Mapping stream and floodplain geomorphometry with the Floodplain and Channel Evaluation Tool
Kristina G. Hopkins, Labeeb Ahmed, Peter R. Claggett, Samuel Lamont, Marina J. Metes, Gregory E. Noe
2024, Journal of the American Water Resources Assocation (60) 480-498
Broad-scale mapping of stream channel and floodplain geomorphic metrics is critical to improve the understanding of geomorphic change, biogeochemical processes, riverine habitat quality, and opportunities for management intervention. The Floodplain and Channel Evaluation Tool (FACET) was developed to provide an open-source tool for automated processing of digital elevation models (DEMs)...
Wind River Subbasin Restoration Annual Report of USGS Activities January 2021 through December 2022
Ian Jezorek
2024, Report
We sampled juvenile wild Steelhead Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss in headwater streams of the Wind River, WA, to characterize population attributes and investigate life-history metrics, particularly migratory patterns, and early life-stage survival. We used passive integrated transponder (PIT) tagging and a series of instream PIT-tag interrogation systems (PTISs) to track juveniles...
Scenario planning and multispecies occupancy models reveal positive avian responses to restoration of afforested woodlands
Caleb Powell Roberts, Jeffrey W. Doser, Lauren L. Berry, Allison Fowler, Percival M. Marshall, Christopher Middaugh, Karen Rowe, Jessica M. Schmit, Michael Shaw, Kenneth Wilson
2024, Restoration Ecology (32)
Scenario planning is a powerful approach for assessing restoration outcomes under alternative futures. However, developing plausible scenarios remains daunting in complex systems like ecological communities. Here, we used Bayesian multispecies occupancy modeling to develop scenarios to assess woodland restoration outcomes in afforested communities in...
Benefits and cautions in data assimilation strategies: An example of modeling groundwater recharge
Allen M. Shapiro, Frederick Day-Lewis
2024, Groundwater (62) 405-416
Assimilating recent observations improves model outcomes for real-time assessments of groundwater processes. This is demonstrated in estimating time-varying recharge to a shallow fractured-rock aquifer in response to precipitation. Results from estimating the time-varying water-table altitude (h) and recharge, and their error covariances, are compared for forecasting, filtering, and fixed-lag smoothing...
Genetic analysis of federally endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow subpopulations in the Greater Everglades, USA
Caitlin Beaver, Thomas Virzi, Margaret Hunter
2024, Conservation Genetics (25) 101-116
The federally endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis) is endemic to the Greater Everglades ecosystem in southern Florida, inhabiting fragmented marl prairies in six individual subpopulations. The subspecies is threatened by loss of breeding habitat from fire and water management. Genetic information is severely limited for the subspecies...
Comparing wetland elevation change using a surface elevation table, digital level, and total station
James C. Lynch, Neil Winn, Katya Kovalenko, Glenn R. Guntenspergen
2024, Estuaries and Coasts (47) 2071-2079
The surface elevation table (SET) approach and two survey instruments, a digital level (DL) and a total station (TS), were used to evaluate elevation change at a 1-ha, micro-tidal, back-barrier salt marsh at Assateague Island National Seashore (Berlin, MD, USA) from 2016 to 2022. SET data...
Fluvial delivery and wave resuspension of sediment in a sheltered, urbanized Pacific Northwest estuary
Daniel J. Nowacki, Andrew W. Stevens, Renee K. Takesue, Eric E. Grossman
2024, Estuaries and Coasts (47) 32-47
The sequence and timing of sediment delivery and redistribution in coastal systems is important for shoreline stability, ecosystem services, and remediation planning. In temperate estuaries, understanding the role of fluvial sediment delivery and dispersal relative to wind and wave remobilization processes is particularly important to address the fate of contaminants,...
