Groundwater flux estimation in streams: A thermal equilibrium approach
Yan Zhou, Garey A. Fox, Ron B. Miller, Robert Mollenhauer, Shannon K. Brewer
2018, Journal of Hydrology (561) 822-832
Stream and groundwater interactions play an essential role in regulating flow, temperature, and water quality for stream ecosystems. Temperature gradients have been used to quantify vertical water movement in the streambed since the 1960s, but advancements in thermal methods are still possible. Seepage runs are a method commonly used to...
Freshwater mussel survey for the Columbia Dam removal, Paulins Kill, New Jersey
Heather S. Galbraith, Carrie J. Blakeslee, Jeffrey C. Cole, Erik L. Silldorff
2018, Open-File Report 2018-1074
Semi-quantitative mussel surveys, conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Delaware Riverkeeper Network in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy, were completed in the vicinity of the Columbia Dam, on the Paulins Kill, New Jersey, in August 2017 in order to document the mussel species composition and relative abundance prior...
Analytical and diagnostic performance of a qPCR assay for Ichthyophonus spp. compared to the tissue culture ‘gold standard’
Vanessa C. Lowe, Paul K. Hershberger, Carolyn S. Friedman
2018, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms (128) 215-224
Parasites of the genus Ichthyophonus infect many fish species and have a non-uniform distribution within host tissues. Due in part to this uneven distribution, the comparative sensitivity and accuracy of using molecular-based detection methods versus culture to estimate parasite prevalence is under debate. We evaluated the analytical and diagnostic performance of an...
Coastal wetland adaptation to sea level rise: Quantifying potential for landward migration and coastal squeeze
Sinéad M. Borchert, Michael J. Osland, Nicholas M. Enwright, Kereen Griffith
2018, Journal of Applied Ecology (55) 2876-2887
Coastal wetland ecosystems are expected to migrate landwards in response to rising seas. However, due to differences in topography and coastal urbanization, estuaries vary in their ability to accommodate migration. Low‐lying urban areas can constrain migration and lead to wetland loss (i.e. coastal squeeze), especially where existing wetlands cannot...
Prairie Pothole Region wetlands and subsurface drainage systems: Key factors for determining drainage setback distances
Brian Tangen, Mark T. Wiltermuth
2018, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (9) 274-284
Use of agricultural subsurface drainage systems in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America continues to increase, prompting concerns over potential negative effects to the Region's vital wetlands. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service protects a large number of wetlands through conservation easements that often utilize standard lateral setback distances...
Contrasting perspectives on the Lava Creek Tuff eruption, Yellowstone, from new U–Pb and 40Ar/39Ar age determinations
Colin J. N. Wilson, Mark E. Stelten, Jacob B. Lowenstern
2018, Bulletin of Volcanology (80) 1-12
The youngest major caldera-forming event at Yellowstone was the ~ 630-ka eruption of the Lava Creek Tuff. The tuff as mapped consists of two major ignimbrite packages (members A and B), linked to widespread coeval fall deposits and formation of the Yellowstone Caldera. Subsequent activity included emplacement of numerous rhyolite flows...
An objective road risk assessment method for multiple species: ranking 166 reptiles and amphibians in California
Cheryl S. Brehme, Stacie A. Hathaway, Robert N. Fisher
2018, Landscape Ecology (33) 911-935
ContextTransportation and wildlife agencies may consider the need for barrier structures and safe wildlife road-crossings to maintain the long-term viability of wildlife populations. In order to prioritize these efforts, it is important to identify species that are most at risk of extirpation from road-related impacts.<div...
Mapping cropland fallow areas in myanmar to scale up sustainable intensification of pulse crops in the farming system
Murali Krishna Gumma, Prasad S. Thenkabail, Kumara Charyulu Deevi, Irshad A. Mohammed, Pardhasaradhi Teluguntla, Adam Oliphant, Jun Xiong, Tin Aye, Anthony M. Whittbread
2018, GIScience and Remote Sensing (55) 926-949
Cropland fallows are the next best-bet for intensification and extensification, leading to increased food production and adding to the nutritional basket. The agronomical suitability of these lands can decide the extent of usage of these lands. Myanmar’s agricultural land (over 13.8 Mha) has the potential to expand by another 50%...
Science at the frontier: Multimethod research to evaluate ecosystem change across multiple scales
Colin Tucker, Dong Yan, Sasha C. Reed, Matthew Dannenberg, William Smith
2018, New Phytologist (218) 1318-1320
Changes in the Earth system occur across the full spectrum of spatial and temporal scales, yet our research approaches to understanding and predicting those changes are typically restricted to a pre-defined window of space and time. For this reason, there is substantial power in integrating different approaches, particularly for research...
