Carbon fluxes and microbial activities from boreal peatlands experiencing permafrost thaw
Mark Waldrop, Jack McFarland, Kristen L. Manies, Mary-Cathrine Leewis, Steve Blazewicz, Miriam C. Jones, Rebecca Neumann, Jason Keller, Rachel Cohen, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Colin W. Edgar, Merritt R. Turetsky, William Cable
2021, Journal of Geophysical Research- Biogeosciences (126)
Permafrost thaw in northern ecosystems may cause large quantities of carbon (C) to move from soil to atmospheric pools. Because soil microbial communities play a critical role in regulating C fluxes from soils, we examined microbial activity and greenhouse gas production soon after permafrost thaw and ground...
Changes in rocky intertidal community structure during a marine heatwave in the northern Gulf of Alaska
Ben Weitzman, Brenda Konar, Katrin Iken, Heather Coletti, Daniel Monson, Robert M. Suryan, Thomas Dean, D. Hondolero, Mandy Lindeberg
2021, Frontiers in Marine Science (8)
Marine heatwaves are global phenomena that can have major impacts on the structure and function of coastal ecosystems. By mid-2014, the Pacific Marine Heatwave (PMH) was evident in intertidal waters of the northern Gulf of Alaska and persisted for multiple years. While offshore marine ecosystems are known to...
Heatwave-induced synchrony within forage fish portfolio disrupts energy flow to top pelagic predators
Mayumi L. Arimitsu, John F. Piatt, Scott Hatch, Robert M. Suryan, Sonia Batten, Mary Anne Bishop, Rob W. Campbell, Heather Coletti, Dan Cushing, Kristen Gorman, Russell R. Hopcroft, Kathy J. Kuletz, Caitlin Elizabeth Marsteller, Caitlin McKinstry, David McGowan, John Moran, W. Scott Pegau, Anne Schaefer, Sarah K. Schoen, Jan Straley, Vanessa R. von Biela
2021, Global Change Biology (27) 1859-1878
During the Pacific marine heatwave of 2014–2016, abundance and quality of several key forage fish species in the Gulf of Alaska were simultaneously reduced throughout the system. Capelin (Mallotus catervarius), sand lance (Ammodytes personatus), and herring (Clupea pallasii) populations were at historically low levels, and within this community abrupt declines...
Patterns and processes of pathogen exposure in gray wolves across North America
E. E. Brandell, Paul C. Cross, Meggan E. Craft, Douglas W. Smith, E. J. Dubovi, Marie L. J. Gilbertson, Tyler Wheeldon, John A. Stephenson, Shannon Barber-Meyer, B. L. Borg, Mathew Sorum, Daniel R. Stahler, Allicia P. Kelly, Morgan Anderson, H. D. Cluff, Daniel R. MacNulty, David L. Watts, G. Roffler, Helen M. Schwantje, Mark Hebblewhite, K. Beckman, P. J. Hudson
2021, Scientific Reports (11) 3722
The presence of many pathogens varies in a predictable manner with latitude, with infections decreasing from the equator towards the poles. We investigated the geographic trends of pathogens infecting a widely distributed carnivore: the gray wolf (Canis lupus). Specifically, we investigated which variables best explain and predict geographic trends in...
Airborne geophysical imaging of weak zones on Iliamna Volcano, Alaska: Implications for slope stability
Dana E. Peterson, Carol A. Finn, Paul A. Bedrosian
2021, Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth (126)
Water‐saturated, hydrothermally altered rocks reduce the strength of volcanic edifices and increase the potential for sector collapses and far‐traveled mass flows of unconsolidated debris. Iliamna Volcano is an andesitic stratovolcano located on the western side of the Cook Inlet, ∼225 km southwest of Anchorage and is a...
