Conservation in the face of climate change: The roles of alternative models, monitoring, and adaptation in confronting and reducing uncertainty
M.J. Conroy, Michael C. Runge, James D. Nichols, K.W. Stodola, R.J. Cooper
2011, Biological Conservation (144) 1204-1213
The broad physical and biological principles behind climate change and its potential large scale ecological impacts on biota are fairly well understood, although likely responses of biotic communities at fine spatio-temporal scales are not, limiting the ability of conservation programs to respond effectively to climate change outside the range of...
Multiscale site-response mapping: A case study of Parkfield, California
E.M. Thompson, L.G. Baise, R. E. Kayen, E.C. Morgan, J. Kaklamanos
2011, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (101) 1081-1100
The scale of previously proposed methods for mapping site-response ranges from global coverage down to individual urban regions. Typically, spatial coverage and accuracy are inversely related.We use the densely spaced strong-motion stations in Parkfield, California, to estimate the accuracy of different site-response mapping methods and demonstrate a method for integrating...
Method for detecting moment connection fracture using high-frequency transients in recorded accelerations
J.E. Rodgers, Mehmet Celebi
2011, Journal of Constructional Steel Research (67) 293-307
The 1994 Northridge earthquake caused brittle fractures in steel moment frame building connections, despite causing little visible building damage in most cases. Future strong earthquakes are likely to cause similar damage to the many un-retrofitted pre-Northridge buildings in the western US and elsewhere. Without obvious permanent building deformation, costly intrusive...
Predicting breeding bird occurrence by stand- and microhabitat-scale features in even-aged stands in the Central Appalachians
M.E. McDermott, Petra B. Wood, G.W. Miller, B.T. Simpson
2011, Forest Ecology and Management (261) 373-380
Spatial scale is an important consideration when managing forest wildlife habitat, and models can be used to improve our understanding of these habitats at relevant scales. Our objectives were to determine whether stand- or microhabitat-scale variables better predicted bird metrics (diversity, species presence, and abundance) and to examine breeding bird...
Characterization of the Cretaceous aquifer structure of the Meskala region of the Essaouira Basin, Morocco
L. Hanich, L. Zouhri, J. Dinger
2011, Journal of African Earth Sciences (59) 313-322
The aquifer of early Cretaceous age in the Meskala region of the Essaouira Basin is defined by interpretation of geological drilling data of oil and hydrogeological wells, field measurement and analysis of in situ fracture orientations, and the application of a morphostructural method to identify lineaments. These analyzes are used...
Lead isotopes in soils and groundwaters as tracers of the impact of human activities on the surface environment: The Domizio-Flegreo Littoral (Italy) case study
G. Grezzi, Robert A. Ayuso, B. de Vivo, A. Lima, S. Albanese
2011, Journal of Geochemical Exploration (109) 51-58
The isotopic signature of geogenic and anthropogenic materials, in combination with concentration data for pollutants, can help trace the origin and the extent of contamination in the environment. This approach is particularly effective if naturally occurring and anthropogenically introduced metals have different isotopic ratios. Lead isotope analysis on soils from 7 profiles...
Using multilevel spatial models to understand salamander site occupancy patterns after wildfire
Nathan Chelgren, M. J. Adams, Larissa L. Bailey, R. Bruce Bury
2011, Ecology (92) 408-421
Studies of the distribution of elusive forest wildlife have suffered from the confounding of true presence with the uncertainty of detection. Occupancy modeling, which incorporates probabilities of species detection conditional on presence, is an emerging approach for reducing observation bias. However, the current likelihood modeling framework is restrictive for handling...
Evaluation of groundwater discharge into small lakes based on the temporal distribution of radon-222
N. T. Dimova, W. C. Burnett
2011, Limnology and Oceanography (56) 486-494
In order to evaluate groundwater discharge into small lakes we constructed a model that is based on the budget of 222Rn (radon, t1/2=3.8 d) as a tracer. The main assumptions in our model are that the lake's waters are well‐mixed horizontally and vertically; the only significant 222Rn source is via groundwater discharge;...
