Fight and air exposure times of caught and released salmonids from the South Fork Snake River
Curtis J. Roth, Daniel J. Schill, Michael C. Quist
2018, Fisheries Research (201) 38-42
Catch-and-release regulations are among the most common types of fishing regulations. In recent years, concerns have arisen regarding the exposure of fish to air during catch-and-release angling. The purpose of our study was to quantify the length of time angled fish were exposed to air by anglers in a typical...
The intensity signature of induced seismicity
Gail M. Atkinson, David J. Wald, Charles Worden, Vince Quitoriano
2018, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (103) 1080-1086
We analyze a comprehensive database of ∼63,000">∼63,000 geocoded community intensity observations from >400">>400 earthquakes of moment...
Co‐occurrence dynamics of endangered Lower Keys marsh rabbits and free‐ranging domestic cats: Prey responses to an exotic predator removal program
Michael V. Cove, Beth Gardner, Theodore R. Simons, Allan F. O’Connell
2018, Ecology and Evolution (8) 4042-4052
The Lower Keys marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri) is one of many endangered endemic species of the Florida Keys. The main threats are habitat loss and fragmentation from sea‐level rise, development, and habitat succession. Exotic predators such as free‐ranging domestic cats (Felis catus) pose an additional threat to these endangered...
Examining natural attenuation and acute toxicity of petroleum-derived dissolved organic matter with optical spectroscopy
David C. Podgorski, Phoebe Zito, Jennifer McGuire, Dalma Martinovic-Weigelt, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Barbara A. Bekins, Robert G. M. Spencer
2018, Environmental Science & Technology (52) 6157-6166
Groundwater samples containing petroleum-derived dissolved organic matter (DOMHC) originating from the north oil body within the National Crude Oil Spill Fate and Natural Attenuation Research Site near Bemidji, MN, USA were analyzed by optical spectroscopic techniques (i.e., absorbance and fluorescence) to assess relationships that can be used to examine natural...
Enhancing quantitative approaches for assessing community resilience
W. C. Chuang, A.S. Garmestani, T. N. Eason, T. L. Spanbauer, H. B. Fried-Peterson, C. P. Roberts, Shana M. Sundstrom, J.L. Burnett, David G. Angeler, Brian C. Chaffin, L. Gunderson, Dirac Twidwell, Craig R. Allen
2018, Journal of Environmental Management (213) 353-362
Scholars from many different intellectual disciplines have attempted to measure, estimate, or quantify resilience. However, there is growing concern that lack of clarity on the operationalization of the concept will limit its application. In this paper, we discuss the theory, research development and quantitative approaches in ecological and community resilience....
Method to characterize inorganic particulates in lung tissue biopsies using field emission scanning electron microscopy
Heather A. Lowers, George N. Breit, Matthew Strand, Renee M. Pillers, Gregory P. Meeker, Todor I. Todorov, Geoffrey S. Plumlee, Ruth E. Wolf, Maura Robinson, Jane Parr, Robert J. Miller, Steve Groshong, Francis Green, Cecile Rose
2018, Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods (28) 475-487
Humans accumulate large numbers of inorganic particles in their lungs over a lifetime. Whether this causes or contributes to debilitating disease over a normal lifespan depends on the type and concentration of the particles. We developed and tested a protocol for in situ characterization of the types and distribution of inorganic particles...
Seasonal food habits of introduced blue catfish in Lake Oconee, Georgia
Cecil A. Jennings, Geoffrey E. Mitchell, Chris Nelson
2018, Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (5) 39-45
Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) are native to the Coosa River drainage in northwest Georgia but have been widely introduced outside of this range including Lake Oconee, a 7677-ha impoundment on the Oconee River in central Georgia. Blue catfish abundance and growth rates have increased dramatically since their introduction in Lake...
Reduced arctic tundra productivity linked with landform and climate change interactions
Mark J. Lara, Ingmar Nitze, Guido Grosse, Philip Martin, A. David McGuire
2018, Scientific Reports (8)
Arctic tundra ecosystems have experienced unprecedented change associated with climate warming over recent decades. Across the Pan-Arctic, vegetation productivity and surface greenness have trended positively over the period of satellite observation. However, since 2011 these trends have slowed considerably, showing signs of browning in many regions. It is unclear what...