Timing and amount of southern Cascadia earthquake subsidence over the past 1700 years at northern Humboldt Bay, California, USA
Jason S. Padgett, Simon E. Engelhart, Harvey M. Kelsey, Robert C. Witter, Niamh Cahill, Eileen Hemphill-Haley
2021, GSA Bulletin (133) 2137-2156
Stratigraphic, lithologic, foraminiferal, and radiocarbon analyses indicate that at least four abrupt mud-over-peat contacts are recorded across three sites (Jacoby Creek, McDaniel Creek, and Mad River Slough) in northern Humboldt Bay, California, USA (∼44.8°N, −124.2°W). The stratigraphy records subsidence during past megathrust earthquakes at the southern Cascadia subduction zone ∼40...
Ground‐penetrating radar, electromagnetic induction, terrain, and vegetation observations coupled with machine learning to map permafrost distribution at Twelvemile Lake, Alaska
S. Campbell, Martin A. Briggs, S.P. Roy, T. A. Douglas, S. Saari
2021, Permafrost and Periglacial Processes (32) 407-426
We collected ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) and frequency‐domain electromagnetic induction (FDEM) profiles in 2011 and 2012 to identify the extent of permafrost relative to surface biomass and solar insolation around Twelvemile Lake near Fort Yukon, Alaska. We compared a Landsat‐derived biomass estimate and modeled solar insolation from...
Extrinsically reinforced hybrid speciation within Holarctic ermine (Mustela spp.) produces an insular endemic
Jocelyn P. Colella, Lindsey Frederick, Sandra L. Talbot, Joe Cook
2021, Diversity and Distributions (27) 747-762
AimRefugial isolation during glaciation is an established driver of speciation; however, the opposing role of interglacial population expansion, secondary contact, and gene flow on the diversification process remains less understood. The consequences of glacial cycling on diversity are complex and especially so for archipelago species, which experience...
Volcanic seismicity beneath Chuginadak Island, Alaska (Cleveland and Tana volcanoes): Implications for magma dynamics and eruption forecasting
John Power, Diana Roman, John J. Lyons, Matthew M. Haney, Daniel J. Rasmussen, Terry Plank, K. P. Nicolaysen, Pavel Izbekov, C. Werner, A Kaufman
2021, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (412)
Cleveland and Tana are remote volcanoes located in the central Aleutian volcanic arc on the eastern end of the Islands of Four Mountains (IFM). The persistently active Mount Cleveland volcano, on the western side of Chuginadak Island, is surrounded by several closely spaced Quaternary volcanic centers including Carlisle, Herbert, Kagamil, Tana, and...
Tectonic and magmatic controls on the metallogenesis of porphyry deposits in Alaska
Douglas C. Kreiner, James V. Jones III, Karen D. Kelley, Garth E. Graham
2021, Book chapter, Porphyry deposits of the northwestern Cordillera of North America: A 25-year update
Porphyry Cu and Mo deposits and occurrences are found throughout Alaska; they formed episodically during repeated subduction and arc-continent collisions spanning the Silurian to Quaternary. Porphyry systems occur in continental-margin and island arcs, which are broadly grouped into pre-accretionary or post-accretionary arcs. Pre-Mesozoic occurrences formed in continental or island arcs...
Forecasting community reassembly using climate-linked spatio-temporal ecosystem models
James Thorson, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, Lewis Barnett, Wei Cheng, Lisa Eisner, Alan Haynie, Albert Hermann, Kirsten Holsman, David Kimmel, Michael Lomas, Jon Richar, Elizabeth Siddon
2021, Ecography (44) 612-625
Ecosystems are increasingly impacted by human activities, altering linkages among physical and biological components. Spatial community reassembly occurs when these human impacts modify the spatial overlap between system components, and there is need for practical tools to forecast spatial community reassembly at landscape scales using monitoring data. To illustrate a...
Variability of lipids and fatty acids in Pacific walrus blubber
Chadwick V. Jay, Sara J. Iverson, Anthony S. Fischbach
2021, Frontiers in Marine Science (8)
The variability of lipid content and fatty acid (FA) composition across blubber depth and body sites are important considerations for condition and diet studies of marine mammals. We investigated lipid and FA variability among inner and outer blubber layers, three body sites, four study years, and lactation status...
