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At least 1,009 records · Page 56Linked to original sources
USGS2025

Assessing the Feasibility of Reintroducing San Francisco Gartersnakes ( Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia ) to La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve, San Mateo County, California

Reintroductions are used worldwide to increase the viability of species and restore native ecological communities. The success of reintroductions is usually judged by the establishment of self-sustaining populations, restoration of naturally occurring ecological communities, and the species resuming its ecological function. Recovery for the endangered San Francisco gartersnake (SFGS, Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia ), a subspecies with a small range in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties in California, will likely require reintroduction and establishment of new populations within its historical range. La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve (LHC), managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD), is one potential site for the reintroduction of SFGS. The La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve is a preserve managed for wildlife, recreation, grazing, and agriculture located near extant populations of SFGS inhabiting other open space preserves managed by MROSD (Cloverdale Ranch Open Space Preserve [CR]; Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve [RR]). We compared the habitat and prey communities at LHC to nearby open space preserves that support extant SFGS populations. Based on pond surveys done annually since 2008, the occurrence of California red-legged frogs ( Rana draytonii ), Sierran chorus frogs ( Pseudacris sierra ), and Pacific newts ( Taricha spp.) at LHC indicates a similar prey community at this preserve to those at CR and RR. Likewise, the landscape at LHC is a similar mosaic of wetlands, open grassland, shrub-dominated scrub, and coast redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens ) and Douglas fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii ) forest that meets the habitat requirements for the life history of SFGS at CR and RR. One difference between LHC and preserves with SFGS populations is the lack of vegetative cover immediately adjacent to some wetlands at LHC, which could affect the ability of SFGS to disperse from wetlands and find terrestrial refuges. To evaluate alternative reintroduction strategies, we simulated population viability for a fixed number of SFGS released at LHC into one to six subpopulations (where each wetland represents a subpopulation) over a period from 5 to 20 years. Population simulations indicated that the highest average viability (in other words, the lowest probability of quasi-extinction) occurred when all SFGS were released into a single subpopulation and releases continued annually for 15 to 20 years. Our results indicate that LHC is a good candidate for reintroducing SFGS with suitable habitat, climate, and prey for this snake subspecies. Supporting SFGS populations at LHC could require habitat management to provide sufficient vegetative cover in the terrestrial environment near wetlands. Maintaining genetic diversity in the reintroduced population will also be paramount to ensure negative effects of inbreeding and homozygosity do not affect population viability.

California↗
USGS2000

A removal model for estimating detection probabilities from point-count surveys

We adapted a removal model to estimate detection probability during point count surveys. The model assumes one factor influencing detection during point counts is the singing frequency of birds. This may be true for surveys recording forest songbirds when most detections are by sound. The model requires counts to be divided into several time intervals. We used time intervals of 2, 5, and 10 min to develop a maximum-likelihood estimator for the detectability of birds during such surveys. We applied this technique to data from bird surveys conducted in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We used model selection criteria to identify whether detection probabilities varied among species, throughout the morning, throughout the season, and among different observers. The overall detection probability for all birds was 75%. We found differences in detection probability among species. Species that sing frequently such as Winter Wren and Acadian Flycatcher had high detection probabilities (about 90%) and species that call infrequently such as Pileated Woodpecker had low detection probability (36%). We also found detection probabilities varied with the time of day for some species (e.g. thrushes) and between observers for other species. This method of estimating detectability during point count surveys offers a promising new approach to using count data to address questions of the bird abundance, density, and population trends.

Book chapter↗
USGS2023

Seasonal roost characteristics and fall behavior of coastal populations of Northern Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis)

