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At least 397 records · Page 22Linked to original sources

Simulated effects of ground-water augmentation on the hydrology of Round and Halfmoon Lakes in northwestern Hillsborough County, Florida

Pumpage from the Upper Floridan aquifer in northwest Hillsborough County near Tampa, Florida, has induced downward leakage from the overlying surficial aquifer and lowered the water table in many areas. Leakage is highest where the confining layer separating the aquifers is breached, which is common beneath many of the lakes in the study area. Leakage of water to the Upper Floridan aquifer has lowered the water level in many lakes and drained many wetlands. Ground water from the Upper Floridan aquifer has been added (augmented) to some lakes in an effort to maintain lake levels, but the resulting lake-water chemistry and lake leakage patterns are substantially different from those of natural lakes. Changes in lake-water chemistry can cause changes in lake flora, fauna, and lake sediment composition, and large volumes of lake leakage are suspected to enhance the formation of sinkholes near the shoreline of augmented lakes. The leakage rate of lake water through the surficial aquifer to the Upper Floridan aquifer was estimated in this study using ground-water-flow models developed for an augmented lake (Round Lake) and non-augmented lake (Halfmoon Lake). Flow models developed with MODFLOW were calibrated through nonlinear regression with UCODE to measured water levels and monthly net ground-water-flow rates from the lakes estimated from lake-water budgets. Monthly estimates of ground-water recharge were computed using an unsaturated flow model (LEACHM) that simulated daily changes in storage of water in the soil profile, thus estimating recharge as drainage to the water table. Aquifer properties in the Round Lake model were estimated through transient-state simulations using two sets of monthly recharge rates computed during July 1996 to February 1999, which spanned both average conditions (July 1996 through October 1997), and an El Niño event (November 1997 through September 1998) when the recharge rate doubled. Aquifer properties in the Halfmoon Lake model were estimated through steady-state simulations of average conditions in July 1996. Simulated hydrographs computed by the Round and Halfmoon Lake models closely matched measured water-level fluctuations, except during El Niño, when the Halfmoon Lake model was unable to accurately reproduce water levels. Possibly, potential recharge during El Niño was diverted through ground-water-flow outlets that were not represented in the Halfmoon Lake model, or a large part of the rainfall was diverted into runoff before it could become recharge. Solute transport simulations with MT3D indicate that leakage of lake water extended 250 to 400 feet into the surficial aquifer around Round Lake, and from 75 to 150 feet around Halfmoon Lake before flowing to the underlying Upper Floridan aquifer. These results are in agreement with concentrations of stable isotopes of oxygen-18 (d18O) and deuterium (dD) in the surficial aquifer. Schedules of monthly augmentation rates to maintain constant stages in Round and Halfmoon Lakes were computed using an equation that accounted for changes in the Upper Floridan aquifer head and the deviation from the mean recharge rate. Resulting lake stages were nearly constant during the first half of the study, but increased above target lake stages during El Niño; modifying the computation of augmentation rates to account for the higher recharge rate during El Niño resulted in lake stages that were closer to the target lake stage. Substantially more lake leakage flows to the Upper Floridan aquifer from Round Lake than from Halfmoon Lake, because the estimated vertical hydraulic conductivities of lake and confining layer sediments and breaches in the confining layer beneath Round Lake are much greater. Augmentation rates required to maintain the low guidance stages in Round Lake (53 feet) and Halfmoon Lake (42 feet) under average Upper Floridan aquifer heads are estimated as 33,850 cubic feet per day and 1,330 to 10,000 cubic feet per day, respectively. These rates equate to 26 inches per month of water applied to the entire surface of Round Lake and 0.34 to 2.5 inches per month of water applied to Halfmoon Lake.