Wildlife habitat management on college and university campuses
Tierney Bosci, Paige S. Warren, Rick W. Harper, Stephen DeStefano
2018, Cities and the Environment (11) 1-14
With the increasing involvement of higher education institutions in sustainability movements, it remains unclear to what extent college and university campuses address wildlife habitat. Many campuses encompass significant areas of green space with potential to support diverse wildlife taxa. However, sustainability rating systems generally emphasize efforts like recycling and energy...
Fitting N-mixture models to count data with unmodeled heterogeneity: Bias, diagnostics, and alternative approaches
Adam Duarte, M. J. Adams, James T. Peterson
2018, Ecological Modelling (374) 51-59
Monitoring animal populations is central to wildlife and fisheries management, and the use of N-mixture models toward these efforts has markedly increased in recent years. Nevertheless, relatively little work has evaluated estimator performance when basic assumptions are violated. Moreover, diagnostics to identify when bias in parameter estimates from N-mixture models...
The non-linear, interactive effects of population density and climate drive the geographical patterns of waterfowl survival
Qing Zhao, G. Scott Boomer, William L. Kendall
2018, Biological Conservation (221) 1-9
On-going climate change has major impacts on ecological processes and patterns. Understanding the impacts of climate on the geographical patterns of survival can provide insights to how population dynamics respond to climate change and provide important information for the development of appropriate conservation strategies at regional scales. It is challenging to...
Quantifying salinity and season effects on eastern oyster clearance and oxygen consumption rates
S.M. Casas, Romain Lavaud, Megan K. LaPeyre, L. A. Comeau, R. Filgueira, Jerome F. LaPeyre
2018, Marine Biology (165) 1-13
There are few data on Crassostrea virginica physiological rates across the range of salinities and temperatures to which they are regularly exposed, and this limits the applicability of growth and production models using these data. The objectives of this study were to quantify, in winter (17 °C) and summer (27 °C), the...
Quantifying temporal trends in fisheries abundance using Bayesian dynamic linear models: A case study of riverine Smallmouth Bass populations
Megan K. Schall, Vicki S. Blazer, Robert M. Lorantas, Geoffrey Smith, John E. Mullican, Brandon J. Keplinger, Tyler Wagner
2018, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (38) 493-501
Detecting temporal changes in fish abundance is an essential component of fisheries management. Because of the need to understand short‐term and nonlinear changes in fish abundance, traditional linear models may not provide adequate information for management decisions. This study highlights the utility of Bayesian dynamic linear models (DLMs) as a...
Risky behavior and its effect on survival: snowshoe hare behavior under varying moonlight conditions
Laura C. Gigliotti, Duane R. Diefenbach
2018, Journal of Zoology (305) 27-34
Predation and predation risk can exert strong influences on the behavior of prey species. However, risk avoidance behaviors may vary among populations of the same species. We studied a population of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) near the southern edge of their range, in Pennsylvania. This population occupies different habitat types,...
Density of American black bears in New Mexico
Matthew J. Gould, James W. Cain III, Gary W. Roemer, William R. Gould, Stewart Liley
2018, Journal of Wildlife Management (82) 775-788
Considering advances in noninvasive genetic sampling and spatially explicit capture–recapture (SECR) models, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish sought to update their density estimates for American black bear (Ursus americanus) populations in New Mexico, USA, to aide in setting sustainable harvest limits. We estimated black bear density in...
Estimation of unregulated monthly, annual, and peak streamflows in Forest City Stream and lake levels in East Grand Lake, United States-Canada border between Maine and New Brunswick
Pamela J. Lombard
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5044
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the International Joint Commission, compiled historical data on regulated streamflows and lake levels and estimated unregulated streamflows and lake levels on Forest City Stream at Forest City, Maine, and East Grand Lake on the United States-Canada border between Maine and New Brunswick to...
Diet of burbot and implications for sampling
Kathryn E. McBaine, Zachary B. Klein, Michael C. Quist, Darren T. Rhea
2018, Intermountain Journal of Sciences (24) 1-13
Burbot (Lota lota) are an apex piscivore that were illegally introduced to the Green River drainage, Wyoming, raising concerns for the conservation and management of fishes throughout the basin. However, relatively little is known about the diet of non-native burbot. The objectives of this research were to characterize diet composition...