Temperate bats exhibit seasonal and sex differences in resource selection and activity patterns that are influenced by ambient conditions. During fall, individuals face energetic trade-offs as they make choices relating to migration, mating, and hibernation that may diverge for populations throughout their range. However, research has largely focused on the summer maternity and winter hibernation seasons, whereas the prehibernation period remains comparatively understudied. Northern Myotis ( Myotis septentrionalis ) have experienced precipitous population declines from white-nose syndrome (WNS), leading to their protected status in the United States and Canada. Therefore, understanding their ecology throughout the year is paramount to inform conservation. We compared seasonal roosts and documented fall behaviors between study sites and sexes on 3 islands: Long Island (New York), Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket Island (Massachusetts). Between 2017 and 2020, we radio-tracked 54 individuals to analyze activity patterns and characterize fall roosts to compare with previously known summer roosts. Summer tree roosts were of smaller diameter, later stages of decay, and lower canopy closure than those used in fall. Both sexes selected trees of similar diameter and decay stage during fall. Anthropogenic roost use was documented in both seasons but use of anthropogenic structures was greater during fall and increased as the season progressed. Bats made short inter-roost movements with males traveling greater distances than females on average. Activity occurred until late November, with males exhibiting a longer active period than females. We tracked 23% of tagged bats to local hibernacula in subterranean anthropogenic structures, the majority of which were crawlspaces underneath houses. Use of anthropogenic structures for roosts and hibernacula may facilitate survival of this species in coastal regions despite the presence of WNS infections. Timing of restrictions on forest management activities for bat conservation may be mismatched based on prehibernation activity observed in these coastal populations, and the conservation of habitat surrounding anthropogenic roosts or hibernacula may be warranted if the structures themselves cannot be protected.

Massachusetts, New York↗
USGS2025

Temporal associations between ambrosia beetles and ʻōhiʻa (Metrosideros polymorpha) artificially inoculated with Ceratocystis lukuohia

Wood boring ambrosia beetles play a central role in the spread of Ceratocystis wilt of ‘ōhi‘a, a fungal disease caused by Ceratocystis lukuohia that kills the bioculturally important ‘ōhiʻa ( Metrosideros polymorpha ) tree. Beetles contribute to the spread of the disease by extruding fungus-infected wood particles (frass). Disease mitigation can benefit from knowledge of ambrosia beetle life-history and fungal survival in affected ‘ōhi‘a. We investigated temporal associations among tree death, the timing and duration of beetle attacks, and the persistence of viable C. lukuohia within intentionally infected (inoculated) ʻōhiʻa at three sites that approximate the elevational range of the disease on the Island of Hawaiʻi. Beetles most frequently attacked inoculated trees at the time when foliage first showed symptoms of infection (yellow leaves; n = 9) although some attacks were observed during earlier (green leaf; n = 3) and later (brown leaf; n = 3) stages of symptom progression. On average, beetles initiated new attacks for nearly one year after trees were inoculated. We tracked active galleries of Xyleborinus saxesenii , Xyleborus ferrugineus and Xyleborus simillimus and found they produced frass with viable C. lukuohia propagules for 122.8 ± 40.0, 275.8 ± 32.7 and 304.2 ± 53.4 days, respectively. Infected ʻōhiʻa felled from our mid-elevation site at the end of the study revealed viable fungal propagules and the presence of X. ferrugineus over two years after trees first appeared symptomatic of infection, suggesting that Ceratocystis wilt of ʻōhiʻa remains a threat to spread from infected trees long after trees succumb to the disease.

Hawaii↗
USGS2006

A review of the population estimation approach of the North American landbird conservation plan

As part of their development of a continental plan for monitoring landbirds (Rich et al. 2004), Partners in Flight (PIF) applied a new method to make preliminary estimates of population size for all 448 species of landbirds present in the continental United States and Canada (Table 1). Estimation of the global population size of North American landbirds was intended to (1) identify the degree of vulnerability of each species, (2) provide estimates of the current population size for each species, and (3) provide a starting point for estimating population sizes in states, provinces, territories, and Bird Conservation Regions (Rich et al. 2004). A method proposed by Rosenberg and Blancher (2005) was used to derive population estimates from available survey data. To enhance the credibility of these estimates, PIF organized a review of the methodology used to estimate North American landbird population sizes. A planning committee selected members from the ornithological and biometrical communities (hereafter “the panel”), with the aim of selecting individuals from academia, state natural-resource agencies, and the U.S. and Canadian federal governments, including the Canadian Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. The panel addressed three questions: (1) Were the methods of population estimation proposed by PIF reasonable? (2) What actions could be taken to improve the data or analyses on which the PIF population estimates were based? and (3) How should the PIF population estimates be interpreted?

