Theory, methods and tools for determining environmental flows for riparian vegetation: Riparian vegetation-flow response guilds
D.M. Merritt, M. L. Scott, Poff N. Leroy, G.T. Auble, D.A. Lytle
2010, Freshwater Biology (55) 206-225
Riparian vegetation composition, structure and abundance are governed to a large degree by river flow regime and flow-mediated fluvial processes. Streamflow regime exerts selective pressures on riparian vegetation, resulting in adaptations (trait syndromes) to specific flow attributes. Widespread modification of flow regimes by humans has resulted in extensive alteration of...
Population dynamics of the sand shiner (notropis stramineus) in non-wadeable rivers of Iowa
C. D. Smith, T.E. Neebling, M.C. Quist
2010, Journal of Freshwater Ecology (25) 617-626
The sand shiner (Notropis stramineus) is a common cyprinid found throughout the Great Plains region of North America that plays an important ecological role in aquatic systems. This study was conducted to describe population dynamics of sand shiners including age structure, growth, mortality, and recruitment variability in 15 non-wadeable rivers...
Ensemble habitat mapping of invasive plant species
T.J. Stohlgren, P. Ma, S. Kumar, M. Rocca, J.T. Morisette, C. S. Jarnevich, N. Benson
2010, Risk Analysis (30) 224-235
Ensemble species distribution models combine the strengths of several species environmental matching models, while minimizing the weakness of any one model. Ensemble models may be particularly useful in risk analysis of recently arrived, harmful invasive species because species may not yet have spread to all suitable habitats, leaving species-environment relationships...
Faunal assemblages and multi-scale habitat patterns in headwater tributaries of the South Fork Trinity River - an unregulated river embedded within a multiple-use landscape
H.H. Welsh, G.R. Hodgson, J.J. Duda, J.M. Emlen
2010, Animal Biodiversity and Conservation (33) 63-87
Headwaters can represent 80% of stream kilometers in a watershed, and they also have unique physical and biological properties that have only recently been recognized for their importance in sustaining healthy functioning stream networks and their ecological services. We sampled 60 headwater tributaries in the South Fork Trinity River, a...
Survival and breeding of polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea in relation to sea ice
E.V. Regehr, C.M. Hunter, H. Caswell, Steven C. Amstrup, I. Stirling
2010, Journal of Animal Ecology (79) 117-127
1. Observed and predicted declines in Arctic sea ice have raised concerns about marine mammals. In May 2008, the US Fish and Wildlife Service listed polar bears (Ursus maritimus) - one of the most ice-dependent marine mammals - as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act. 2. We evaluated the...
Spatial distribution of pingos in Northern Asia
G. Grosse, Benjamin M. Jones
2010, Cryosphere Discussions (4) 1781-1837
Pingos are prominent periglacial landforms in vast regions of the Arctic and Subarctic. They are indicators of modern and past conditions of permafrost, surface geology, hydrology and climate. A first version of a detailed spatial geodatabase of more than 6000 pingo locations in a 3.5 ?? 106 km2 region of...
Implementing the National Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS): from the federal agency perspective
R. Bassett, R. Beard, W. Burnett, R. Crout, B. Griffith, R. Jensen, R. Signell
2010, Marine Technology Society Journal (44) 32-41
The national Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS??) is responsible for coordinating a network of people, resources, and technology to disseminate continuous data, information, models, products, and services made throughout our coastal waters, Great Lakes, and the oceans. There are many components of the IOOS-including government, academic, and private entities. This...
Ecological hierarchies and self-organisation - Pattern analysis, modelling and process integration across scales
H. Reuter, F. Jopp, J. M. Blanco-Moreno, C. Damgaard, Y. Matsinos, D.L. DeAngelis
2010, Basic and Applied Ecology (11) 572-581
A continuing discussion in applied and theoretical ecology focuses on the relationship of different organisational levels and on how ecological systems interact across scales. We address principal approaches to cope with complex across-level issues in ecology by applying elements of hierarchy theory and the theory of complex adaptive systems. A...