An analysis of modern pollen rain from the Maya lowlands of northern Belize
T. Bhattacharya, T. Beach, David B. Wahl
2011, Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology (164) 109-120
In the lowland Maya area, pollen records provide important insights into the impact of past human populations and climate change on tropical ecosystems. Despite a long history of regional paleoecological research, few studies have characterized the palynological signatures of lowland ecosystems, a fact which lowers confidence in ecological inferences made...
Forecasting carbon budget under climate change and CO 2 fertilization for subtropical region in China using integrated biosphere simulator (IBIS) model
Q. Zhu, H. Jiang, J. Liu, C. Peng, X. Fang, S. Yu, G. Zhou, X. Wei, W. Ju
2011, Polish Journal of Ecology (59) 3-24
The regional carbon budget of the climatic transition zone may be very sensitive to climate change and increasing atmospheric CO 2 concentrations. This study simulated the carbon cycles under these changes using process-based ecosystem models. The Integrated Biosphere Simulator (IBIS), a Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (DGVM), was used to evaluate...
The secret to successful solute-transport modeling
Leonard F. Konikow
2011, Ground Water (49) 144-159
Modeling subsurface solute transport is difficult—more so than modeling heads and flows. The classical governing equation does not always adequately represent what we see at the field scale. In such cases, commonly used numerical models are solving the wrong equation. Also, the transport equation is hyperbolic where advection is dominant,...
Informal trail monitoring protocols: Denali National Park and Preserve. Final Report, October 2011
Jeffrey L. Marion, Jeremy F. Wimpey
2011, Report
Managers at Alaska?s Denali National Park and Preserve (DENA) sponsored this research to assess and monitor visitor-created informal trails (ITs). DENA is located in south-central Alaska and managed as a six million acre wilderness park. This program of research was guided by the following objectives: (1) Investigate alternative methods for...
Chapter 3: Changes to the Wyoming Basins landscape from oil and natural gas development
Sean P. Finn, Steven T. Knick
2011, Book chapter, Sagebrush ecosystem conservation and management: Ecoregional assessment tools and models for the Wyoming Basins
Oil and natural gas have been produced in Wyoming since the late 1800s although the rate of extraction has increased substantially in the last two decades. Well pads, roads, and infrastructure built to support resource development alter native vegetation configuration; however, the rate and effect of land cover change resulting...
Mechanical analysis of fault slip data: Implications for paleostress analysis
J. Ole Kaven, F. Maerten, D. D. Pollard
2011, Journal of Structural Geology (33) 78-91
Stress inversions are a useful and popular tool for structural geologist and seismologist alike. These methods were first introduced by Wallace (1951) and Bott (1959) and subsequent studies continue to be based on their assumptions: the remote stress tensor is spatially uniform for the rock mass containing the faults and temporally constant over the history of...
Using Cl/Br ratios and other indicators to assess potential impacts on groundwater quality from septic systems: A review and examples from principal aquifers in the United States
B. G. Katz, S. M. Eberts, L. J. Kauffman
2011, Journal of Hydrology (397) 151-166
A detailed review was made of chemical indicators used to identify impacts from septic tanks on groundwater quality. Potential impacts from septic tank leachate on groundwater quality were assessed using the mass ratio of chloride–bromide (Cl/Br), concentrations of selected chemical constituents, and ancillary information (land use, census data, well...
Water quality and trophic status of Fort Cobb Reservoir, southwestern Oklahoma, 2016: Chapter 8 in Assessment of conservation practices in the Fort Cobb Reservoir watershed, southwestern Oklahoma
James F. Fairchild, Ann L. Allert, Kathy R. Echols
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5257-8
Eutrophication of reservoirs frequently occurs because of excessive nutrient inputs caused by anthropogenic activities, including row-crop agriculture. The trophic status of Fort Cobb Reservoir, Oklahoma, was assessed in April, July, and September 2006. The Fort Cobb Reservoir was highly eutrophic, with the greatest concentrations of nutrients and chlorophyll-a being measured...