Fire and invasive plants
Robert C. Klinger, Matthew L. Brooks, John M. Randall
2018, Book chapter, Fire in California's ecosystems
No abstract available....
Movement patterns of California brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) following oiling and rehabilitation
J. S. Lamb, C. V. Fiorello, Yvan G. Satge, K. Mills, M. Ziccardi, Patrick G.R. Jodice
2018, Marine Pollution Bulletin (131) 22-31
Direct mortality of wildlife is generally used to quantify the damage caused by pollution events. However, free-ranging wildlife that survive initial exposure to pollutants may also experience long-term consequences. Individuals that are rehabilitated following oil exposure have a known history of oiling and provide a useful study population for understanding behavior following...
The map as knowledge base
Dalia E. Varanka, E. Lynn Usery
2018, International Journal of Cartography (4) 201-223
This paper examines the concept and implementation of a map as a knowledge base. A map as a knowledge base means that the visual map is not only the descriptive compilation of data and design principles, but also involves a compilation of semantic propositions and logical predicates that create a...
Advancing marine biological observations and data requirements of the complementary Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) and Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) Frameworks
Frank E. Muller-Karger, Patricia Miloslavich, Nicholas Bax, Samantha E. Simmons, Mark John Costello, Isabel Sousa Pinto, Gabrielle Canonico, Woody Turner, Michael J. Gill, Enrique Montes, Benjamin D. Best, Jay Pearlman, Patrick N. Halpin, Daniel Dunn, Abigail L. Benson, Corinne S. Martin, Lauren Weatherdon, Ward Appeltans, Pieter Provoost, Eduardo Klein, Christopher R. Kelble, Robert J. Miller, Francisco P. Chavez, Katrin Iken, Sanae Chiba, David Obura, Laetitia M. Navarro, Henrique M. Pereira, Valerie Allain, Sonia Batten, Lisandro Benedetti-Checchi, J. Emmett Duffy, Raphael M. Kudela, Lisa-Maria Rebelo, Yunne Shin, Gary Geller
2018, Frontiers in Marine Science (5) 1-15
Measurements of the status and trends of key indicators for the ocean and marine life are required to inform policy and management in the context of growing human uses of marine resources, coastal development, and climate change. Two synergistic efforts identify specific priority variables for monitoring: Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs)...
Anticipatory natural resource science and management for a changing future
John B. Bradford, Julio L. Betancourt, Bradley J. Butterfield, Seth M. Munson, Troy E. Wood
2018, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment (16) 295-303
Prolonged shifts in long‐term average climate conditions and increasing variability in short‐term weather conditions affect ecological processes, and represent a fundamental challenge for natural resource management. Recent and forthcoming advances in climate predictability may offer novel opportunities, but capitalizing on these opportunities will require focusing scientific research on understanding the...
Factors affecting nesting ecology of Apalone spinifera in a northwestern Great Plains river of the United States
Brian J. Tornabene, Robert G. Bramblett, Alexander V. Zale, Stephen A. Leathe
2018, Chelonian Conservation and Biology (17) 63-77
The nesting ecology of Apalone spinifera in large North American rivers is largely unknown despite the wide distribution of the species in these naturally dynamic ecosystems. We describe the nesting locations, timing, behavior, and habitat of A. spinifera in relation to natural and anthropogenic factors in the Missouri River. Nesting followed annual peak river...
Automated extraction of surface water extent from Sentinel-1 data
Wenli Huang, Ben DeVries, Chengquan Huang, Megan W. Lang, John Jones, Irena F. Creed, Mark L. Carroll
2018, Remote Sensing (10) 1-18
Accurately quantifying surface water extent in wetlands is critical to understanding their role in ecosystem processes. However, current regional- to global-scale surface water products lack the spatial or temporal resolution necessary to characterize heterogeneous or variable wetlands. Here, we proposed a fully automatic classification tree approach to classify surface water...
Cumulative spring discharge and survey effort influence occupancy and detection of a threatened freshwater mussel, the Suwannee Moccasinshell
Jordan M. Holcomb, Colin P. Shea, Nathan A. Johnson
2018, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (9) 95-105
Freshwater mussels (Unionidae) are among the most imperiled groups of organisms in the world, and the lack of information regarding species distributions, life-history characteristics, and ecological and biological requirements may limit the protection of remaining mussel populations. We examined the influence of hydrologic factors on the occurrence of the Suwannee...
