Marking ground targets with radio transmitters dropped from aircraft
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Research Note↗
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Status, distribution, and movements of martens in northeastern Minnesota
The decline of martens in Minnesota is reviewed and a recent increase documented. Adjacent and partially overlapping home ranges of 4.3 to 19.9 sq km were determined by telemetry for a female and three males. Habitat use is described. If current trapping and timber management practices persist, martens should continue to increase.
Research Paper↗
Point counts of birds in bottomland hardwood forests of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley: Duration, minimal sample size, and points versus visits
The purpose of the research was to evaluate the efficacy of point count surveys in bottomland hardwood forests. The specific objectives were to determine: (1) whether the recommended distance measures for point count circular plots are useful in bottomland hardwood forests, (2) the optimum duration for each point count, (3) the optimum number of points to sample at each locality, (4) the optimum number of counts at each point during a season, and (5) the minimum sample size to accommodate the variation in bird species distribution and relative abundance throughout the lower MAV.
Research Paper↗
Influence of temperature and substrate on infection rate, triactinomyxon production, and release duration from eastern tubifex worms infected with Myxobolus cerebralis
Salmonid whirling disease is caused by Myxobolus cerebralis , a metazoan parasite with a two host life cycle involving salmonid fish a an aquatic oligochaete, Tubifex tubifex (Wolf, Markiw and Hiltunen, 1986). Whirling disease has been reported in 22 U.S. states with the greatest losses occurring in the salmonid fisheries of western and Midwestern states. Although whirling disease is endemic in the eastern United States, serious documented losses to wild populations have not been reported. Two high priority research needs identified in 1996 were a better understanding of how worm and parasite populations might differ from different geographic areas and how environmental factors affect the various stages of whirling disease. To begin to address these research needs we established "eastern" populations of worms, parasite and fish hosts. This abstract will present data on the effects of temperature and substrate upon eastern T. tubifex worms infected with an eastern isolate of M. cerebralis . The influences of these abiotic factors upon the ability to infect the worms and subsequently their ability to produce waterborne triactinomyxons.
Book↗
Binational ecological risk assessment of bigheaded carps (Hypophthalmichthys spp.) for the Great Lakes Basin.
Bigheaded carps (Bighead and Silver carps) are considered a potential threat to the Great Lakes basin. A binational ecological risk assessment was conducted to provide scientifically defensible advice for managers and decision-makers in Canada and the United States. This risk assessment looked at the likelihood of arrival, survival, establishment, and spread of bigheaded carps to obtain an overall probability of introduction. Arrival routes assessed were physical connections and human-mediated releases. The risk assessment ranked physical connections (specifically the Chicago Area Waterway System) as the most likely route for arrival into the Great Lakes basin. Results of the risk assessment show that there is enough food and habitat for bigheaded carp survival in the Great Lakes, especially in Lake Erie and productive embayments in the other lakes. Analyses of tributaries around the Canadian Great Lakes and the American waters of Lake Erie indicate that there are many suitable tributaries for bigheaded carp spawning. Should bigheaded carps establish in the Great Lakes, their spread would not likely be limited and several ecological consequences can be expected to occur. These consequences include competition for planktonic food leading to reduced growth rates, recruitment and abundance of planktivores. Subsequently this would lead to reduced stocks of piscivores and abundance of fishes with pelagic, early life stages. Overall risk is highest for lakes Michigan, Huron, and Erie, followed by Lake Ontario then Lake Superior. To avoid the trajectory of the invasion process and prevent or minimize anticipated consequences, it is important to continue to focus efforts on reducing the probability of introduction of these species at either the arrival, survival, establishment, or spread stage (depending on location).
Great Lakes Basin↗
Abstracting and indexing guide
These instructions have been prepared for those who abstract and index scientific and technical documents for the Water Resources Scientific Information Center (WRSIC). With the recent publication growth in all fields, information centers have undertaken the task of keeping the various scientific communities aware of current and past developments. An abstract with carefully selected index terms offers the user of WRSIC services a more rapid means for deciding whether a document is pertinent to his needs and professional interests, thus saving him the time necessary to scan the complete work. These means also provide WRSIC with a document representation or surrogate which is more easily stored and manipulated to produce various services. Authors are asked to accept the responsibility for preparing abstracts of their own papers to facilitate quick evaluation, announcement, and dissemination to the scientific community.
