Climate, snow, and soil moisture data set for the Tuolumne and Merced river watersheds, California, USA
James W. Roche, Robert Rice, Xiande Meng, Daniel R. Cayan, Michael D. Dettinger, Douglas Alden, Sarina C. Patel, Megan A. Mason, Martha H. Conklin, Roger C. Bales
2019, Earth System Science Data (11) 101-110
We present hourly climate data to force land surface process models and assessments over the Merced and Tuolumne watersheds in the Sierra Nevada, California, for the water year 2010–2014 period. Climate data (38 stations) include temperature and humidity (23), precipitation (13), solar radiation (8), and wind speed and direction (8), spanning...
Brood size affects future reproduction in a long-lived bird with precocial young
Alan Leach, James Sedinger, Thomas Riecke, Amanda Van Dellen, David H. Ward, Sean Boyd
2019, American Naturalist (193) 458-471
Estimation of trade-offs between current reproduction and future survival and fecundity of long-lived vertebrates is essential to understanding factors that shape optimal reproductive investment. Black brant geese (Branta bernicla nigricans) fledge more goslings, on average, when their broods are experimentally enlarged to be greater than the most common clutch size...
Financing agricultural drought risk through ex-ante cash transfers
Gabriela Guimaraes Nobre, Frank Davenport, Konstantinos Bischiniotis, Ted Veldcamp, Brenden Jongman, Chris Funk, Gregory Husak, Philip J. Ward, Jeroen C.J.H. Aerts
2019, Science of the Total Environment (653) 523-535
Despite advances in drought early warning systems, forecast information is rarely used for triggering and financing early actions, such as cash transfer. Scaling up cash transfer pay-outs , and overcoming the barriers to actions based on forecasts, requires an understanding of costs resulting from False Alarms, and the potential benefits...
Flow-ecology relationships are spatially structured and differ among flow regimes
Daniel D. Magoulick
2019, Journal of Applied Ecology (56) 398-412
In streams, hydrology is a predominant driver of ecological structure and function. Providing adequate flows to support aquatic life, or environmental flows, is therefore a top management priority in stream systems. Flow regime classification is a widely accepted approach for establishing environmental flow guidelines. However, it is surprisingly difficult to quantify...
A strategy for defining the reference for land health and degradation assessments
Jeffrey E. Herrick, Patrick Shaver, David A. Pyke, Mike Pellant, David Toledo, Nika Lepak
2019, Ecological Indicators (97) 225-230
Much of the confusion about the definition of reference conditions for land health and degradation assessments is due to differences in policy and management objectives. Selection of a historic reference where it is not necessary, such as in the definition of future land degradation neutrality, can add significant cost...
Evaluating the role of Farm Bill conservation program participation in conserving America’s grasslands
Larry M. Gigliotti, Lily A. Sweikert
2019, Land Use Policy (81) 392-399
Grasslands are one of the most imperiled ecosystems in the world and the majority of the grassland ecosystem in the United States is privately owned and used for agriculture. Conversion of grasslands to row crops is expanding, fueled by commodity price increases, technological improvements, and agricultural policy. The U.S. government...
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in the Duvernay Formation, Alberta Basin Province, Canada, 2018
Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Phuong A. Le, Michael E. Brownfield, Kristen R. Marra, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Ronald M. Drake II
2019, Fact Sheet 2018-3065
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 1.3 billion barrels of oil and 22.2 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Duvernay Formation of the Alberta Basin Province, Canada....
Hierarchical multi-population viability analysis
Douglas R. Leasure, Seth J. Wenger, Nathan Chelgren, Helen M. Neville, Daniel C. Dauwalter, Robin Bjork, Kurt A. Fesenmyer, Jason B. Dunham, Mary M. Peacock, Charlie H. Luce, Abby C. Lute, Daniel J. Isaak
2019, Ecology (100) 1-18
Population viability analysis (PVA) uses concepts from theoretical ecology to provide a powerful tool for quantitative estimates of population dynamics and extinction risks. However, conventional statistical PVA requires long-term data from every population of interest, whereas many species of concern exist in multiple isolated populations that are only monitored occasionally....