Florida

Forest and flooding with special reference to the White River and Ouachita River basins, Arkansas

The observed response of trees to hydrologic stress and distribution of trees in relation to habitat indicate that flooding, ground-water level, soil moisture, soil factors, and drainage characteristics exert a strong influence on bottomland forest species distribution. The dominant hydrologic factor influencing the distribution of bottomland tree species is flooding. Individual tree species are distributed as a function of frequency and duration of flooding. In the lower White and Ouachita River basins, the flood plains consist of a series of terraces, progressively higher terraces having less frequent flooding and less duration of flooding, and a significantly different composition of forest tree species. The sites studied can be divided into four basic groups and several subgroups on the basis of flood characteristics. On Group I (water hickory-overcup oak) sites, flooded near annually 32 to 40 percent of the time, the dominant species are water hickory and overcup oak. On Group II (nuttall oak) sites, flooded near annually 10 to 21 percent of the time, a more varied flora exists including nuttall oak, willow oak, sweetgum, southern hackberry, and American elm. The third group (Group III or shagbark hickory-southern red oak) of sites is flooded at intervals from 2 to 12 years. This group includes southern red oak, shagbark hickory, and black gum. The presence of blackjack oak in addition to Group III species marks Group IV (not flooded in historic time). (Kosco-USGS)

Arkansas

Summary of biological investigations relating to surface-water quality in the Kentucky River basin, Kentucky

The Kentucky River basin, an area of approximately 7,000 sq mi, is divided into five hydrologic units that drain parts of three physiographic regions. Data on aquatic biological resources were collected and reviewed to assess conditions in the major streams for which data were available. The North, Middle, and South Forks of the Kentucky River are in the Eastern Coal Field physiographic region. Streams in this region are affected by drainage from coal mines and oil and gas operations, and many support only tolerant biotic stream forms. The Kentucky River from the confluence of the three forks to the Red River, is in the Knobs physiographic region. Oil and gas production operations and point discharges from municipalities have affected many streams in this region. The Red River, a Kentucky Wild River, supported a unique flora and fauna but accelerated sedimentation has eliminated many species of mussels. The Millers Creek drainage is affected by brines discharged from oil and gas operations, and some reaches support only halophilic algae and a few fish. The Kentucky River from the Red River to the Ohio River is in the Bluegrass physiographic region. Heavy sediment loads and sewage effluent from urban centers have limited the aquatic biota in this region. Silver Creek and South Elkhorn Creek have been particularly affected and aquatic communities in these streams are dominated by organisms tolerant of low dissolved oxygen concentrations. Biological data for other streams indicate that habitat and water quality conditions are favorable for most commonly occurring aquatic organisms. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report

Modeling of flood-deposited sand distributions in a reach of the Colorado River below the Little Colorado River, Grand Canyon, Arizona

A release from Glen Canyon Dam during March-April 1996 was designed to test the effectiveness with which the riparian environment could be renewed with discharges greatly in excess of the normal powerplant-restricted maximum. Of primary concern was the rebuilding of sand deposits along the channel sides that are important to the flora and fauna along the river corridor and that provide the only camp sites for riverside visitors to the Grand Canyon National Park. Analysis of the depositional processes with a model of flow, sand transport, and bed evolution shows that the sand deposits formed along the channel sides early during the high flow were affected only slightly by the decline in suspended-sand concentrations over the course of the controlled flood. Modeling results suggest that the removal of a large sand deposit over several hours was not a response to declining suspended-sand concentrations. Comparisons of the controlled-flood deposits with deposits formed during a flood in January 1993 on the Little Colorado River that contributed sufficient sand to raise the suspended-sand concentrations to predam levels in the main stem show that the depositional pattern as well as the magnitude is strongly influenced by the suspended-sand concentrations.

Water-Resources Investigations Report

Plants as indicators of ground water

Perhaps the most outstanding feature of the flora of the desert is its relation or lack of relation to the water table. On the one hand are the plants which are adapted to extreme economy of water, which depend on the rains that occur at long intervals for their scanty water supplies, and which during prolonged periods of drought maintain themselves in a nearly dormant condition. These plants are known as xerophytes (from Greek roots meaning "dry plant"). On the other hand are the plants that habitually grow where they can send their roots down to the water table or to the capillary fringe immediately overlying the water table and are thus able to obtain a perennial and secure supply of water. These plants have been called phreatophytes. 1 The term is obtained from two Greek roots and means a "well plant." Such a plant is literally a natural well with pumping equipment, lifting water from the zone of saturation.