Monograph↗
Estimating abundance of the Southern Hudson Bay polar bear subpopulation using aerial surveys, 2011 and 2012
The Southern Hudson Bay (SH) polar bear subpopulation occurs at the southern extent of the species’ range. Although capture-recapture studies indicate that abundance remained stable between 1986 and 2005, declines in body condition and survival were documented during the period, possibly foreshadowing a future decrease in abundance. To obtain a current estimate of abundance, we conducted a comprehensive line transect aerial survey of SH during 2011–2012. We stratified the study site by anticipated densities and flew coastal contour transects and systematically spaced inland transects in Ontario and on Akimiski Island and large offshore islands in 2011. Data were collected with double observer and distance sampling protocols. We also surveyed small islands in Hudson Bay and James Bay and flew a comprehensive transect along the Québec coastline in 2012. We observed 667 bears in Ontario and on Akimiski Island and nearby islands in 2011, and we sighted 80 bears on offshore islands during 2012. Mark-recapture distance sampling and sightresight models yielded a model-averaged estimate of 868 (SE: 177) for the 2011 study area. Our estimate of abundance for the entire SH subpopulation (951; SE: 177) suggests that abundance has remained unchanged. However, this result should be interpreted cautiously because of the methodological differences between historical studies (physical capture) and this survey. A conservative management approach is warranted given the previous increases in the duration of the ice-free season, which are predicted to continue in the future, and previously documented declines in body condition and vital rates.
Hudson Bay↗
Long-term ecological research in Loch Vale Watershed, Rocky Mountain National Park. Annual Report, 1994
No abstract available.
Annual Report↗
Sand lance: A review of biology and predator relations and annotated bibliography
Six species of sand lance ( Ammodytes ) in temperate and boreal regions are currently recognized. Sand lance can occupy a wide range of environmental conditions, but all appear to be dormant predominantly in winter, and one species is in summer also. They lack a swim bladder and spend much of their time buried in specific substrates. Copepods are the primary food. Spawning usually occurs in fall or winter (although some species also spawn in spring), eggs are demersal, and larvae may hatch at times of low food abundance. Sand lance usually occur in schools and are regarded as a relatively high-quality forage fish. Sand lance constitute a major prey for at least some populations of over 100 species of consumer, including 40 species of birds, 12 species of marine mammals, 45 species of fishes, and some invertebrates. Variation in the availability of sand lance (and other forage fishes) can have major effects on the breeding success and survival of their predators. Commercial fishing and other pressures on sand lance populations potentially have ramifying effects on many species of wildlife. The bibliography contains over 1,700 references on the family Ammodytidae, with an emphasis on the genus Ammodytes . Keywords are provided for each reference and have been further organized into taxonomic, geographic, subject, and predator indexes.
Research Paper↗
A paleolimnological comparison of Burntside and Shagawa Lakes, northeastern Minnesota
The paleolimnological records of Burntside and Shagawa Lakes in northeastern Minnesota reveal that these two adjacent lakes have been limnologically distinct for many years prior to the late 19th century activities of white men that polluted Shagawa Lake. Although both lakes occur within the same vegetation type and share much of their water, the diatom stratigraphy of their bottom sediments indicates that Burntside Lake was less productive in its natural state than Shagawa Lake. The causes for this natural difference are not clearly known, but differences in relative size of drainage area and in bedrock geology may he responsible. Intensive white settlement around Shagawa Lake beginning in 1866 supplied nutrients that increased its productivity and finally supported the massive blooms of blue-green algae that characterize culturally eutrophic lakes. Burntside Lake was spared such intensive eutrophication, but its diatom record shows that nutrients derived from shoreside recreational cabins and related construction activity are increasing the lake's productivity. The results of this study show that paleolimnological studies may provide better comparative information for lake rehabilitation programs than do biological and chemical analyses of contemporary unpolluted water bodies.
Minnesota↗
Assessing the potential for rainbow trout reproduction in tributaries of the Mountain Fork River below Broken Bow Dam, southeastern Oklahoma
Stocked trout (Salmonidae) in reservoir tailwater systems in the Southern United States have been shown to use tributary streams for spawning and rearing. The lower Mountain Fork of the Little River below Broken Bow Dam is one of two year-round tailwater trout fisheries in Oklahoma, and the only one with evidence of reproduction by stocked rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Whether stocked trout use tributaries in this system for spawning is unknown. Furthermore, an inventory of the resident fish communities in these tributaries is lacking. To address these gaps, we surveyed 10 tributaries, from intermittent through third order, for fishes during presumed spawning periods of rainbow trout; we used backpack electrofishing in February and April 2015 and 2016 to determine the composition of the fish assemblages and whether trout were present. Stocked adult trout were found in three tributaries in 2015; wild juvenile rainbow trout were found in Bee Branch in 2015 and in an intermittent tributary of Spillway Creek, just above the “Cold Hole,” in 2016. Fish assemblages were dominated by highland stonerollers (Campostoma spadiceum) in larger, wider systems and by orangebelly darters (Etheostoma radiosum) in smaller, narrower streams. These data fill an information gap in our understanding of small streams in the Ouachita Mountains, and they demonstrate that some streams are suitable for rainbow trout reproduction.
