D. Magoulick
2011, Southeastern Naturalist (10) 121-132
Many crayfish species native to the southeastern United States are imperiled due to small range sizes and anthropogenic impacts such as habitat loss and introduction of non-native species. Furthermore, effective management of crayfish is limited by the scarcity of life-history and ecological data for many of these species. We report...
Sagebrush ecosystem conservation and management: Ecoregional assessment tools and models for the Wyoming Basins
Steve E. Hanser, Matthias Leu, Steven T. Knick, Cameron L. Aldridge, editor(s)
2011, Book
The Wyoming Basins are one of the remaining strongholds of the sagebrush ecosystem. However, like most sagebrush habitats, threats to this region are numerous. This book adds to current knowledge about the regional status of the sagebrush ecosystem, the distribution of habitats, the threats to the ecosystem, and the influence...
The Edwardsburg Formation and related rocks, Windermere Supergroup, central Idaho, USA
Karen Lund, John N. Aleinikoff, Karl V. Evans
2011, Book chapter, The Geological Record of Neoproterozoic
In central Idaho, Neoproterozoic stratified rocks are engulfed by the Late Cretaceous Idaho batholith and by Eocene volcanic and plutonic rocks of the Challis event. Studied sections in the Gospel Peaks and Big Creek areas of west-central Idaho are in roof pendants of the Idaho batholith. A drill core section...
Long-term natural attenuation of crude oil in the subsurface
Barbara A. Bekins, Mary Jo Baedecker, Robert P. Eganhouse, William N. Herkelrath
2011, Conference Paper, Groundwater management in a rapidly changing world: Proceedings of the 7th international groundwater quality conference
The time frame for natural attenuation of crude oil contamination in the subsurface has been studied for the last 27 years at a spill site located near Bemidji, Minnesota, USA. Data from thegroundwater contaminant plume show that dissolved benzene concentrations adjacent to the oil decreased by 50% between 1993 and...
Geoinformatics in the public service: Building a cyberinfrastructure across the geological surveys
M. Lee Allison, Linda C. Gundersen, Stephen M. Richard
G. Randy Keller, Chaitanya Baru, editor(s)
2011, Book chapter, Geoinformatics: cyberinfrastructure for the solid Earth sciences
Advanced information technology infrastructure is increasingly being employed in the Earth sciences to provide researchers with efficient access to massive central databases and to integrate diversely formatted information from a variety of sources. These geoinformatics initiatives enable manipulation, modeling and visualization of data in a consistent way, and are helping...
Cold-water coral distributions in the Drake Passage area from towed camera observations - Initial interpretations
Rhian G. Waller, Kathryn Scanlon Catanach, Laura F. Robinson
2011, PLoS ONE (6)
Seamounts are unique deep-sea features that create habitats thought to have high levels of endemic fauna, productive fisheries and benthic communities vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts. Many seamounts are isolated features, occurring in the high seas, where access is limited and thus biological data scarce. There are numerous seamounts within the...
Biological and geochemical controls on diel dissolved inorganic carbon cycling in a low-order agricultural stream: Implications for reach scales and beyond
Craig Tobias, J.K. Bohlke
2011, Chemical Geology (283) 18-30
Movement of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) through the hydrologic cycle is an important component of global carbon budgets, but there is considerable uncertainty about the controls of DIC transmission from landscapes to streams, and through river networks to the oceans. In this study, diel measurements of DIC, d13C-DIC, dissolved oxygen...
Calibration of models using groundwater age
Ward E. Sanford
2011, Hydrogeology Journal (19) 13-16
There have been substantial efforts recently by geochemists to determine the age of groundwater (time since water entered the system) and its uncertainty, and by hydrologists to use these data to help calibrate groundwater models. This essay discusses the calibration of models using groundwater age, with conclusions that emphasize what...
The relative importance of physicochemical factors to stream biological condition in urbanizing basins: Evidence from multimodel inference
Daren M. Carlisle, Wade L. Bryant Jr.
2011, Freshwater Science (31) 154-166
Many physicochemical factors potentially impair stream ecosystems in urbanizing basins, but few studies have evaluated their relative importance simultaneously, especially in different environmental settings. We used data collected in 25 to 30 streams along a gradient of urbanization in each of 6 metropolitan areas (MAs) to evaluate the relative importance...
Chapter 8: Occurrence of large and medium-sized mammals: Occurrence but not count models predict pronghorn distribution
Matthias Leu, Steve E. Hanser, Cameron L. Aldridge, Scott E. Nielsen, Lowell H. Suring, Steven T. Knick
2011, Book chapter, Sagebrush ecosystem conservation and management: Ecoregional assessment tools and models for the Wyoming Basins
Management of medium to large-sized terrestrial mammals (Antilocapridae, Canidae, Cervidae, Leporidae, Mustelidae, Ochotonidae) in the western United States is multifaceted and complex. Species in this group generally are charismatic and provide economic opportunities, although others are considered a nuisance at one extreme or are listed as species of conservation concern...