The Auk↗
USGS1973

Geology and water resources of the Wharton Tract and the Mullica River basin in southern New Jersey

The Wharton Tract is an area of 150 square miles located in the Mullica River basin in southern New Jersey's Pine Barrens region. The tract is a relatively flat, low-lying, generally sandy area containing shallowly incised streams. The larger streams are commonly bordered by swamps. The tract was purchased by the State primarily as a water-supply preserve, but also for conservation and recreational purposes. Mean streamflow at three continuous record gaging stations in the Wharton Tract is: Mullica River near Batsto (46.1-square mile drainage area), 6 mgd (million gallons per day); Batsto River at Batsto (70.5-square mile drainage area), 81 mgd; Oswego River at Harrisville (64.0-square mile drainage area), 55 mgd. Thus mean discharge from this 180.6-sq mi (square mile) area is 202 mgd or 1.12 mgd per sq mi. Principal aquifers in the Wharton Tract and Mullic River basin are in the Kirkwood Formation of middle Miocene age, Cohansey Sand of Miocene(?) and Pliocene(?) age, and in overlying hydraulically connected deposits of Quaternary age. The Kirkwood Formation is composed of sand, silt, and clay. Diverse lithologies represent deposition in different environments such as nearshore marine, barrier bar, lagoonal, estuarine, and tidal marsh. Hydraulic characteristics of the Kirkwood in the Mullica River basin are virtually unknown. Most Kirkwood aquifers in the basin are believed to be hydraulically connected with the overlying Cohansey Sand. The Cohansey Sand is dominantly a quartz sand containing minor amounts of pebbly sand, silty sand, and interbedded clay. Almost all of the Wharton Tract and most of the Mullica River basin lie within the sandier area of the Cohansey, which contains approximately 75 percent sand beds and 25 percent silt and clay beds. Data from test drilling show that the upper 100 feet of sediments in the Wharton Tract contain about 93 percent sand beds, 3.5 percent clay beds, and 3.5 percent silt beds. The Cohansey in the Tract ranges in thickness from less than 50 feet to about 180 feet; the average thickness is about 125 feet. The Cohansey Sand is believed to be, in overall aspect, a deltaic deposit. It contains materials that were deposited locally in nearshore-marine, fluvial, estuarine, lagoonal, and beach environments. The hydraulic conductivity of Cohansey aquifer material ranges from about 90 to 250 feet per day (660 to 1,885 gallons per day per square foot) in southern New Jersey. One aquifer test in the Wharton Tract gives an average value of 130 feet per day (1,000 gallons per day per square foot). The transmissivity of the Cohansey Sand aquifer through most of the Wharton Tract is typically between 10,000 and 20,000 square feet per day (75,000 and 150,000 gallons per day per foot). Deposits of Quaternary age form a discontinuous veneer lying unconformably above the Cohansey Sand. The most important hydrologic function of most of these deposits is to absorb precipitation and transmit the water to the underlying Cohansey Sand. Thicker deposits of estuarine sand and clay of the Cape May Formation fill a channel in the underlying Cohansey Sand along the lower reaches of the Mullica River. This channel deposit is 85 feet thick near Batsto. Ground water and surface water in the Mullica River basin are low in dissolved solids, generally less than 50 mg/1 (milligrams per liter). Iron concentrations are generally high, up to 49,000 micrograms per liter (49 mg/1) in ground water and up to 7,100 micrograms per liter (7.1 mg/1) in the streams. The water is acidic as indicated by typical pH values of from 4.5 to 6.5. Color of the surface water is commonly high, ranging from 3 - 150 platinum-cobalt units. After appropriate treatment these waters are acceptable for most uses. The Wharton Tract is well situated to support the growing water needs of nearby New Jersey communities. Maximum development of water can be achieved by conjunctive use of ground and surface water. During most of the year, some water would be withdrawn either directly from streams or from adjacent wells. During periods of low flow during summer or fall water would be pumped from wells farther from the stream~. From analysis of flow-duration curves it is estimated that 70 mgd of water could be developed with minimal effect upon low flows in the half of the tract above the gaging stations on the Mullica and Batsto Rivers. The quantity available in the entire tract is greater, possibly in the order of 150 mgd. With augmentation of streamflow by pumping from ground water, it is likely that considerably more water could be safely used on a perennial basis. A possibility exists for multiple use of the water resources of the Mullica River through construction of an inexpensive tide barrier at the Garden State Parkway. This would create a fresh water lake in a State forest, park, and recreational area, which would also provide a flexible and economical water supply for much of the Atlantic coastal resort development.