Managing conflict between nesting common terns and herring gulls
Jeffery D. Sullivan, Amy O’Donnell, Lauren Marie-Therese Lescure, Andrew Rapp, Carl C. Callahan, Peter C. McGowan, Tim Carney, Diann Prosser
2024, Wildlife Research (51)
Context: Due to the frequent depredation of eggs and chicks by herring gulls (Larus argentatus), numerous approaches to reduce their impact on tern colonies have been tested by wildlife managers. Previous studies have shown that the use of overhead lines presents a promising method to prevent gull nesting in tern colonies,...
Integrating remote sensing with ground-based observations to quantify the effects of an extreme freeze event on black mangroves (Avicennia germinans) at the landscape scale
Melinda Martinez, Michael Osland, James B. Grace, Nicholas Enwright, Camille Stagg, Simen Kaalstad, Gordon Anderson, Anna R. Armitage, Just Cebrian, Karen L. Cummins, Richard Day, Donna J. Devlin, Kenneth H. Dunton, Laura Feher, Alejandro Fierro-Cabo, Elena A. Flores, Andrew From, A. Randall Hughes, David A. Kaplan, Amy K. Langston, Christopher J. Miller, Charles E. Proffitt, Nathan G.F. Reaver, Colt R. Sanspree, Caitlin M. Snyder, Andrew P. Stetter, Kathleen M. Swanson, Jamie E. Thompson, Carlos Zamora-Tovar
2024, Ecosystems (27)
Climate change is altering the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Quantifying ecosystem responses to extreme events at the landscape scale is critical for understanding and responding to climate-driven change but is constrained by limited data availability. Here, we integrated remote sensing with ground-based observations...
Native fish abundance and habitat selection changes in the presence of nonnative piscivores
Christopher J. Jenney, Javan Mathias Bauder, Scott A. Bonar
2024, Ecology of Freshwater Fish (33)
We compared abundance patterns and developed resource selection models for imperilled native southwestern (USA) fishes in the presence and absence of Black Bass (Micropterus spp.) to evaluate how fishes alter their selection for habitats when sympatric with a nonnative piscivore. We collected data using snorkel surveys and in-stream habitat sampling in...
A survey of non-USGS continuous streamflow gaging networks in the Pacific Northwest
Kendra E. Kaiser, Kyle W. Blasch, Mcallister Hall
2024, Journal of the American Water Resource Association (JAWRA) (59) 1211-1218
Extensive streamflow data sources exist beyond the largest streamflow data provider in the United States, the U.S. Geological Survey. We developed and distributed a survey to about 300 individuals and organizations that collect streamflow data across the Pacific Northwest (Idaho, Oregon, Washington). We received 100 responses with 56% of those...
Estimating lentic recreational fisheries catch and effort across the United States
Matthew Robertson, Stephen R. Midway, Holly Susan Embke, Anna Kaz, Mitchel Lang, Craig P. Paukert, Nicholas A. Sievert, Lyndsie S. Wszola, Abigail J. Lynch
2024, Fisheries Management and Ecology (31)
Recreational fisheries represent a socially, ecologically, and economically significant component of global fisheries. The U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat) database includes inland recreational fisheries survey data across the United States to facilitate large-scale analyses. However, because survey methods differ, a statistical method...
Contribution of arsenic and uranium in private wells and community water systems to urinary biomarkers in US adults: The Strong Heart Study and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Maya Spaur, Ronald A. Glabonjat, Kathrin Schilling, Melissa A. Lombard, Galvez-Fernandez, Wil Lieberman-Cribbin, Carolyn Hayek, Vesna Ilievski, Olgica Balac, Chiugo Izuchukwu, Kevin Patterson, Anirban Basu, Benjamin Bostick, Qixuan Chen, Tiffany Sanchez, Ana Navas-Acien, Anne E Nigra
2024, Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology (34) 77-89
BackgroundChronic exposure to inorganic arsenic (As) and uranium (U) in the United States (US) occurs from unregulated private wells and federally regulated community water systems (CWSs). The contribution of water to total exposure is assumed to be low when water As and U concentrations are low.ObjectiveWe...