Water Supply Paper

El Niño and displays of spring-flowering annuals in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts

Although popular and scientific literature frequently assumes a strong connection between El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and good displays of spring-flowering annuals in the southwestern United States, such assumptions are based on anecdotal, short-term evidence. The goals of this study were to identify good wildflower years as objectively as possible, to assess the correlation between El Niño and good displays of spring-flowering annuals, and to examine the influence of rainfall amounts on good wildflower years. The terms “good displays” and “good wildflower years” refer to times or places when populations of showy spring-flowering annuals (often called winter annuals) are abundant, robust, and diverse. In the deserts of southeastern California and southern Arizona, good wildflower years occurred about once every 5 to 7 years in the 20th century. The connection between good wildflower years and traditionally defined El Niño episodes was weak, but when El Niño was redefined in a phenologically meaningful way as any calendar year in which the average Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) between July and December was negative, 21 of 27 good wildflower years in the combined deserts were associated with El Niño. Good wildflower years were 3.6 times more likely after redefined El Niño years than after other years. Rain in the months before good wildflower years was at least 30% greater than the long-term average in the Mojave Desert and at least 50% greater in the Sonoran Desert. A diverse flora of spring-flowering annuals occurred in the region during the late Wisconsin and early Holocene, which was a period of wetter, milder winters and cooler summers. Perhaps some species of spring-flowering annuals persist today in the arid southwestern United States only because frequent El Niño conditions recreate the cool, moist conditions of the late Pleistocene.

Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society

A comparison of bacteria cultured from unionid mussel hemolymph between stable populations in the upper Mississippi River and a mortality event in the Clinch River

The diagnosis of bacterial disease in freshwater unionid mussels has been hindered by a lack of baseline information regarding the microbial communities associated with these animals. In this study, we cultured and identified bacteria from the hemolymph of stable mussel populations from the upper Mississippi River basin and compared results to those from mussel populations experiencing a mortality event in the Clinch River, VA and TN. Several bacterial genera were consistently identified across mussel species and locations, appearing to be part of the natural bacterial flora. One noteworthy bacterial species was identified from the Clinch River: Yokenella regensbergei. Y.regensbergei occurred in relatively high prevalence during the mortality event but was absent from samples acquired after the mortality event. Its role, if any, in the mortality event is unknown but deserves further investigation. We suggest that future studies of freshwater mussel health incorporate hemolymph as a sample type due to its relative separation from the aquatic environment, its role in the circulatory system and the fact that it can be collected nonlethally.

Mississippi River basin

Book review: Gyrfalcons and Ptarmigan in a changing world

The Peregrine Fund has published proceedings of several conferences over the years and has become experts, and this 2 volume set is no exception. The title of the proceedings sounded especially interesting in this era of almost daily accounts in the media about climate change, its causes and its effects on the planet, including its flora and fauna. This 772-page Proceedings is loaded with useful information regarding Gyrfalcons and their prey and should be in the library of all serious raptor bibliophiles. The sponsors are to be commended for supporting the conference and for publishing the proceedings. Proceedings are available at http://www.peregrinefund.org/gyr-conf Review info: Gyrfalcons and Ptarmigan in a changing world . Edited by Richard T. Watson, Tom J. Cade, Mark Fuller, et. al., 2012. ISBN: 978-1461129073, 978-1469943305, 400 pp.

Journal of Raptor Research

Impacts of a non-indigenous ecosystem engineer, the American beaver (Castor canadensis), in a biodiversity hotspot

Non-native species having high per capita impacts in invaded communities are those that modulate resource availability and alter disturbance regimes in ways that are biologically incompatible with the native biota. In areas where it has been introduced by humans, American beaver ( Castor canadensis ) is an iconic example of such species due to its capacity to alter trophic dynamics of entire ecosystems and create new invasional pathways for other non-native species. The species is problematic in several watersheds within the Southern California-Northern Baja California Coast Ecoregion, a recognized hotspot of biodiversity, due to its ability to modify habitat in ways that favor invasive predators and competitors over the region's native species and habitat. Beaver was deliberately introduced across California in the mid-1900s and generally accepted as non-native to the region up to the early 2000s; however, articles promoting the idea that beaver may be a natural resident have gained traction in recent years, due in large part to the species' charismatic nature rather than by presentation of sound evidence. Here, we discuss the problems associated with beaver disturbance and its effects on conserving the region's native fauna and flora. We refute arguments underlying the claim that beaver is native to the region, and review paleontological, zooarchaeological, and historical survey data from renowned field biologists and naturalists over the past ~160 years to show that no evidence exists that beaver arrived by any means other than deliberate human introduction. Managing this ecosystem engineer has potential to reduce the richness and abundance of other non-native species because the novel, engineered habitat now supporting these species would diminish in beaver-occupied watersheds. At the same time, hydrologic functionality would shift toward more natural, ephemeral conditions that favor the regions' native species while suppressing the dominance of the most insidious invaders.