Infection by Nanophyetus salmincola and toxic contaminant exposure in out‐migrating steelhead from Puget Sound, Washington: Implications for early marine survival
M.F. Chen, S. M. O’Neill, A. J. Carey, R. H. Conrad, B.A. Stewart, K. R. Snekvik, G. M. Ylitalo, Paul Hershberger
2018, Journal of Aquatic Animal Health (30) 103-118
Out‐migrating steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss from four Puget Sound rivers and associated marine basins of Puget Sound in Washington State were examined for the parasite, Nanophyetus salmincola in 2014 to determine whether recent trends in reduced marine survival are associated with the presence of this pathogen. A subset of steelhead from three of these river–marine...
Genetic mark–recapture improves estimates of maternity colony size for Indiana bats
Sara J. Oyler-McCance, Jennifer A. Fike, Paul M. Lukacs, Dale W. Sparks, Thomas J. O’Shea, John O. Whitaker Jr.
2018, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (9) 25-35
Genetic mark–recapture methods are increasingly being used to estimate demographic parameters in species where traditional techniques are problematic or imprecise. The federally endangered Indiana bat Myotis sodalis has declined dramatically and threats such as white-nose syndrome continue to afflict this species. To date, important demographic information for Indiana bats has been difficult...
Long-term effects of fire and harvest on carbon stocks of boreal forests in northeastern China
Chao Huang, Hong S. He, Yu Liang, Zhiwei Wu, Todd Hawbaker, Peng Gong, Zhiliang Zhu
2018, Annals of Forest Science (75)
ContextBoreal forests represent about one third of forest area and one third of forest carbon stocks on the Earth. Carbon stocks of boreal forests are sensitive to climate change, natural disturbances, and human activities.AimsThe objectives of this study were to...
Variation in age ratio of midcontinent greater white-fronted geese during fall migration
Wade G. Schock, Julian B. Fischer, Craig R. Ely, Robert A. Stehn, Jeffery M. Welker, Douglas Causey
2018, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (9) 340-347
Annual productivity is an important parameter for the management of waterfowl populations. Fall age ratio (juveniles:total birds) is an index of productivity of the preceding breeding season. However, differences in the timing of migration between family groups and nonbreeding birds may bias age-ratio estimates. We examined temporal variation in age...
Spatial and temporal patterns in population trends and burrow usage of burrowing owls in North America
Courtney J. Conway
2018, Journal of Raptor Research (52) 129-142
Many researchers have suggested that abundance of Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia) has declined in many portions of their breeding range, but a thorough review of their population trends over time is lacking. Published population trends from the North American Breeding Bird Survey program suggested that Burrowing Owl populations in the...
Three-dimensional modeling of fine sediment transport by waves and currents in a shallow estuary
Yi-Ju Chou, Kurt S. Nelson, Rusty C. Holleman, Oliver B. Fringer, Mark T. Stacey, Jessica R. Lacy, Stephen G. Monismith, Jeffrey R. Koseff
2018, Journal of Geophysical Research C: Oceans (123) 4177-4199
A suspended sediment transport model is implemented in the unstructured‐grid SUNTANS model and applied to study fine‐grained sediment transport in South San Francisco Bay. The model enables calculation of suspension of bottom sediment based on combined forcing of tidal currents and wind waves. We show that accurate results can be...
Benthic foraminifera from the Carnarvon Ramp reveal variability in Leeuwin Current activity (Western Australia) since the Pliocene
Christian Haller, Pamela Hallock, Albert C. Hine, Christopher G. Smith
2018, Marine Micropaleontology (142) 25-39
Benthic foraminiferal assemblages from a ~300 m deep core from an outer carbonate-ramp site off Western Australia (International Ocean Discovery Program Core U1460A) were examined to reconstruct the paleoceanographic evolution of the Carnarvon Ramp and the warm surficial Leeuwin Current (LC) for the last 3.54 Ma. Of the identified 179...
Quantifying ecosystem service flows at multiple scales across the range of a long-distance migratory species
Darius J. Semmens, James E. Diffendorfer, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Ruscena Wiederholt, Karen Oberhauser, Leslie Ries, Brice X. Semmens, Joshua Goldstein, John B. Loomis, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Brady J. Mattsson, Laura Lopez-Hoffman
2018, Ecosystem Services (31) 255-264
Migratory species provide ecosystem goods and services throughout their annual cycles, often over long distances. Designing effective conservation solutions for migratory species requires knowledge of both species ecology and the socioeconomic context of their migrations. We present a framework built around the concept that migratory species act as carriers, delivering...
