Invasive rat control is an efficient, yet insufficient, method for recovery of the critically endangered Hawaiian plant hau kuahiwi (Hibiscadelphus giffardianus)
Nathan S. Gill, Stephanie G. Yelenik, Paul C. Banko, Christopher B. Dixon, Kelly Jaenecke, Robert Peck
2018, PLoS ONE (13) 1-11
Biological invasions of rodents and other species have been especially problematic on tropical islands. Invasive Rattus rattus consumption of Hibiscadelphus giffardianus (Malvaceae; common Hawaiian name hau kuahiwi) fruit and seeds has been hypothesized to be the most-limiting factor inhibiting the critically endangered tree, but this has not been experimentally tested,...
Demographic characteristics of an avian predator, Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla), in response to its aquatic prey in a Central Appalachian USA watershed impacted by shale gas development
Mack W. Frantz, Petra B. Wood, George T. Merovich Jr.
David A. Lightfoot, editor(s)
2018, PLoS ONE (13) 1-19
We related Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) demographic response and nest survival to benthic macroinvertebrate aquatic prey and to shale gas development parameters using models that accounted for both spatial and non-spatial sources of variability in a Central Appalachian USA watershed. In 2013, aquatic prey density and pollution intolerant genera (i.e.,...
Influence of river discharge on grass carp occupancy dynamics in south-eastern Iowa rivers
Christopher J. Sullivan, Michael J. Weber, Clay Pierce, Carlos A. Camacho
Michael J. Weber, editor(s)
2018, River Research and Applications (35) 60-67
Despite the longstanding presence of grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella in the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) watershed, information regarding their populations remains largely unknown, in part because capture is difficult. Occupancy models are a popular wildlife assessment tool to account for imperfect detections but have been slow to be adopted in fisheries. Herein,...
Preparations for water sampling
U.S. Geological Survey
2018, Techniques and Methods 9-A1
The “National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data” (NFM) provides guidelines and procedures for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) personnel who collect data used to assess the quality of the Nation’s surface-water and groundwater resources. This chapter, NFM A1, provides an overview of preparations for water sampling, which includes...
Baseline water quality of an area undergoing shale-gas development in the Muskingum River watershed, Ohio, 2015–16
S. Alex Covert, Martha L. Jagucki, Carrie A. Huitger
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5113
In 2015–16, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, led a study to assess baseline (2015–16) surface-water quality in six lake drainage basins within the Muskingum River watershed that are in the early years of shale-gas development. In 2015, 9 of the 10 most active...
Sediment transport model including short-lived radioisotopes: Model description and idealized test cases
Justin J. Birchler, Courtney K. Harris, Christopher R. Sherwood, Tara A Kniskern
2018, Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (6) 1-17
Geochronologies derived from sediment cores in coastal locations are often used to infer event bed characteristics such as deposit thicknesses and accumulation rates. Such studies commonly use naturally occurring, short-lived radioisotopes, such as Beryllium-7 (7Be) and Thorium-234 (234Th), to study depositional and post-depositional processes. These radioisotope activities, however, are not...
Tag retention and survival of juvenile bighead carp implanted with a dummy acoustic tag at three temperatures
Curtis G. Byrd, Duane Chapman, Emily K. Pherigo, Jeffrey C. Jolley
2018, Journal of Applied Ichthyology (35) 763-768
Bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix(together, the bigheaded carps) are invasive fishes in North America that have resulted in substantial negative effects on native fish communities and aquatic ecosystems. Movement and behavior of adult bigheaded carps has been studied previously using telemetry, while similar studies with juvenile bigheaded carps have...
Modeling hydrodynamics, water temperature, and water quality in Klamath Straits Drain, Oregon and California, 2012–15
Annett B. Sullivan, Stewart A. Rounds
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5134
Executive SummaryLocated southwest of Klamath Falls, Oregon, Klamath Straits Drain is a 10.1-mile-long canal that conveys water uphill and northward through the use of pumps before discharging to the Klamath River. Klamath Straits Drain traverses an area that historically encompassed Lower Klamath Lake. Currently, the Drain receives water from farmland...
Examining forest structure with terrestrial lidar: Suggestions and novel techniques based on comparisons between scanners and forest treatments
Jonathon J. Donager, Temuulen T. Sankey, Joel B. Sankey, Andrew J. Sanchez Meadorc, Abraham E. Springer, John D. Bailey
2018, Earth and Space Science (5) 753-776
Terrestrial laser scanners (TLSs) provide a tool to assess and monitor forest structure across forest landscapes. We present TLS methods, suggestions, and mapped guidelines for planning TLS acquisitions at varying scales and forest densities. We examined rates of point‐density decline with distance from two TLS that acquire data at relatively...