Defensible standardized ploidy assessments for Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella, Cyprinidae) intercepted from the commercial supply chain
Jill A. Jenkins, Megan D. Chauvin, Darren Johnson, Bonnie L. Brown, Jennifer Bailey, Anita M. Kelly, Bryan T. Kinter
2019, Journal of Great Lakes Research (45) 371-383
Although methods are in place through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) program for ploidy testing of feral caught Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) and black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), no guidelines exist for carp hauled across state lines. Using 1200 Grass Carp purchased by undercover Ohio law enforcement during 2015–2016, we developed a...
Critical review: Grand challenges in assessing the adverse effects of contaminants of emerging concern on aquatic food webs
Elena Nilsen, Kelly L. Smalling, Lutz Ahrens, Meritxell Gros, Karina S. B. Miglioranza, Yolanda Pico, Heiko L. Schoenfuss
2019, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (38) 46-60
Much progress has been made in the past few decades in understanding the sources, transport, fate, and biological effects of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in aquatic ecosystems. Despite these advancements, significant obstacles still prevent comprehensive assessments of the environmental risks associated with the presence of CECs. Many of these...
Landscape controls on the distribution and ecohydrology of central Oregon springs
Zach Freed, Allison Aldous, Marshall W. Gannett
2019, Ecohydrology (12) 1-16
Small springs in semiarid landscapes are essential for maintaining aquatic biodiversity and supporting livestock grazing operations. However, little is known about controls on the distribution and physical characteristics of small springs, the aquatic species they support, or their sensitivity to disturbance. We address this information gap in the Crooked River...
Decision-making in agent-based modeling: A current review and future prospectus
Donald L. DeAngelis, Stephanie G. Diaz
2019, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (6) 1-16
All basic processes of ecological populations involve decisions; when and where to move, when and what to eat, and whether to fight or flee. Yet decisions and the underlying principles of decision-making have been difficult to integrate into the classical population-level models of ecology. Certainly, there is a long...
The formation of gullies on Mars today
Colin M. Dundas, Alfred S. McEwen, Serina Diniega, Candice J. Hansen, Jim N. McElwaince
2019, Geological Society, London, Special Publications (467) 67-94
A decade of high-resolution monitoring has revealed extensive activity in fresh Martian gullies. Flows within the gullies are diverse: they can be relatively light, neutral or dark, colourful or bland, and range from superficial deposits to 10 m-scale topographic changes. We observed erosion and transport of material within gullies, new...
Seasonal distribution of Dall's porpoise in Prince William Sound, Alaska
J.R. Moran, M.B. O’Dell, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, Jan M Straley, D.M.S. Dickson
2019, Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography (147) 164-172
Dall's porpoise, Phocoenoides dalli, are a conspicuous predator in the Prince William Sound ecosystem, yet there has been little effort directed towards monitoring this species since the 1980s, prior to the Exxon Valdez oil spill. We used vessel-based surveys to examine the seasonal distribution of Dall's porpoise in the waters...
Lethal infection of wild raptors with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 and H5N2 viruses in the USA, 2014–15
Susan Knowles, Valerie I. Shearn-Bochsler, S. Ip
2019, Journal of Wildlife Diseases (55) 164-168
An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) led to heavy losses of poultry in commercial farms in North America in 2014–15. Enhanced surveillance by virologists and pathologists at the US Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center and its partners resulted in the identification of lethal infections with clade 2.3.4.4...
The flood lavas of Kasei Valles, Mars
Colin M. Dundas, Glen E. Cushing, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi
2019, Icarus (321) 346-357
Both the northern and southern arms of Kasei Valles are occupied by platy-ridged flood lavas. We have mapped these flows and examined their morphology to better understand their emplacement. The lavas were emplaced as high-flux, turbulent flows (exceeding 106 m3 s−1). Lava in southern Kasei Valles can be traced back up onto the Tharsis...
Delineation of tile-drain networks using thermal and multispectral imagery—Implications for water quantity and quality differences from paired edge-of-field sites
Tanja N. Williamson, Edward G. Dobrowolski, Shawn M. Meyer, Jeffrey W. Frey, Barry J. Allred
2019, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation (74) 1-11
As part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, paired edge-of-field sites were established in high priority subwatersheds to assess the effectiveness of agricultural management practices. One pairing was in Black Creek, a tributary to the Maumee River and Lake Erie. These fields were paired because of similarity in soils, topography,...