Connectivity between lentic and lotic freshwater habitats identified as a conservation priority for coho salmon
Suresh Sethi, Joshua Ashline, Bradley P. Harris, Jonathon Gerken, Felipe Restrepo
2021, Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems (31) 1791-1801
Juvenile Pacific salmon exhibit diverse habitat use and migration strategies to navigate high environmental variability and predation risk during freshwater residency. Increasingly, urbanization and climate-driven hydrological alterations are affecting the availability and quality of aquatic habitats in salmon catchments. Thus, conservation of freshwater habitat integrity has emerged as an...
Native American fire management at an ancient wildland–urban interface in the Southwest United States
Christopher Roos, Thomas W. Swetnam, T. J. Ferguson, Matthew J. Liebmann, Rachel A. Loehman, John Welch, Ellis Margolis, Christopher H. Guiterman, William Hockaday, Michael Aiuvalasit, Jenna Battillo, Joshua Farella, Christopher Kiahtipes
2021, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (4)
The intersection of expanding human development and wildland landscapes—the “wildland–urban interface” or WUI—is one of the most vexing contexts for fire management because it involves complex interacting systems of people and nature. Here, we document the dynamism and stability of an ancient WUI that was apparently sustainable for more than...
Predictors of invertebrate biomass and rate of advancement of invertebrate phenology across eight sites in the North American Arctic
Rebecca Shaftel, Daniel J. Rinella, Eunbi Kwon, Stephen C. Brown, H. River Gates, Steve Kendall, David B. Lank, Joseph R. Liebezeit, David C. Payer, Jennie Rausch, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Brett K. Sandercock, Paul A. Smith, David H. Ward, Richard B. Lanctot
2021, Polar Biology (44) 237-257
Average annual temperatures in the Arctic increased by 2–3 °C during the second half of the twentieth century. Because shorebirds initiate northward migration to Arctic nesting sites based on cues at distant wintering grounds, climate-driven changes in the phenology of Arctic invertebrates may lead to a mismatch between the nutritional demands...
USGS permafrost research determines the risks of permafrost thaw to biologic and hydrologic resources
Mark P. Waldrop, Lesleigh Anderson, Mark Dornblaser, Li H. Erikson, Ann E. Gibbs, Nicole M. Herman-Mercer, Stephanie R. James, Miriam C. Jones, Joshua C. Koch, Mary-Cathrine Leewis, Kristen L. Manies, Burke J. Minsley, Neal J. Pastick, Vijay Patil, Frank Urban, Michelle A. Walvoord, Kimberly P. Wickland, Christian Zimmerman
2021, Fact Sheet 2020-3058
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with university, Federal, Tribal, and independent partners, conducts fundamental research on the distribution, vulnerability, and importance of permafrost in arctic and boreal ecosystems. Scientists, land managers, and policy makers use USGS data to help make decisions for development, wildlife habitat, and other needs....
Poecivirus is present in individuals with beak deformities in seven species of North American birds
Maxine Zylberberg, Caroline R. Van Hemert, Colleen M. Handel, Rachel Liu, Joseph L. DeRisi
2021, Journal of Wildlife Diseases (57) 273-281
Avian keratin disorder (AKD), a disease of unknown etiology characterized by debilitating beak overgrowth, has increasingly affected wild bird populations since the 1990s. A novel picornavirus, poecivirus, is closely correlated with disease status in Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) in Alaska. However, our knowledge of the relationship between poecivirus and beak...
Re-examination of population structure in Arctic ringed seals using DArTseq genotyping
Aimee R. Lang, Peter L. Boveng, L. Quakenbush, K. Robertson, M. Lauf, Karyn D. Rode, H. Ziel, B .L. Taylor
2021, Endangered Species Research (44) 11-31
Although Arctic ringed seals Phoca hispida hispida are currently abundant and broadly distributed, their numbers are projected to decline substantially by the year 2100 due to climate warming. While understanding population structure could provide insight into the impact of environmental changes on this subspecies, detecting demographically important levels of exchange can be...