Flood-inundation maps for the North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard, Kentucky
Justin A. Boldt, Jeremiah G. Lant, Nicholas E. Kolarik
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5122
Digital flood-inundation maps for a 7.1-mile reach of the North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard, Kentucky (Ky.), were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Kentucky Silver Jackets and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the...
Groundwater quality in the Mississippi embayment–Texas coastal uplands aquifer system, south-central United States
James A. Kingsbury
2018, Fact Sheet 2018-3067
Groundwater provides nearly 50 percent of the Nation’s drinking water. To help protect this vital resource, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project assesses groundwater quality in aquifers that are important sources of drinking water (Burow and Belitz, 2014). The Mississippi embayment–Texas coastal uplands aquifer system constitutes...
Groundwater quality in the Floridan aquifer system, Southeastern United States
James A. Kingsbury
2018, Fact Sheet 2018-3066
Groundwater provides nearly 50 percent of the Nation’s drinking water. To help protect this vital resource, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project assesses groundwater quality in aquifers that are important sources of drinking water (Burow and Belitz, 2014). The Floridan aquifer system constitutes one of the...
Genetic assessment of a bighorn sheep population expansion in the Silver Bell Mountains, Arizona
John A. Erwin, Karla Vargasc, Brian R. Blaisc, Kendell Bennettc, Julia Muldoond, Sarah Findysz, Courtney Christiec, James R. Heffelfingere, Melanie Culver
2018, PeerJ (6)
Background: The isolated population of desert bighorn sheep in the Silver Bell Mountains of southern Arizona underwent an unprecedented expansion in merely four years. We hypothesized that immigration from neighboring bighorn sheep populations could have caused the increase in numbers as detected by Arizona Game and Fish...
Federal lands greenhouse emissions and sequestration in the United States—Estimates for 2005–14
Matthew D. Merrill, Benjamin M. Sleeter, Philip A. Freeman, Jinxun Liu, Peter D. Warwick, Bradley C. Reed
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5131
In January 2016, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior tasked the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) with producing a publicly available and annually updated database of estimated greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction and use (predominantly some form of combustion) of fossil fuels from Federal lands. In...
Migratory coupling between predators and prey
Nathan B. Furey, Jonathan B. Armstrong, David A. Beauchamp, Scott G. Hinch
2018, Nature Ecology & Evolution (2) 1846-1853
Animal migrations act to couple ecosystems and are undertaken by some of the world’s most endangered taxa. Predators often exploit migrant prey, but the movements taken by these consumers are rarely studied or understood. We define such movements, where migrant prey induce large-scale movements of predators, as migratory coupling. Migratory...
Disparate perspectives on evidence from the Cerutti Mastodon site: A reply to Braje et al.
Steven R. Holen, Thomas A. Demere, Daniel C. Fisher, Richard Fullagar, James B. Paces, George T. Jefferson, Jared M. Beeton, Adam N. Rountrey, Kathleen A. Holen
2018, PaleoAmerica (4) 12-15
The Perspective editorial by Braje, T., T. D. Dillehay, J. M. Erlandson, S. M. Fitzpatrick, D. K. Grayson, V. T. Holliday, R. L. Kelly, R. G. Klein, D. J. Meltzer, and T. C. Rick (2017. “Were Hominins in California ∼130,000 Years Ago?” PaleoAmerica 3 (3): 200–202) takes issue with our argument [Holen,...
Modeling water quality in the Anthropocene: Directions for the next-generation aquatic ecosystem models
Wolf M. Mooij, Dianneke van Wijk, Arthur H.W. Beusen, Robert J. Brederveld, Manqi Chang, Marleen Cobben, Donald L. DeAngelis, Andrea S. Downing, Pamela Green, Alena S. Gsell, Inese Huttunen, Jan H. Janse, Annette B. G. Janssen, Geerten M. Hengeveld, Xiangzhen Kong, Lilith Kramer, Jan J. Kuiper, Simon J. Langan, Bart A. Nolet, Rascha J. M. Nuijten, Maryna Strokal, Tineke A. Troost, Anne A. van Dam, Sven Teurlincx
2018, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability (36) 85-95
“Everything changes and nothing stands still” (Heraclitus). Here we review three major improvements to freshwater aquatic ecosystem models — and ecological models in general — as water quality scenario analysis tools towards a sustainable future. To tackle the rapid and deeply connected dynamics characteristic of the Anthropocene, we argue for...
Groundwater chemistry and water-level elevations in bedrock aquifers of the Piceance and Yellow Creek watersheds, Rio Blanco County, Colorado, 2013–16
Judith C. Thomas, Peter B. McMahon
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5142
The Piceance and Yellow Creek watersheds in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, are known to contain important energy resources (oil shale and natural gas) and mineral resources (nahcolite). The primary sources of fresh groundwater in the Piceance and Yellow Creek watersheds are bedrock aquifers in the Uinta and Green River Formations....