New Jersey↗
USGS2005

Questa baseline and pre-mining ground-water quality investigation. 14. Interpretation of ground-water geochemistry in catchments other than the Straight Creek catchment, Red River Valley, Taos County, New Mexico, 2002-2003

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New Mexico Environment Department, is investigating the pre-mining ground-water chemistry at the Molycorp molybdenum mine in the Red River Valley, New Mexico. The primary approach is to determine the processes controlling ground-water chemistry at an unmined, off-site but proximal analog. The Straight Creek catchment, chosen for this purpose, consists of the same Tertiary-age quartz-sericite-pyrite altered andesite and rhyolitic volcanics as the mine site. Straight Creek is about 5 kilometers east of the eastern boundary of the mine site. Both Straight Creek and the mine site are at approximately the same altitude, face south, and have the same climatic conditions. Thirteen wells in the proximal analog drainage catchment were sampled for ground-water chemistry. Eleven wells were installed for this study and two existing wells at the Advanced Waste-Water Treatment (AWWT) facility were included in this study. Eight wells were sampled outside the Straight Creek catchment: one each in the Hansen, Hottentot, and La Bobita debris fans, four in a well cluster in upper Capulin Canyon (three in alluvial deposits and one in bedrock), and an existing well at the U.S. Forest Service Questa Ranger Station in Red River alluvial deposits. Two surface waters from the Hansen Creek catchment and two from the Hottentot drainage catchment also were sampled for comparison to ground-water compositions. In this report, these samples are evaluated to determine if the geochemical interpretations from the Straight Creek ground-water geochemistry could be extended to other ground waters in the Red River Valley , including the mine site. Total-recoverable major cations and trace metals and dissolved major cations, selected trace metals, anions, alkalinity; and iron-redox species were determined for all surface- and ground-water samples. Rare-earth elements and low-level As, Bi, Mo, Rb, Re, Sb, Se, Te, Th, U, Tl, V, W, Y, and Zr were determined on selected samples. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), mercury, sulfate stable isotope composition (δ 34 S and δ 18 O of sulfate), stable isotope composition of water (δ 2 H and δ 18 O of water) were measured for selected samples. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and 3 He and 3 H were measured for age dating on selected samples. Linear regressions from the Straight Creek ground-water data were used to compare ground-water chemistry trends in non-Straight Creek ground waters with Straight Creek alluvial ground-water chemistry dilution trends. Most of the solute trends for the ground waters are similar to those for Straight Creek but there are some notable exceptions. In lithologies that contain substantial pyrite mineralization, acid waters form with similar chemistries to those in Straight Creek and all the waters tend to be calcium-sulfate type. Hottentot ground waters contain substantially lower calcium concentrations relative to those in Straight Creek. This anomaly results from the exposure of rhyolite porphyry in the Hottentot scar and weathering zone. The rhyolite contains less calcium than the altered andesites and tuffs in the Straight Creek catchment and probably does not have the abundant gypsum and calcite. The Hansen ground waters have reached gypsum saturation and have similar calcium, magnesium, and beryllium concentrations as Straight Creek ground waters but have lower concentrations of fluoride, manganese, zinc, cobalt, nickel, copper, and lithium. Lower concentrations of elements related to mineralization at Hansen likely reflect the more distal location of Hansen with respect to intrusive centers that provided the heat source for hydrothermal alteration. The other ground water with water chemistry trends that are outside the Straight Creek trends was from an alluvial well from Capulin Canyon (CC2A). Although it had pH values near 6.0 and most major ions similar to the other Capulin Canyon ground waters, it contained high concentrations of fluoride, manganese, aluminum, iron, beryllium, and zinc similar to a mineralized zone and had low alkalinity. Saturation indices indicate that solubility constraints continue to provide upper limits on some solute concentrations. Siderite, ferrihydrite, calcite, gypsum, rhodochrosite, and barite provide limits for concentrations of Fe(II), Fe(III), Ca, Mn, and Ba, respectively. Beryllium concentrations may be subject to an upper concentration limit by the solubility of Be(OH) 2 but these concentrations probably are not reached in the ground waters. Ground-water isotopic data were consistent with the meteoric water line estimated for precipitation in the Red River Valley, indicating that all the ground waters examined in this study were meteoric, recent in origin, and showed no substantial indication of evaporation. Tritium-helium-3 and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) age dating were partially successful. Generally, dates were consistent with location and depth of wells. Two samples had good agreement between CFC dates and tritium-helium dates, whereas a third reflected either substantial mixing with younger or older waters or complications arising from excess helium-4. The well at La Bobita appeared to contain a large component of modern water, most likely as a result of mixing with water from Red River alluvial deposits.