Satellite observations of a surtseyan eruption: Hunga Ha'apai, Tonga
R. Greg Vaughan, Peter W. Webley
2010, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (198) 177-186
On March 17, 2009, a surtseyan eruption occurred around Hunga Ha'apai Island, Tonga. A series of observations from the high-spatial resolution Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), and the high-temporal resolution Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), was used to estimate the magnitude, location, start time, and duration of...
Seismic hazard mapping of California considering site effects
E. Kalkan, C.J. Wills, D.M. Branum
2010, Earthquake Spectra (26) 1039-1055
In this paper, we have combined the U.S. Geological Survey's National Seismic Hazard Maps model with the California geologic map showing 17 generalized geologic units that can be defined by their VS30. We regrouped these units into seven VS30 values and calculated a probabilistic seismic hazard map for the entire...
Accuracy of gap analysis habitat models in predicting physical features for wildlife-habitat associations in the southwest U.S.
K.G. Boykin, B.C. Thompson, S. Propeck-Gray
2010, Ecological Modelling (221) 2769-2775
Despite widespread and long-standing efforts to model wildlife-habitat associations using remotely sensed and other spatially explicit data, there are relatively few evaluations of the performance of variables included in predictive models relative to actual features on the landscape. As part of the National Gap Analysis Program, we specifically examined physical...
Association of wintering raptors with Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program grasslands in Pennsylvania
A. Wilson, M. Brittingham, G. Grove
2010, Journal of Field Ornithology (81) 361-372
Conservation grasslands can provide valuable habitat resource for breeding songbirds, but their value for wintering raptors has received little attention. We hypothesized that increased availability of grassland habitat through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) has resulted in an increase or redistribution in numbers of four species of raptors in...
Establishing the Antarctic Dome C community reference standard site towards consistent measurements from Earth observation satellites
C. Cao, S. Uprety, J. Xiong, A. Wu, P. Jing, D. Smith, G. Chander, N. Fox, S. Ungar
2010, Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing (36) 498-513
Establishing satellite measurement consistency by using common desert sites has become increasingly more important not only for climate change detection but also for quantitative retrievals of geophysical variables in satellite applications. Using the Antarctic Dome C site (75°06′S, 123°21′E, elevation 3.2 km) for satellite radiometric calibration and validation (Cal/Val) is...
Gravity modeling of the Muertos Trough and tectonic implications (north-eastern Caribbean)
Bruna J.L. Granja, A. Munoz-Martin, Uri S. ten Brink, Andres Carbo-Gorosabel, Estrada P. Llanes, J. Martin-Davila, D. Cordoba-Barba, Morollon M. Catalan
2010, Marine Geophysical Research (31) 263-283
The Muertos Trough in the northeast Caribbean has been interpreted as a subduction zone from seismicity, leading to infer a possible reversal subduction polarity. However, the distribution of the seismicity is very diffuse and makes definition of the plate geometry difficult. In addition, the compressive deformational features observed in the...
Groundwater nutrient concentrations during prairie reconstruction on an Iowa landscape
M.D. Tomer, K. E. Schilling, C.A. Cambardella, P. Jacobson, P. Drobney
2010, Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment (139) 206-213
One anticipated benefit of ecosystem restoration is water quality improvement. This study evaluated NO3-N and phosphorus in subsurface waters during prairie establishment following decades of row-crop agriculture. A prairie seeding in late 2003 became established in 2006. Wells and suction cup samplers were monitored for NO3-N and phosphorus. Nitrate-N varied...
Identifying regions of strong scattering at the core-mantle boundary from analysis of PKKP precursor energy
S. Rost, P.S. Earle
2010, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (297) 616-626
We detect seismic scattering from the core-mantle boundary related to the phase PKKP (PK. KP) in data from small aperture seismic arrays in India and Canada. The detection of these scattered waves in data from small aperture arrays is new and allows a better characterization of the fine-scale structure of...
A revised ground-motion and intensity interpolation scheme for shakemap
C.B. Worden, D.J. Wald, T.I. Allen, K. Lin, D. Garcia, G. Cua
2010, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (100) 3083-3096
We describe a weighted-average approach for incorporating various types of data (observed peak ground motions and intensities and estimates from groundmotion prediction equations) into the ShakeMap ground motion and intensity mapping framework. This approach represents a fundamental revision of our existing ShakeMap methodology. In addition, the increased availability of near-real-time...