California

Native plant recovery in study plots after fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) control on Santa Cruz Island

Santa Cruz Island is the largest of the California Channel Islands and supports a diverse and unique flora which includes 9 federally listed species. Sheep, cattle, and pigs, introduced to the island in the mid-1800s, disturbed the soil, browsed native vegetation, and facilitated the spread of exotic invasive plants. Recent removal of introduced herbivores on the island led to the release of invasive fennel ( Foeniculum vulgare ), which expanded to become the dominant vegetation in some areas and has impeded the recovery of some native plant communities. In 2007, Channel Islands National Park initiated a program to control fennel using triclopyr on the eastern 10% of the island. We established replicate paired plots (seeded and nonseeded) at Scorpion Anchorage and Smugglers Cove, where notably dense fennel infestations (>10% cover) occurred, to evaluate the effectiveness of native seed augmentation following fennel removal. Five years after fennel removal, vegetative cover increased as litter and bare ground cover decreased significantly ( P < 0.0001) on both plot types. Vegetation cover of both native and other (nonfennel) exotic species increased at Scorpion Anchorage in both seeded and nonseeded plots. At Smugglers Cove, exotic cover decreased significantly ( P = 0.0001) as native cover comprised of Eriogonum arborescens and Leptosyne gigantea increased significantly ( P < 0.0001) in seeded plots only. Nonseeded plots at Smugglers Cove were dominated by exotic annual grasses, primarily Avena barbata. The data indicate that seeding with appropriate native seed is a critical step in restoration following fennel control in areas where the native seed bank is depauperate.

California

Regeneration and expansion of Quercus tomentella (island oak) groves on Santa Rosa Island

Quercus tomentella (island oak) is an endemic species that plays a key functional role in Channel Island ecosystems. Growing in groves on highland ridges, Q. tomentella captures fog and increases water inputs, stabilizes soils, and provides habitat for flora and fauna. This cloud forest system has been impacted by a long history of ranching, and restoration efforts are underway that include erosion control, leaf litter capture, fog capture, and reforestation. To inform retoration efforts, we explored tree regeneration and the potential for Q. tomentella grove expansion on Santa Rosa Island. We delineated current and historic groves at Black Mountain by comparing stand maps from 1989 and aerial photographs from 1994 and 2015. We evaluated regeneration in the outlying areas by recording the location, diameter at breast height, number of trunks, height class, percent crown mortality, nurse plant species (if present), and reproductive status for all 4355 outlying seedlings, saplings, and mature trees. We defined outliers as individuals that were 15 m outside of the canopy of island oak groves. There are 14 groves at Black Mountain, and grove size expanded by an average of 36.9% (SD 18.5%) between 1994 and 2015. Nurse plants correlated positively with outlier tree height and reduced percent crown mortality. This effect is potentially due to increased fog drip from nurse plant species such as Quercus pacifica (island scrub oak), Heteromeles arbutifolia (toyon), and Baccharis pilularis (coyote brush). These results indicate that Q. tomentella is regenerating and that nurse plants can serve as catalysts for ecosystem restoration.