The usability gap in water resources open data and actionable science initiatives
Melissa A. Kenney, Michael D. Gerst, Emily Read
2024, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (60) 1-8
The open data movement represents a major advancement for informed water management. Data that are findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable—or FAIR—are now prerequisite to responsible data stewardship. In contrast to FAIR, accessibility and usability case studies and guidelines designed around human access and understanding are lacking...
Genetic erosion in an endangered desert fish during a multidecadal megadrought despite long-term supportive breeding
Megan J. Osborne, Thomas P. Archdeacon, Charles B. Yackulic, Robert K. Dudley, Guilherme Caeiro-Dias, Thomas F. Turner
2024, Conservation Biology (38)
Human water use combined with a recent megadrought have reduced river and stream flow through the Southwestern United States and led to periodic drying of formerly perennial river segments. Reductions in snowmelt runoff and increased extent of drying collectively threaten short-lived, obligate aquatic species, including the endangered Rio Grande silvery...
Crop water productivity from cloud-Based landsat helps assess California’s water savings
Daniel Foley, Prasad Thenkabail, Adam Oliphant, Itiya P. Aneece, Pardhasaradhi Teluguntla
2024, Remote Sensing (15)
Demand for food and water are increasing while the extent of arable land and accessible fresh water are decreasing. This poses global challenges as economies continue to develop and the population grows. With agriculture as the leading consumer of water, better understanding how water is used to produce food...
Estimating groundwater pumping for irrigation: A method comparison
Andrea E. Brookfield, Samuel Zipper, Anthony D. Kendall, Hoori Ajami, Jillian M. Deines
2024, Extramural-Authored Publication Paper
Effective groundwater management is critical to future environmental, ecological, and social sustainability and requires accurate estimates of groundwater withdrawals. Unfortunately, these estimates are not readily available in most areas due to physical, regulatory, and social challenges. Here, we compare four different approaches for estimating groundwater withdrawals for agricultural irrigation. We...
Toxicological effects assessment for wildlife in the 21st Century: Review of current methods and recommendations for a path forward
Thomas G. Bean, Val R. Beasley, Philippe Berny, Karen M. Eisenreich, John E. Elliott, Margaret L. Eng, Phyllis C. Fuchsman, Mark S. Johnson, Mason D. King, Rafael Mateo Soria, Carolyn B. Meyer, Christopher J. Salice, Barnett A. Rattner
2024, Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management (20) 699-724
Model species (e.g., granivorous gamebirds, waterfowl, passerines, domesticated rodents) have been used for decades in guideline laboratory tests to generate survival, growth and reproductive data for prospective Ecological Risk Assessments (ERAs) for birds and mammals, while officially adopted risk assessment schemes for amphibians and reptiles do not exist. There are...
FloPy workflows for creating structured and unstructured MODFLOW models
Joseph D. Hughes, Christian D. Langevin, Scott R. Paulinski, Joshua Larsen, David Brakenhoff
2024, Groundwater (62) 124-139
FloPy is a popular Python package for creating, running, and post-processing MODFLOW-based groundwater flow and transport models. FloPy functionality has expanded to support the latest version of MODFLOW (MODFLOW 6) including support for unstructured grids. FloPy can be used to download MODFLOW-based and other executables for Linux, MacOS, and Windows...
Toward a national eDNA strategy for the United States
Ryan Kelly, David M. Lodge, Kai Lee, Susanna Theroux, Adam Sepulveda, Chris Scholin, Joseph M. Craine, Elizabeth Allan, Krista M. Nichols, Kim M. Parsons, Kelly D Goodwin, Zachary Gold, Francisco P. Chavez, Rachel T. Noble, Cathryn Abbott, Melinda R. Baerwald, Amanda Naaum, Peter Thielen, Ariel Simons, Christopher L. Jerde, Jeffrey J. Duda, Margaret Hunter, John Hagan, Rachel Meyer, Joshua Steele, Mark Stoeckle, Holly Bik, Christopher Meyer, Eric D. Stein, Karen James, Austen Thomas, Elif Demir-Hilton, Molly Timmers, John Griffith, Michael J Weise, Steve Weisberg
2024, Environmental DNA (6)
Environmental DNA (eDNA) data make it possible to measure and monitor biodiversity at unprecedented resolution and scale. As use-cases multiply and scientific consensus grows regarding the value of eDNA analysis, public agencies have an opportunity to decide how and where eDNA data fit into their...