Sensitivity of streamflow simulation in the Delaware River Basin to forecasted land‐cover change for 2030 and 2060
Tanja N. Williamson, Peter R. Claggett
2019, Hydrological Processes (33) 115-129
In order to simulate the potential effect of forecasted land‐cover change on streamflow and water availability, there has to be confidence that the hydrologic model used is sensitive to small changes in land cover (<10%) and that this land‐cover change exceeds the inherent uncertainty in forecasted conditions. To investigate this,...
Contaminant baselines and sediment provenance along the Puget Sound Energy Transport Corridor, 2015
Renee K. Takesue, Pamela L. Campbell
2019, Open-File Report 2018-1196
The transport of coal and oil can result in contaminated soil, water, and organisms from unintended releases. Trains carrying coal and crude oil regularly pass through Puget Sound, Washington, and an increase in the number of coal and oil trains is expected in the future. This study characterized levels of...
Whooping crane use of riverine stopover sites
David M. Baasch, Patrick D. Farrell, Shay Howlin, Aaron T. Pearse, Jason M. Farnsworth, Chadwin B. Smith
2019, PLoS ONE (14) 1-20
Migratory birds like endangered whooping cranes (Grus americana) require suitable nocturnal roost sites during twice annual migrations. Whooping cranes primarily roost in shallow surface water wetlands, ponds, and rivers. All these features have been greatly impacted by human activities, which present threats to the continued recovery of the species. A...
Evaluation of EPT macroinvertebrate metrics in small streams located within the non-connected stormwater management region of Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Barry C. Poulton, Jing Tao
2019, Transactions of the Missouri Academy of Science (47) 21-34
During 2012-2014, we evaluated macroinvertebrate communities in streams draining the non-connected stormwater management region (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System, or MS4) within the Kansas City metropolitan area utilizing the Missouri bioassessment protocols. Trends in aquatic life impairment status based on Missouri's Macroinvertebrate Stream Condition Index (MSCI), as well as richness...
Morphology and genetics of Lythrum salicaria from latitudinal gradients of the Northern Hemisphere grown in cold and hot common gardens
Beth A. Middleton, Steven E. Travis, Barbora Kubatova, Darren Johnson, Keith R. Edwards
2019, PLoS ONE (14) 1-24
The aim of this project was to compare the phenotypic responses of global populations of Lythrum salicaria in cold/dry and hot/humid environments to determine if phenotypic plasticity varied between the native and invasive ranges, and secondarily if this variation was linked to genetic diversity. Common garden studies were conducted in Třeboň, Czech...
Uncertainty and risk evaluation during the exploration stage of geothermal development: A review
Jeffrey B. Witter, Whitney J. Trainor-Guitton, Drew L. Siler
2019, Geothermics (78) 233-242
Quantifying and representing uncertainty for geothermal systems is often ignored, in practice, during the exploration phase of a geothermal development project. We propose that this occurs potentially because the task seems so formidable. The primary goal of this paper is to initiate a dialogue within the geothermal community about: which...
The missing dead: The lost role of animal remains in nutrient cycling in North American Rivers
Seth J. Wenger, Amanda L. Subalusky, Mary Freeman
2019, Food Webs (18) 1-6
While leaf litter, wood, and other plant remnants are known to play a central role in lotic ecosystems, animal remains (carcasses, bones, shells) have received less attention. We propose a simple classification scheme for animal remains in rivers based on origin (authochthonous vs. allochthonous) and frequency (pulsed vs continuous). We then...
Assessment of continuous gas resources in the Montney and Doig Formations, Alberta Basin Province, Canada, 2018
Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Thomas M. Finn, Cheryl A. Woodall, Phuong A. Le, Michael E. Brownfield, Kristen R. Marra, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller
2019, Fact Sheet 2018-3071
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 47.6 trillion cubic feet of gas and 2.2 billion barrels of natural gas liquids in the Montney and Doig Formations of the Alberta Basin Province in Canada....