California

Comparative life history of mud turtles (genus: Kinosternon) from the North American deserts

The warm deserts of North America are characterized by diverse environments that include the transition zone between tropical and temperate regions on the continent. This vast region includes the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, which have different precipitation regimes and are composed of different floras and faunas, separated by the Cochise Filter Barrier. Inhabiting these deserts are 7 mud turtles (representing 4 separate clades within the genus Kinosternon ), and we compared their basic ecology, life history, and estivation time to test for variation between deserts. We used phylogenetic comparative methods to correlate the life history traits with environmental variables (temperature and precipitation) to test for variation between deserts. Life history strategies (clutch size, egg size, and reproductive phenology) of mud turtles were similar across both deserts, with negative correlations of clutch size and age of maturity with both aridity and temperature variables. Maximum estivation time was correlated with the seasonality of each included locality. Overall, life history strategies were quite similar, with small local specializations to avoid high temperatures and periodic lack of water. From a population ecology perspective, populations showed varied sex ratios biased toward males or females, along with different population structure among populations and species. However, most published studies lacked data for hatchlings. Phylogenetic signal is high in traits related to body size, including sexual size dimorphism. Overall, mud turtles from the southwest deserts are adapted to regional seasonality and precipitation regimes, with minor adjustments to fit local conditions.

Western North American Naturalist

Seasonal fluctuations of Lake Michigan diatoms

Diatoms were collected in four areas of Lake Michigan and in southern Green Bay from April to early November 1965. The flora of the lake was characterized by Fragilaria crotonensis, Tabellaria flocculosa, Melosira islandica, Cyclotella 'glomerata-stelligera,' Cyclotella michiganiana, Asterionella formosa, and Stephanodiscus tenuis. Stephanodiscus niagarae always dominated the diatom biomass in Green Bay; also characteristic of the bay were Melosira granulata, Melosira ambigua, Melosira binderana, Fragilaria capucina, and Fragilaria crotonensis. There was an average of 517 diatoms per ml in the lake and 944 in the bay. Diatom abundance appeared to have one peak in the lake and two in the bay. At times of maximum abundance, optimum depth was usually 5 m. Numbers were greater in Green Bay and the inshore areas than in the offshore areas and appreciably higher near the eastern shore than the western shore of the lake. The higher populations near the eastern shore and in Green Bay appeared to be correlated with higher concentrations of phosphorus and chlorophyll a and lower concentrations of nitrate-N.

Limnology and Oceanography

Mud Lake, Florida: Its algae and alkaline brown water

Mud Lake (Marion County, Florida), in the Ocala National Forest, is elliptical, has an area of ca. 180 ha, and a mean depth of less than 50 cm. The water contains about 200 ppm dissolved solids, ranges from brown to nearly colorless (15 to 100 Pt units), and is always alkaline ( p H 7.7 to 10.2). Dissolved Fe, Ca, PO 4 , tannin-lignin, and the specific conductance, color, and temperature of the water were measured monthly for 1 yr, and temperature and p H were measured many other times during the 3-yr study (1966–1968). The lake is surrounded by a zone of mixed hardwood swamp flora and a floating mat of vegetation and has no submerged higher plants and only 1 or 2 m 2 of emergent plants. The lake sediment consists exclusively of minute fecal pellets produced mainly by chironomid larvae and composed solely of blue-green algae. Myxophyceae are represented by at least 10 genera and 12 species, which live exclusively on, or in, the fecal pellets; less than half show a seasonal distribution. The Chlorophyceae consist dominantly of Spirogyra triplicata with minor amounts of Sirogonium sp. and generally occur in enormous winter blooms, correlated with changing amounts of dissolved PO 4 and apparently inversely with both temperature and incident light. Bacillariophyceae are represented by 18 species and varieties, but the total population is small. Nanno-, zoo- and phytoplankton are extremely rare, probably because of the prevailing high intensity illumination and the extremely shallow water. Only the fish population is large, and this is dominated by minnows, gars, and sunfish. The midge population is remarkably small. A bacterial inhibitor probably accounts for the small population of bacteria both in the water and in the top layer of the sediment.