Effect of land cover change on runoff curve number estimation in Iowa, 1832-2001
Loren L. Wehmeyer, Frank H. Weirich, Thomas F. Cuffney
2011, Ecohydrology (4) 315-321
Within the first few decades of European-descended settlers arriving in Iowa, much of the land cover across the state was transformed from prairie and forest to farmland, patches of forest, and urbanized areas. Land cover change over the subsequent 126 years was minor in comparison. Between 1832 and 1859, the...
Proposed standard weight (W(s)) equations for interior cutthroat trout
C.G. Kruse, W.A. Hubert
2011, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (17) 784-790
We developed standard weight (W(s); length-specific standard weight for the species) equations for inland cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki using the regression-line-percentile technique. Length and weight data from samples of 117 cutthroat trout populations (48 lentic and 69 lotic) over the interior range of the species were used. Separate W(s) equations...
Observations on the use of membrane filtration and liquid impingement to collect airborne microorganisms in various atmospheric environments
Dale W. Griffin, C. Gonzalez, N. Teigell, Terry Petrosky, D.E. Northup, M. Lyles
2011, Aerobiologia (27) 25-35
The influence of sample-collection-time on the recovery of culturable airborne microorganisms using a low-flow-rate membrane-filtration unit and a high-flow-rate liquid impinger were investigated. Differences in recoveries were investigated in four different atmospheric environments, one mid-oceanic at an altitude of ~10.0 m, one on a mountain top at an altitude of ~3,000.0 m,...
Coastal vulnerability assessment of the Northern Gulf of Mexico to sea-level rise and coastal change
E.A. Pendleton, J.A. Barras, S.J. Williams, D.C. Twichell
2010, Open-File Report 2010-1146
A coastal vulnerability index (CVI) was used to map the relative vulnerability of the coast to future sea-level rise along the Northern Gulf of Mexico from Galveston, TX, to Panama City, FL. The CVI ranks the following in terms of their physical contribution to sea-level rise-related coastal change: geomorphology, regional...
Patterns of use and distribution of king eiders and black scoters during the annual cycle in northeastern Bristol Bay, Alaska
Jason L Schamber, Paul L. Flint, Abby N. Powell
2010, Marine Biology (157) 2169-2176
Northeastern Bristol Bay, Alaska, which includes three large estuaries, is used by multiple sea duck species during the annual cycle. Limited aerial surveys indicate that this area supports tens of thousands of king eiders and black scoters during spring migration and the autumn molt. Existing satellite telemetry data were used...
A spectral index for estimating soil salinity in the Yellow River Delta region of China using EO-1 Hyperion data
Yongling Weng, Peng Gong, Zhiliang Zhu
2010, Pedosphere (27) 378-388
Soil salinization is one of the most common land degradation processes. In this study, spectral measurements of saline soil samples collected from the Yellow River Delta region of China were conducted in laboratory and hyperspectral data were acquired from an EO-1 Hyperion sensor to quantitatively map soil salinity in the...
Discharge measurements at gaging stations
D. Phil Turnipseed, Vernon B. Sauer
2010, Techniques and Methods 3-A8
The techniques and standards for making discharge measurements at streamflow gaging stations are described in this publication. The vertical axis rotating-element current meter, principally the Price current meter, has been traditionally used for most measurements of discharge; however, advancements in acoustic technology have led to important developments in the use...
Stage measurement at gaging stations
Vernon B. Sauer, D. Phil Turnipseed
2010, Techniques and Methods 3-A7
Stream and reservoir stage are critical parameters in the computation of stream discharge and reservoir volume, respectively. In addition, a record of stream stage is useful in the design of structures that may be affected by stream elevation, as well as for the planning for various uses of flood plains....
Incorporation of water-use summaries into the StreamStats web application for Maryland
Kernell G. Ries III, Marilee A. Horn, Mark R. Nardi, Steven Tessler
2010, Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5111
Approximately 25,000 new households and thousands of new jobs will be established in an area that extends from southwest to northeast of Baltimore, Maryland, as a result of the Federal Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, with consequent new demands on the water resources of the area. The U.S. Geological...