The role of soil drainage class in carbon dioxide exchange and decomposition in boreal black spruce (Picea mariana) forest stands
K.P. Wickland, J. C. Neff, J.W. Harden
2010, Canadian Journal of Forest Research (40) 2123-2134
Black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) forest stands range from well drained to poorly drained, typically contain large amounts of soil organic carbon (SOC), and are often underlain by permafrost. To better understand the role of soil drainage class in carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange and decomposition, we measured soil respiration...
Conservation practice establishment in two northeast Iowa watersheds: Strategies, water quality implications, and lessons learned
Philip W. Gassman, J.A. Tisl, E.A. Palas, C.L. Fields, T.M. Isenhart, K. E. Schilling, C.F. Wolter, L.S. Seigley, M.J. Helmers
2010, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation (65) 381-392
Coldwater trout streams are important natural resources in northeast Iowa. Extensive efforts have been made by state and federal agencies to protect and improve water quality in northeast Iowa streams that include Sny Magill Creek and Bloody Run Creek, which are located in Clayton County. A series of three water...
Habitat suitability and conservation of the Giant Gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas) in the Sacramento Valley of California
B.J. Halstead, G.D. Wylie, Michael L. Casazza
2010, Copeia 591-599
Resource managers often have little information regarding the habitat requirements and distribution of rare species. Factor analysis-based habitat suitability models describe the ecological niche of a species and identify locations where these conditions occur on the landscape using existing occurrence data. We used factor analyses to assess the suitability of...
Environmental drivers of fish functional diversity and composition in the Lower Colorado River Basin
T.K. Pool, J. D. Olden, Joanna B. Whittier, C.P. Paukert
2010, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (67) 1791-1807
Freshwater conservation efforts require an understanding of how natural and anthropogenic factors shape the present-day biogeography of native and non-native species. This knowledge need is especially acute for imperiled native fishes in the highly modified Lower Colorado River Basin (LCRB), USA. In the present study we employed both a taxonomic...
Active remote sensing of snow using NMM3D/DMRT and comparison with CLPX II airborne data
X. Xu, D. Liang, L. Tsang, K.M. Andreadis, E.G. Josberger, D.P. Lettenmaier, D.W. Cline, S.H. Yueh
2010, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing (3) 689-697
We applied the Numerical Maxwell Model of three-dimensional simulations (NMM3D) in the Dense Media Radiative Theory (DMRT) to calculate backscattering coefficients. The particles' positions are computer-generated and the subsequent Foldy-Lax equations solved numerically. The phase matrix in NMM3D has significant cross-polarization, particularly when the particles are densely packed. The NMM3D...
Characterization of recombinant Raccoonpox Vaccine Vectors in Chickens
S.-H. Hwa, Keith P. Iams, Jeffrey S. Hall, B.A. Kingstad, Jorge E. Osorio
2010, Avian Diseases (54) 1157-1165
Raccoonpox virus (RCN) has been used as a recombinant vector against several mammalian pathogens but has not been tested in birds. The replication of RCN in chick embryo fibroblasts (CEFs) and chickens was studied with the use of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 hemagglutinin (HA) as a model antigen...
Restoring Ecological Function to a Submerged Salt Marsh
C.L. Stagg, I.A. Mendelssohn
2010, Restoration Ecology (18) 10-17
Impacts of global climate change, such as sea level rise and severe drought, have altered the hydrology of coastal salt marshes resulting in submergence and subsequent degradation of ecosystem function. A potential method of rehabilitating these systems is the addition of sediment-slurries to increase marsh surface elevation, thus ameliorating effects...
Detection probability of cliff-nesting raptors during helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft surveys in western Alaska
T.L. Booms, P.F. Schempf, B. J. McCaffery, M. S. Lindberg, M.R. Fuller
2010, Journal of Raptor Research (44) 175-187
We conducted repeated aerial surveys for breeding cliff-nesting raptors on the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge (YDNWR) in western Alaska to estimate detection probabilities of Gyrfalcons (Falco rusticolus), Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), Rough-legged Hawks (Buteo lagopus), and also Common Ravens (Corvus corax). Using the program PRESENCE, we modeled detection histories...