Reconnaissance of mixed organic and inorganic chemicals in private and public supply tapwaters at selected residential and workplace sites in the United States
Paul M. Bradley, Dana W. Kolpin, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly L. Smalling, Michael J. Focazio, Juliane B. Brown, Mary C. Cardon, Kurt D. Carpenter, Steven R. Corsi, Laura A. DeCicco, Julie E. Dietze, Nicola Evans, Edward T. Furlong, Carrie E. Givens, James L. Gray, Dale W. Griffin, Christopher P. Higgins, Michelle L. Hladik, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Celeste A. Journey, Kathryn Kuivila, Jason R. Masoner, Carrie A. McDonough, Michael T. Meyer, James L. Orlando, Mark J. Strynar, Christopher P. Weis, Vickie S. Wilson
2018, Environmental Science & Technology (52) 13972-13985
Safe drinking water at the point-of-use (tapwater, TW) is a United States public health priority. Multiple lines of evidence were used to evaluate potential human health concerns of 482 organics and 19 inorganics in TW from 13 (7 public supply, 6 private well self-supply) home and 12 (public supply) workplace...
Chesapeake Bay dissolved oxygen criterion attainment deficit: Three decades of temporal and spatial patterns
Qian Zhang, Peter J. Tango, Rebecca R. Murphy, Melinda K. Forsyth, Richard Tian, Jennifer L. Keisman, Emily M. Trentacoste
2018, Frontiers in Marine Science (5)
Low dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions are a recurring issue in waters of Chesapeake Bay, with detrimental effects on aquatic living resources. The Chesapeake Bay Program partnership has developed criteria guidance supporting the definition of state water quality standards and associated assessment procedures for DO and other parameters, which...
A multiscale approach to balance trade-offs among dam infrastructure, river restoration, and cost
Samuel G. Roy, Emi Uchida, Simone P. de Souza, Ben Blachly, Emma Fox, Kevin Gardner, Arthur J. Gold, Jessica Jansujwicz, Sharon Klein, Bridie McGreavy, Weiwei Mo, Sean Smith, Emily Vogler, Karen Wilson, Joseph D. Zydlewski, David Hart
2018, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (115) 12069-12074
Aging infrastructure and growing interests in river restoration have led to a substantial rise in dam removals in the U.S. However, the decision to remove a dam involves many complex trade-offs. The benefits of dam removal for hazard reduction and ecological restoration are potentially offset by the loss of hydroelectricity...
Geology and assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Long Strait Basin Province, 2008
Kenneth Bird, David W. Houseknecht, Janet K. Pitman
Thomas E. Moore, Donald L. Gautier, editor(s)
2018, Professional Paper 1824-AA
The Long Strait Basin is both a stand alone petroleum province and an assessment unit (AU) that lies offshore in the East Siberian Sea north of Chukotka and south of Wrangel Island. This basin is known only on the basis of gravity data and a single proprietary seismic line. In...
Water temperature in tributaries, off-channel features, and main channel of the lower Willamette River, northwestern Oregon, summers 2016 and 2017
Joseph F. Mangano, David R. Piatt, Krista L. Jones, Stewart A. Rounds
2018, Open-File Report 2018-1184
The U.S. Geological Survey collected continuous water-temperature data in select tributaries of the lowermost 80 kilometers (50 miles) of the Willamette River in northwestern Oregon, during summers 2016 and 2017. Point measurements of water temperature and water quality (dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, and pH) also were collected at multiple...
Status of tidal marsh mapping for blue carbon inventories
Kristin B. Byrd, Chris Mcowen, Lauren Weatherdon, James Holmquist, Stephen Crooks
2018, Book chapter, A blue carbon primer: The state of coastal wetland carbon science, practice and policy
Remote-sensing-based maps of tidal marshes, both of their extents and carbon stocks, will play a key role in conducting greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories.The U.N. Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre has produced a new Global Distribution of Salt Marsh dataset that estimates global salt marsh area at 5.5 Mha.A Tier...
The Pothole Hydrology-Linked Systems Simulator (PHyLiSS)—Development and application of a systems model for prairie-pothole wetlands
Owen P. McKenna, David M. Mushet, Eric J. Scherff, Kyle McLean, Christopher T. Mills
2018, Open-File Report 2018-1165
The North American Prairie Pothole Region covers about 770,000 square kilometers of the United States and Canada (including parts of 5 States and 3 provinces: North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, Iowa, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta). The Laurentide Ice Sheet shaped the landscape of the region about 12,000 to 14,000...