Florida

Rosaceous Chamaebatiaria-like foliage from the Paleogene of western North America

Chamaebatiaria and Chamaebatia, two characteristic genera of the Californian floristic province, are traditionally placed in different subfamilies of Rosaceae, Spiraeoideae and Rosoideae, respectively. Analysis of the foliar and reproductive characters of the extant species of these genera indicates that the two genera could be closely related and the assignment of Chamaebatia to Rosoideae invalid. Fossil leaves of lineages of both genera occur in the Paleogene montane floras of the Rocky Mountain region and provide evidence that the two lineages diverged from a common ancestor in the Eocene. The common ancestor probably was adapted to sunny habitats in mesic coniferous forest, and, during the post-Eocene, the two lineages were able to adapt to progressively drier climates. A third extant genus, the east Asian Sorbaria, also appears to be closely related to the California genera and to have been derived from the same common ancestor. New taxa and combinations proposed are: St onebergia columbiana. n. gen. and n. sp.; Salmonensea prefoliolosa (R. W. Br.), n. gen. and n. comb.; Stockeya creedensis (R. W. Br.), n. gen. and n. comb.; Stockeya montana, n. sp.; and Sorbaria wahrhaftigii, n. sp.

Aliso

The Appalbees menu: A multiyear, multilocus metagenetic assessment of pollen foraging by Appalachian Bombus affinis workers

Background Detailed studies of foraging behavior are needed for scientific management of the endangered rusty-patched bumblebee ( Bombus affinis ) in the disjunct and ecologically differentiated habitats it presently occupies. Current knowledge gaps hinder recovery planning but are challenging to redress through direct observation of rare interactions in the field. Methods We used genetic metabarcoding to characterize the taxonomic composition of pollen collected by B. affinis workers in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia and West Virginia from 2021–2023. We developed a custom sequence database of the regional flora and compared results for two independent genetic loci, internal transcribed spacer 1 and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS1 and ITS2). Results While ITS2 consistently detected more plant diversity, results from the two loci were broadly concordant with a few notable exceptions. The plant genera Hydrangea , Actaea , Rhododendron , Tilia , and (unexpectedly) Laportea were prominent in midsummer samples, with Rubus a consistent contributor in late spring and early summer. Pea flowers (family Fabaceae) were relatively infrequent but the genera Securigera and Trifolium were detected before the Hydrangea bloom and again in late summer afterwards. The diversity of forage plants was highest in late summer, driven primarily by various genera of Asteraceae. Comparing the current data with previous work indicates regional differentiation in forage plants between Appalachia and the upper Midwest, but also allows ‘consensus’ forage sources that are supported by multiple lines of evidence and shared between regions to be tabulated. These results should help managers focus survey efforts for this endangered species and plan habitat enhancements.

Illinois, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Return to Glacier Bay

Seven species of pigeons and doves were cultured for yeasts in the upper digestive tract. The following list gives the isolation rate for each columbid species and the yeasts cultured from them: feral pigeon Columba Livia (Gmelin) 95% -Candida albicans (Robin) Berkhout, C. tropicalis (Castellani) Berkhout, C. krusei (Cast.) Berkhout, C. guilliermondii (Cast.) Langeron et Guerra, Torulopsis glabrata (Anderson) Lodder et De Vries, Saccharomyces telluris Van der Walt, and Geotrichum sp.; white-crowned pigeon (C. leucocephala Linnaeus) 56% -- S. telluris; mourning dove (Zenaidura rnacroura Linnaeus) 24% -- C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. guilliermondii, and Geotrichurn sp.; passerine ground dove (Collumbigallina passerina Linnaeus) 20% -- C. parapsilosis (Ashford) Langeron et Talice, Kloeckera apiculata (Reess Emend. Klocker) Janke; zenaida dove (Zenaida aurita Temminck) 16% -- C. albicans, C. guilliermondii, and T. glabrata; one moustasche dove (Geotrygon mystacea Gosse) -- C. guillierrnondii; ringed turtle dove (Streptopelia rizoria Linnaeus) 14% -- C. albicans and Geotrichurn sp. No signs of disease could be seen in the 139 birds that were examined, and it was concluded that these yeasts comprise a part of the columbid's normal microbial flora.

Alaska Park Science

Planktonic diatoms of Lake Ontario

The major species of diatoms in surface collections from Lake Ontario in September 1964 were Asterionella formosa, Fragilaria crotonensis, and Tabellaris fenestrata. Dominant species in the deep-water samples were Stephanodiscus astraea, S. astraea var. mintula, and F. crotonensis. The diatom flora in surface collections varied among several stations in the eastern end of the lake.

Technical Report