Oklahoma↗
Canyons microbiology studies
Off the eastern coast of the United States, several deep canyons cut through the continental shelf, acting like funnels to move sediment from the shelf out to the deep seafloor. Exposed rock outcrops and ledges along the walls of these canyons provide important habitat for deepsea corals and sponges. Although a few scientific expeditions have visited these canyons in the 1970s (Hecker and Blechschmidt 1979, Hecker et al. 1980), their purpose was mainly to map the contours and capture photographs of the bottom using manned submersibles and towed cameras. Our knowledge of the biodiversity in these complex ecosystems is limited; we know little about the macrofauna (e.g., fishes, crabs, sponges, and deepsea corals) and even less about the microbiota. The research described in this report was conducted from 2011 to 2015 as part of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) study, entitled “Atlantic Deepwater Canyons” study. This work used molecular and microbiological techniques to examine the microbial ecology and diversity associated with Baltimore and Norfolk canyons. Specifically, this work focused on the microbial ecology of four species of octocorals (Acanthogorgia aspera, Anthothela grandiflora, Paramuricea placomus, and Primnoa resedaeformis), the microbial diversity in sediments within and outside the canyons, and a settling plate experiment designed to characterize microbial biofilm formation on a variety of hard substrates.
OCS Study↗
Remote sensing studies of the geomorphology of Surtsey, 1987-1991
The volcanic island of Surtsey, formed by explosive submarine and effusive subaerial eruptions between November 1963 and June 1967, consists of a complex combination of primary and redeposited tephra and alkaline olivine basalt lava flows in a 2.5 km 2 area (Thorarinsson, 1967; Thorarinsson et al., 1964; Fridriksson, 1975). During the past 24 years, wave and wind erosion of this subaerial mid-ocean ridge (MOR) vent complex have modified Surtsey's coastal morphology, including the deposition of a 0.5 km-long northern peninsula ( ness ) composed of tephra and rounded lava fragments derived from the southern half of the island. Detailed geomorphologic and sedimentologic mapping of the various surface units now present on Surtsey has been accomplished throughout the history of the evolving island, most recently by Calles et al. (1980) and Ingolfsson (1980). On the basis of these studies, an effort to quantify the topographic characteristics of the primary geomorphic units on the island was initiated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in 1987. The objective has been to directly measure the microtopographic properties of the widest range of surface types possible, with special emphasis on the pristine or dynamic types. While large-scale topographic maps of Surtsey were prepared in 1968 and 1975 (Norrman, 1980; Norrman and Erlingsson, 1991; Calles et al, 1980), and geodetic leveling surveys have been carried out (Moore, 1980), there have been no recent attempts to geodetically determine the local topography of the island. Because of the rapid rates of geomorphic processes, such as erosion and deposition, on a small, geologically isolated volcanic island such as Surtsey, it is desirable to determine the meter-scale topographic character of its surface units and landforms, and later a remeasurement of the same surfaces to further quantify volumetric change, subsidence, and process rates. In addition, precise measurements of sub-meter-scale topography of pristine geologic surfaces provides necessary data for the investigation of whether various geologic processes demonstrate fractal or self-affine behavior at a range of length-scales within the interval 0.1 in to 1 km. Thus Surtsey offers a unique opportunity to apply new remote sensing techniques to the measurement of the evolving surface "roughness" characteristics of pristine geologic surfaces within an historically well-monitored environment.
