Density estimation of sound-producing terrestrial animals using single automatic acoustic recorders and distance sampling
Esther Sebastian-Gonzalez, Richard J. Camp, Ann M. Tanimoto, Priscilla Monteiro de Oliveira, Bruna Barreto Lima, Tiago A. Marques, Patrick J. Hart
2018, Avian Conservation and Ecology (13)
Obtaining accurate information on the distribution, density, and abundance of animals is an important first step toward their conservation. Methodological approaches using automatic acoustic recorders for species that communicate acoustically are gaining increased interest because of their advantages over traditional sampling methods. In this study, we created and evaluated a...
Assessing recovery and change in West Africa's rainfall regime from a 161-year record
Sharon E. Nicholson, Andreas H. Fink, Chris Funk
2018, International Journal of Climatology (38) 3770-3786
The Sahel region is known for the multi-decadal occurrence of severe drought that commenced in the late 1960s. A still open question is whether or not the region's rainfall has returned to “normal.” This paper provides a compelling answer to that question by examining the longest and most comprehensive gauge...
Quantifying population-level effects of water temperature, flow velocity and chemical-induced reproduction depression: A simulation study with smallmouth bass
Tyler Wagner, Vicki S. Blazer, Yan Li
2018, Ecological Modelling (384) 63-74
Evaluating stochastic abiotic factors and their combined effects on fish and wildlife populations have been challenging in environmental sciences. Contributing to this challenge is the paucity of data describing how observations made on individuals related to exposure to chemical compounds ultimately effect population vital rates, and how this exposure interacts...
High resolution measurement of levee subsidence related to energy infrastructure in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Benjamin A. Brooks, Jennifer Telling, Todd Leroy Ericksen, Craig L. Glennie, Noah Knowles, Daniel Cayan, Darren L. Hauser, Adam LeWinter
2018, Report, California’s fourth climate change assessment
We assess flood overtopping potential (when flood water elevation exceeds levee elevation) to the levees surrounding the islands in the interior of California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Because critical natural gas infrastructure is susceptible to overtopping-related disruption, we focus our analysis on regions that are crossed by the network of the...
Landscape composition mediates movement and habitat selection in bobcats (Lynx rufus): Implications for conservation planning
Hanem Abouelezz, Therese M. Donovan, Ruth M. Mickey, James N. Murdock, Mark Freeman, Kim Royar
2018, Landscape Ecology (33) 1301-1318
The analysis of individual movement choices can be used to better understand population-level resource selection and inform management....
Patterns and magnitude of flow alteration in California, USA
Julie Zimmerman, Daren M. Carlisle, Jason May, Kirk Klausmeyer, Theodore E. Grantham, Larry R. Brown, Jeanette K. Howard
2018, Freshwater Biology (63) 859-873
Quantifying the natural flow regime is essential for management of water resources and conservation of aquatic ecosystems. Understanding the degree to which anthropogenic activities have altered flows is critical for developing effective conservation strategies. Assessing flow alteration requires estimates of flows expected in the absence of human influence and...
The influence of spatiotemporally decoupled land use on honey bee colony health and pollination service delivery
Matthew Smart, Clint Otto, Benjamin Carlson, Cali L. Roth
2018, Environmental Research Letters (13)
Societal dependence on insects for pollination of agricultural crops has risen amidst concerns over pollinator declines. Habitat loss and lack of forage have been implicated in the decline of both managed and native pollinators. Land use changes in the Northern Great Plains of the US, a region supporting...
Impacts of hatchery-reared mandarin fish Siniperca chuatsi stocking on wild fish community and water quality in a shallow Yangtze lake
Wei Li, Brendan J. Hicks, Mingli Lin, Chuanbo Guo, Tanglin Zhang, Jiashou Liu, Zhongjie Li, David A. Beauchamp
2018, Scientific Reports (8) 1-11
Mandarin fish Siniperca chuatsi, a valuable piscivorous fish, have been stocked into many lakes in China since the 1990s. This study did the first attempt to evaluate the ecological effects of hatchery-reared mandarin fish stocking in the Yangtze River basin lakes. Our study demonstrated a significant change in fish community composition...
Flow hydraulics and mixing characteristics in and downstream from Brandon Road Lock, Joliet, Illinois
Frank L. Engel, P. Ryan Jackson, Elizabeth A. Murphy
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5094
The Brandon Road Lock and Dam on the Des Plaines River near Joliet, Illinois, has been identified for potential implementation of aquatic nuisance species (ANS) control measures. To provide additional information concerning the flow hydraulics and mixing characteristics of the lock and downstream approach channel, the U.S. Geological Survey performed...