Obtaining and applying public data for training students in technical statistical writing: Case studies with data from U.S. Geological Survey and general ecological literature
Barb Bennie, Richard A. Erickson
2024, Journal of Statistics and Data Science Education (32) 217-226
Effective undergraduate statistical education requires training using real-world data. Textbook datasets seldom match the complexities and messiness of real-world data and finding these datasets can be challenging for educators. Consulting and industrial datasets often have nondisclosure agreements. Academic datasets often require subject area expertise beyond those of a general education...
Ice resource mapping on Mars
Nathaniel E Putzig, Gareth A Morgan, Hanna G Sizemore, David M Hollibaugh Baker, Eric I Petersen, Asmin V Pathare, Colin M. Dundas, Ali M Bramson, Samuel W Courville, Matthew R Perry, Stefano Nerozzi, Zachary M Bain, Rachel H Hoover, Bruce A Campbell, Marco Mastrogiuseppe, Michael T. Mellon, Roberto Seu, Isaac B. Smith
2024, Book chapter, Handbook of Space Resources
This chapter explains the rationale for considering shallowly buried (0 to >5 m depth) water ice in the mid-latitudes of Mars as a resource to support future human missions, and describes a NASA-funded effort to map that ice with existing orbital remote-sensing data. In recent decades, numerous studies have used...
Diversity, distribution, and methodological considerations of haemosporidian infections among Galliformes in Alaska
Faith De Amaral, Robert E. Wilson, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Ravinder Sehgal
2024, International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife (20) 122-132
Using samples spanning 10-degrees of latitude in Alaska, we provide the first comparative assessment of avian haemosporidia distribution of Arctic Alaska with subarctic host populations for four species of grouse and three species of ptarmigan (Galliformes). We found a high overall prevalence for at least one haemospordian genus (88%; N = 351/400), with spruce grouse (Canachites...
Soil elevation change in mangrove forests and marshes of the greater Everglades: A regional synthesis of surface elevation table-marker horizon (SET-MH) data
Laura Feher, Michael Osland, Karen L. McKee, Kevin R.T. Whelan, Carlos A. Coronado-Molina, Fred H. Sklar, Ken Krauss, Rebecca Howard, Donald R. Cahoon, James C. Lynch, Lukas Lamb-Wotton, Tiffany G. Troxler, Jeremy R. Conrad, Gordon Anderson, William C. Vervaeke, Thomas J. Smith III, Nicole Cormier, Andrew From, Larry Allain
2024, Estuaries and Coasts (47) 2027-2056
Coastal wetlands adapt to rising seas via feedbacks that build soil elevation, which lead to wetland stability. However, accelerated rates of sea-level rise can exceed soil elevation gain, leading to wetland instability and loss. Thus, there is a pressing need to better understand regional and landscape...
Evaluating risks associated with capture and handling of mule deer for individual-based, long-term research
Tayler N. LaSharr, Samantha P. H. Dwinnell, Brittany L. Wagler, Hall Sawyer, Rhiannon P. Jakopak, Anna C. Ortega, Luke R. Wilde, Matthew J. Kauffman, Katey S. Huggler, Patrick W. Burke, Miguel Valdez, Patrick Lionberger, Douglas G. Brimeyer, Brandon Scurlock, Jill E. Randall, Rusty C. Kaiser, Mark Thonhoff, Gary L. Fralick, Kevin L. Monteith
2024, Journal of Wildlife Management (87)
Capture and handling techniques for individual-based, long-term research that tracks the life history of animals by recapturing the same individuals for several years has vastly improved study inferences and our understanding of animal ecology. Yet there are corresponding risks to study animals associated with physical trauma or capture myopathy that...