Surtsey Research Progress Report↗
Application of paleoflood surveys for the southern Black Hills of South Dakota
Flood-frequency analyses for the Black Hills area have especially large uncertainties and are especially important for planning purposes because of a history of extremely large and damaging floods, such as the extreme floods of June 9–10, 1972. Geology, topography, and climatology are additional complicating factors for flood-frequency characterization for the area. Two previous paleoflood studies for the Black Hills area indicated good potential for improving flood-frequency analyses through implementation of paleoflood investigations. The objectives of this study (SD2010-04) for the southern Black Hills were to (1) develop long-term flood chronologies and associated peak-flow frequency analyses for selected stream reaches by applying paleoflood hydrology approaches; and (2) develop flood-frequency information regarding “high-elevation” stream reaches to help address questions regarding differential potential for generation of exceptionally strong rain-producing thunderstorms across elevation gradients in the area. Neither objective was accomplished because the study was terminated before planned completion. Substantial efforts could be applied for only 2 of the 12 research tasks prior to study termination. These were task 3 (preliminary reconnaissance) and task 4 (activities associated with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act). Field reconnaissance conducted along 10 candidate streams indicated that conditions in the southern Black Hills appear quite favorable for conducting paleoflood investigations. All 10 candidate streams had moderate to good potential for favorable paleoflood evidence, and in general are well constrained in relatively narrow canyon reaches, which provides good sensitivity for changes in stage, relative to discharge. Task 4 (Section 106 activities) was needed because alcoves and rock shelters that are well suited for deposition and preservation of paleoflood evidence may have been used as shelters or cache locations by indigenous inhabitants and thus may be eligible for consideration as historic properties because of possible archaeological or cultural materials. The complexity of the Section 106 concerns and issues became progressively more apparent as the study evolved. The study eventually was terminated when it became apparent that the resources needed to address the Section 106 issues would overwhelm the resources available for study implementation. In the event of consideration of future re-implementation, approaches that might help expedite Section 106 issues could include (1) a partnership with another Federal agency that has substantial experience with the Section 106 process; (2) securing assistance from a consultant that could help with both the Section 106 process and the required archaeological component; and (3) partnering with a tribal college with archaeological or earth science/hydrology programs, which could help make this study become part of a learning exercise.
South Dakota↗
Why strategic bird monitoring plan for the Gulf of Mexico?
No abstract available.
Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas↗
Simulating the effort necessary to detect changes in northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) populations using passive acoustic monitoring
Passive acoustic monitoring is a promising method for monitoring rare and nocturnal species, and for tracking changes in forest wildlife biodiversity. We conducted simulations to compare and evaluate various passive acoustic sampling designs effectiveness for monitoring spotted owl ( Strix occidentalis caurina ) population trends. We found that each design was effective for detecting a decline (or stability) in spotted own populations within 10 years with even a moderate amount of sampling. There are however, important considerations and tradeoffs among the various design options. Often, estimated changes in use of the landscape were biased with a consistently lower magnitude of change compared to simulated changes in the population. Although this method has challenges, passive acoustic monitoring can be used to effectively monitor northern spotted owls in the Pacific Northwest.
California, Oregon, Washington↗
The formation, transport, and breakup of submerged oil-particle aggregates in Great Lakes riverine environments
The formation, transport, and resuspension of oil-particle aggregates (OPA) in freshwater environments are of much interest to oil spill responders and scientists, especially as transportation of light and heavy crude oils has substantially increased across river corridors and coasts in the Great Lakes Basin. The persistent sheening from accumulated OPA along 60 km of the Kalamazoo River in Michigan’s lower peninsula resulted in a lengthy and expensive cleanup for the 2010 Enbridge Line 6B pipeline rupture. The interaction of oil with river mineral sediment and organic matter and its long-term fate depend on the physical properties of the oil and particles as well as the environmental setting of river, its climate, morphology, currents and mixing opportunities. This research brief describes the expanded work conducted for the cleanup for the 2010 Enbridge Line 6B pipeline rupture and includes laboratory experiments of aggregate characteristics with Cold Lake Blend and a range of sediment particle sizes, addition of an OPA formation algorithm to an existing sediment contaminant transport model, and development of a simplified, particle-tracking based rapid response model of OPA formation, transport, and deposition. A description of formulas developed for mixing energy in rivers in terms of river properties is also included.
Michigan↗
Geologic setting and geomorphic history of La Botica and surrounding area
La Botica is located on the gently east-dipping marginal area between the high San Juan Mountains to the west and the San Luis Basin to the east in south-central Colorado. The site is positioned on a topographic bench perched about 70 to 80 m above La Jara Creek (figure 2.1), a tributary to the Rio Grande. The unique floral assemblage at La Botica has resulted in intermittent occupation over the last several thousand years. The physical environment supporting this assemblage is a result of Quaternary surface processes that have modified the underlying Tertiary bedrock. Underlying bedrock at the site consists of Oligocene to Pliocene volcanic and sedimentary deposits related to the Rio Grande rift and the San Juan volcanic locus of the Southern Rocky Mountains volcanic field. Local bedrock is mildly deformed by normal faulting and eastward tilting due to the onset of Oligocene extensional deformation and initial formation of the San Luis Basin. The geomorphic evolution and incision history of La Jara Creek are directly linked to middle to late Pleistocene evolution of the Rio Grande and to regional alpine glacial cycles over the last 500 k.y. (thousand years). Subsequent degradation of surrounding bedrock and development of mass-wasting deposits, such as landslides and talus slopes, have strongly influenced the incision history of La Jara Creek and the local environment at La Botica. In addition, local talus slopes and blockfields can host processes that actively modify the local environment, and these processes may have contributed to establishment of the floral assemblage.
Colorado↗