Everglades Invasive Reptile and Amphibian Monitoring Program
Rebecca G. Harvey, Mike Rochford, Jennifer Ketterlin Eckles, Edward Metzger, Jennifer Nestler, Frank J. Mazzotti
Michael S. Cherkiss, editor(s)
2018, Report, University of Florida/ Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Factsheet
The Everglades Invasive Reptile and Amphibian Monitoring Program (EIRAMP) provides a scientific framework for integrated EDRR, outreach, and monitoring for invasive wildlife in South Florida. EIRAMP also monitors native reptiles, amphibians and mammals to assess impacts of invasive species. South Florida has more nonnative species of reptiles and amphibians than anywhere...
Farmer-managed restoration of agroforestry parklands in Niger
Melinda Smale, G. Gray Tappan, Chris Reij
Fleur Wouterse, Ousmane Badiane, editor(s)
2018, Book chapter, Fostering transformation and growth in Niger’s agricultural sector
Land rehabilitation enables sustainable intensification of agriculture and more resilient food production systems. Despite severe development challenges, Niger is the site of successful, farmer-managed efforts to counteract the global trend in land degradation that was supported by policy change. The vast majority of Niger’s land is located in the Sahara. Following a series...
What can trees tell us about the air we breathe at home?
Jordan L. Wilson, V.A. Samaranayake, Matthew A. Limmer, Joel Burken
2018, Science Journal for Kids (July 2018)
The air in houses can be affected by bad stuff, called contaminants. Sometimes harmful chemicals enter the air in buildings from nearby contaminated soil and groundwater through cracks or gaps in the foundation – a process known as vapor intrusion. This poses some risk to our health because we spend...
Quantification of the indirect use value of functional group diversity based on the ecological role of species in the ecosystem
Silvie Daniels, J Ryan Bellmore, Joseph R. Benjamin, Nele Witters, Jaco Vangronsveld, Steven Van Passel
2018, Ecological Economics (153) 181-194
An important issue in biodiversity valuation is gaining a better understanding of how biodiversity conservation affects economic activities and human welfare. Quantifying the economic benefits of biodiversity for human well-being is not straightforward. Here, we expand the ecosystem service cascade by (i) attributing a methodology to the different steps of...
Post-breeding movement and habitat use by wood frogs along an Arctic–Subarctic ecotone
Stephanie Bishir, Blake R. Hossack, LeeAnn Fishback, J. M. Davenport
2018, Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research (50)
By altering essential micro- and macrohabitat conditions for many organisms, climate change is already causing disproportionately greater impacts on Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems. Yet there is a lack of basic information about many species in northern latitudes, including amphibians. We used radio telemetry to study the post-breeding movements and habitat...
Simulation of zones of groundwater contribution to wells south of the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant in Bethpage, New York
Paul E. Misut
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5161
A steady-state three-dimensional groundwater-flow model that simulates present conditions was coupled with the particle-tracking program MODPATH to delineate zones of contribution to wells pumping from the Magothy aquifer near a chlorinated volatile organic compound (VOC) plume. This modeling was part of a study by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation...
Mississippi Delta: Chapter G in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010
Lawrence Handley, Kathryn A. Spear, Mirka Zapletal, Cindy A. Thatcher, William R. Jones, Scott A. Wilson
2018, Report, Emergent Wetlands Status and Trends in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010 report
The Mississippi River Delta, the tip of the longest river in North America, is located in the coastal plains of southeastern Louisiana. The study area included in the Mississippi River Delta vignette of southeastern Louisiana follows the Mississippi River southward from Port Sulphur within the modern Plaquemines-Balize Delta lobe (Figure 1). It extends eastward...
Snowmelt timing regulates community composition, phenology, and physiological performance of alpine plants
Daniel E. Winkler, Ramona J. Butz, Matthew J. Germino, Keith Reinhardt, Lara M. Kueppers
2018, Frontiers in Plant Science (9) 1-13
The spatial patterning of alpine plant communities is strongly influenced by the variation in physical factors such as temperature and moisture, which are strongly affected by snow depth and snowmelt patterns. Earlier snowmelt timing and greater soil-moisture limitations may favor wide-ranging species adapted to a broader set of ecohydrological conditions...