Geochemistry of coastal permafrost and erosion-driven organic matter fluxes to the Beaufort Sea near Drew Point, Alaska
Emily M. Bristol, Craig T. Connolly, Thomas Lorenson, Bruce M. Richmond, Anastasia G. Ilgen, Charles R. Choens, Diana L. Bull, Mikhail Z. Kanevskiy, Go Iwahana, Benjamin M. Jones, James W. McClelland
2021, Frontiers in Earth Science (8)
Accelerating erosion of the Alaska Beaufort Sea coast is increasing inputs of organic matter from land to the Arctic Ocean, and improved estimates of organic matter stocks in eroding coastal permafrost are needed to assess their mobilization rates under contemporary conditions. We collected three permafrost cores (4.5–7.5 m long)...
Coding-Complete Genome Sequence of Avian Orthoavulavirus 16, isolated from Emperor Goose (Anser canagica) feces, Alaska, USA
Andrew B. Reeves, Mary Lea Killian, Michael E Tanner, Benjamin Joel Lagassé, Andrew M. Ramey, David E. Stallknecht, Rebecca L. Poulson
2021, Microbiology Resource Announcements (10)
We sequenced the coding-complete genome of an avian orthoavulavirus serotype 16 (AOAV-16) isolate recovered from emperor goose (Anser canagicus) feces collected in Alaska. The detection of AOAV-16 in North America and genomic sequencing of the resultant isolate confirms that...
Freezing in a warming climate: Marked declines of a subnivean hibernator after a snow drought
Aaron N. Johnston, Roger G Christophersen, Erik A. Beever, Jason I. Ransom
2021, Ecology and Evolution (11) 1264-1279
Recent snow droughts associated with unusually warm winters are predicted to increase in frequency and affect species dependent upon snowpack for winter survival. Changes in populations of some cold‐adapted species have been attributed to heat stress or indirect effects on habitat from unusually warm summers, but little is known about...
Effects of increased temperature on arctic slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus is mediated by food availability: Implications for climate change
Casey A. Pennock, Phaedra E. Budy, Carla Atkinson, Nick Barrett
2021, Freshwater Biology (66) 549-561
Lakes are vulnerable to climate change, and warming rates in the Arctic are faster than anywhere on Earth. Fishes are sensitive to changing temperatures, which directly control physiological processes. Food availability should partly dictate responses to climate change because energetic demands change with temperature, but few studies have simultaneously...
Evidence for continental-scale dispersal of antimicrobial resistant bacteria by landfill-foraging gulls
Christina Ahlstrom, Mariëlle L. van Toor, Hanna Woksepp, Jeffrey C Chandler, John Reed, Andrew B. Reeves, Jonas Waldenström, Alan B. Franklin, David C. Douglas, Jonas Bonnedahl, Andrew M. Ramey
2021, Article
Anthropogenic inputs into the environment may serve as sources of antimicrobial resistant bacteria and alter the ecology and population dynamics of synanthropic wild animals by providing supplemental forage. In this study, we used a combination of phenotypic and genomic approaches to characterize antimicrobial resistant indicator bacteria, animal telemetry to describe...
Identification of seasonal streamflow regimes and streamflow drivers for daily and peak flows in Alaska
Janet H. Curran, Frances E. Biles
2021, Water Resources Research (57)
Alaska is among northern high‐latitude regions where accelerated climate change is expected to impact streamflow properties, including seasonality and primary flow drivers. Evaluating changes to streamflow, including flood characteristics, across this large and diverse environment can be improved by identifying the distribution and influence of flow drivers. Using metrics of...
Novel diagnostic tests for the putative agent of bacterial gill disease in Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula)
Brooke A Travis, William N. Batts, Maya Groner, Paul Hershberger, Steven C. Fradkin, Carla M. Conway, Linda Park, Maureen K. Purcell
2021, Journal of Invertebrate Pathology (178)
Nuclear inclusion X (NIX) is a gamma proteobacteria that infects the nuclei of gill epithelial cells in Pacific razor clams. NIX has been associated with clam die-offs in coastal Washington. A quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay was developed to detect NIX in Pacific razor clams, and assay specificity was confirmed by chromogenic in...