Reproductive frequency and size-dependence of fecundity in the Giant Gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas)
Jonathan P. Rose, Julia Ersan, Glenn D. Wylie, Michael L. Casazza, Brian J. Halstead
2018, Herpetological Conservation and Biology (13) 80-90
How reproductive output changes with age or size is a key life-history trait that can affect which demographic rates most influence population growth. Although many studies have investigated the reproductive ecology of gartersnakes, we know little about reproduction in the threatened Giant Gartersnake, Thamnophis gigas. We used X-radiography to determine reproductive status and...
Biology and impacts of Pacific Islands invasive species. 14. Sus scrofa the feral pig (Artiodactyla: Suidae)
Nathaniel H. Wehr, Steven C. Hess, Creighton M. Litton
2018, Pacific Science (72) 177-198
Feral pigs (Sus scrofa L.) are perhaps the most abundant, widespread, and economically significant large introduced vertebrate across the Pacific island region. Unlike many other nonnative invasive species, feral pigs have both cultural and recreational importance in the region, complicating their management. Today, Pacific island feral pigs are a mixture of...
Associations between urban sprawl and life expectancy in the United States
Shima Hamidi, Reid Ewing, Zaria Tatalovich, James B. Grace, David Berrigan
2018, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (15) 1-11
In recent years, the United States has had a relatively poor performance with respect to life expectancy compared to the other developed nations. Urban sprawl is one of the potential causes of the high rate of mortality in the United States. This study investigated cross-sectional associations between sprawl and life...
The widespread influence of Great Lakes microseisms across the United States revealed by the 2014 polar vortex
Robert Anthony, Adam T. Ringler, David C. Wilson
2018, Geophysical Research Letters (45) 3436-3444
During the winter of 2014, a weak polar vortex brought record cold temperatures to the north‐central (“Midwest”) United States, and the Great Lakes reached the highest extent of ice coverage (92.5%) since 1979. This event shut down the generation of seismic signals caused by wind‐driven wave action within the lakes...
Laboratory observations of artificial sand and oil agglomerates
Robert L. Jenkins III, P. Soupy Dalyander, Allison Penko, Joseph W. Long
2018, Open-File Report 2018-1010
Sand and oil agglomerates (SOAs) form when weathered oil reaches the surf zone and combines with suspended sediments. The presence of large SOAs in the form of thick mats (up to 10 centimeters [cm] in height and up to 10 square meters [m2] in area) and smaller SOAs, sometimes referred...
Modeling and simulation of emergent behavior in transportation infrastructure restoration
Akhilesh Ojha, Steven Corns, Thomas G. Shoberg, Ruwen Qin, Suzanna K. Long
2018, Book chapter, Emergent behavior in complex systems engineering: A modeling and simulation approach
The objective of this chapter is to create a methodology to model the emergent behavior during a disruption in the transportation system and that calculates economic losses due to such a disruption, and to understand how an extreme event affects the road transportation network. The chapter discusses a system dynamics...
Measurements of erosion potential using Gust chamber in Yolo Bypass near Sacramento, California
Paul A. Work, David H. Schoellhamer
2018, Open-File Report 2018-1062
This report describes work performed to quantify the erodibility of surface soils in the Yolo Bypass (Bypass) near Sacramento, California, for use in the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Yolo Bypass D-MCM mercury model. The Bypass, when not serving as a floodway, is heavily utilized for agriculture. During flood events, surface water flows over the...
Factors influencing elk recruitment across ecotypes in the Western United States
Paul M. Lukacs, Michael S. Mitchell, Mark Hebblewhite, Bruce K. Johnson, Heather E. Johnson, Matthew J. Kauffman, Kelly M. Proffitt, Peter Zager, Jedediah Brodie, Kent Hersey, A. Andrew Holland, Mark Hurley, Scott McCorquodale, Arthur Middleton, Matthew Nordhagen, J. Joshua Nowak, Daniel P. Walsh, P.J. White
2018, Journal of Wildlife Management (82) 698-710
Ungulates are key components in ecosystems and economically important for sport and subsistence harvest. Yet the relative importance of the effects of weather conditions, forage productivity, and carnivores on ungulates are not well understood. We examined changes in elk (Cervus canadensis) recruitment (indexed as age ratios) across 7 states and...