Understanding the effect of salinity tolerance on cyanobacteria associated with a harmful algal bloom in Lake Okeechobee, Florida
Barry H. Rosen, Keith A. Loftin, Jennifer L. Graham, Katherine N. Stahlhut, James M. Riley, Brett D. Johnston, Sarena Senegal
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5092
In an effort to simulate the survival of cyanobacteria asthey are transported from Lake Okeechobee to the estuarinehabitats that receive waters from the lake, a bioassayencompassing a range of salinities was performed. An overalldecline in cyanobacteria health in salinity treatments greaterthan 18 practical salinity units (psu) was indicated by loss...
Characterizing the Los Angeles Aqueduct crossing of the San Andreas Fault for improved earthquake resilience
Scott Lindvall, Scott Kerwin, Chris Heron, Craig A. Davis, Jeff Tyson, Jim Chestnut, Kevin Mass, Mike Farr, Katherine M. Scharer, Devin McPhillips
2018, Conference Paper, 11th United States National Conference on Earthquake Engineering
The five-mile-long Elizabeth Tunnel, which crosses the San Andreas fault (SAF) zone near Lake Hughes, California, is part of the Los Angeles Aqueduct (LAA) that delivers water from Owens Valley to the City of Los Angeles. Geologic characterization of the Elizabeth Tunnel alignment is focused on developing a better understanding...
Tilt Trivia: A free multiplayer app to learn geoscience concepts and definitions
Debi Kilb, Alan Yang, Nathan Garrett, Kristine L. Pankow, Justin L. Rubinstein, Lisa Linville
2018, Seismological Research Letters (89) 1908-1915
Today’s technology is opening up new ways to learn. Here, we introduce Tilt Trivia, a suite of quiz‐style, multiplayer games for use on mobile devices and tablets (Android or Apple) to help students learn simple definitions and facts. This mobile device game was built using the Unity engine and has...
Effectiveness of a fish ladder for two Neotropical migratory species in the Paraná River
Carola Gutfreund, Sergio Makrakis, Theodore R. Castro-Santos, Leandro Celestino, Joao Henrique Pinheiro Dias, Maristela Cavicchioli Makrakis
2018, Marine and Freshwater Research (69) 1848-1856
We evaluated fish ladder effectiveness at Porto Primavera Dam in the Upper Paraná River, for two Neotropical migratory fish species. Overall, 564 fish (448 Megaleporinus obtusidens and 116 M. piavussu) were PIT-tagged, released in upstream and downstream areas (on the left and right banks), and monitored continuously for 4 years. The fish performed...
Applications of the California pesticide use reporting database in more than 25 years of U.S. Geological Survey hydrological studies
Joseph L. Domagalski, James Orlando
Minghua Zhang, Scott Jackson, Mark A. Robertson, Michael R. Zeiss, editor(s)
2018, Book chapter, Managing and analyzing pesticide use data for pest management, environmental monitoring, public health, and public policy. ACS Symposium Series, Vol. 1283
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been collecting data on the occurrence of pesticides in California surface and ground water since the 1970’s. The design of these studies benefited from the availability of the Pesticide Use Reporting (PUR) database of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Actual locations and dates...
Changing environmental gradients over forty years alter ecomorphological variation in Guadalupe Bass Micropterus treculii throughout a river basin
Jessica E. Pease, Timothy B. Grabowski, Allison A. Pease, Preston T. Bean
2018, Ecology and Evolution (8) 8508-8522
Understanding the degree of intraspecific variation within and among populations is a key aspect of predicting the capacity of a species to respond to anthropogenic disturbances. However, intraspecific variation is usually assessed at either limited temporal, but broad spatial scales or vice versa, which can make assessing changes in response...
SWB Version 2.0—A soil-water-balance code for estimating net infiltration and other water-budget components
Stephen M. Westenbroek, John A. Engott, Victor A. Kelson, Randall J. Hunt
2018, Techniques and Methods 6-A59
The U.S. Geological Survey’s Soil-Water-Balance (SWB) code was developed as a tool to estimate distribution and timing of net infiltration out of the root zone by means of an approach that uses readily available data and minimizes user effort required to begin a SWB application. SWB calculates other components of...
Linking transit times to catchment sensitivity to atmospheric deposition of acidity and nitrogen in mountains of the western United States
David W. Clow, M. Alisa Mast, James O. Sickman
2018, Hydrological Processes (32) 2456-2470
Transit times are hypothesized to influence catchment sensitivity to atmospheric deposition of acidity and nitrogen (N) because they help determine the amount of time available for infiltrating precipitation to interact with catchment soil and biota. Transit time metrics, including fraction of young water (Fyw) and mean transit time (MTT), were...