New Mexico↗
USGS2015

Global trends in emerging viral diseases of wildlife origin

Fifty years ago, infectious diseases were rarely considered threats to wildlife populations, and the study of wildlife diseases was largely a neglected endeavor. Furthermore, public health leaders at that time had declared that “it is time to close the book on infectious diseases and the war against pestilence won,” a quote attributed to Dr. William H. Stewart in 1967. There is some debate whether he actually said these words; however, they reflect the widespread belief at that time (Spellberg, 2008). Leap forward to today, and the book on infectious diseases has been dusted off. There is general consensus that the global environment favors the emergence of infectious diseases, and in particular, diseases of wildlife origin (Taylor et al., 2001). Examples of drivers of these infectious diseases include climate and landscape changes, human demographic and behavior changes, global travel and trade, microbial adaptation, and lack of appropriate infrastructure for wildlife disease control and prevention (Daszak et al., 2001). The consequences of these emerging diseases are global and profound with increased burden on the public health system, negative impacts on the global economy and food security, declines and extinctions of wildlife species, and subsequent loss of ecosystem integrity. For example, 35 million people are currently living with HIV infection globally (http://www.who.int/gho/hiv/en); 400 million poultry have been culled since 2003 as a result of efforts to control highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (http://www.fao.org/avianflu/en/index.html), and there are increasing biological and ecological consequences. Examples of health threats to biodiversity include the “spillover” of human diseases to great ape populations (Köndgen et al., 2008), the near-extirpation of the black-footed ferret from canine distemper and sylvatic plague (for a review see Abbott et al., 2012), and threats to Hawaiian forest birds from introduced pathogens such as avian malaria and avian pox (van Riper et al., 1986, 2002). There are also newly discovered pathogens or diseases that have resulted in population declines, and global extinctions of several species. Examples include Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, which causes a cutaneous fungal infection of amphibians and is linked to declines of amphibians globally (Kriger and Hero, 2009); and recently discovered Pseudogymnoascus (Geomyces) destructans, the etiologic agent of white-nose syndrome (WNS), which has caused precipitous declines of North American bat species (Blehert et al., 2009). Furthermore, there is increasing evidence of the subsequent impacts on human and ecosystem health; for example, increasing risk of exposure to Lyme disease as a consequence of decreased biodiversity (LoGiudice et al., 2003) as well as the economic cost of the loss of bats due to decreased insect control services (Boyles et al., 2011). Figure A12-1 is a timeline of important diseases investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey since the 1970s, which illustrates three factors: 1. The unprecedented emergence of new pathogens and geographic spread of known pathogens since the 1990s; 2. Diseases are increasingly causing large-scale, negative impacts on wildlife populations and spreading over larger geographic areas rather than remaining localized; and 3. Diseases are increasingly of concern for multiple sectors, including public health, agriculture and wildlife management agencies. Of increasing concern are these novel diseases such as WNS as they are hard to anticipate, particularly devastating to human health or wildlife populations, challenging to manage, spread over large geographic areas in short time periods, and may result in ecological ripple effects that are difficult to predict. The following article provides examples of recently emerged viral diseases of wildlife origin. The examples have been selected to illustrate the drivers of emerging viral diseases, both novel pathogens and previously known diseases, the impacts of these diseases, as well as the role of wildlife both as “villains” or reservoirs as well as “victims” of these viral diseases. The article also discusses potential management strategies for emerging viral diseases in wildlife populations and future science directions in wildlife health to prevent, prepare, respond to, and recover from these disease events. Finally, the concept of One Health and its potential role in developing solutions to these issues of mutual concern is discussed.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2011

Rare and endangered species of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park; endangered, threatened, and rare animal, plant, and community handbook

Introduction Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park (HAVO) is the largest area in the State of Hawai`i protected for its geology and landscapes and its native flora and fauna. The park covers approximately 135,000 hectares or 333,000 acres in all. These lands stretch from the seacoast of Kīlauea Volcano to far above timberline on the summit of Mauna Loa (Figure 1). This vast area includes expanses of forests, woodlands, shrublands, and barren lava flows that represent an array of native ecosystems. Contained within these communities are a great many species of rare animals and plants, most of them unique to the island of Hawai`i, and some of them surviving only in the park. These are the biological treasures of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Our book is a guide to all animal and plant species in HAVO that are specially recognized as endangered species in the general sense. (The official designations at four levels and the unofficial designation of species of concern are explained later.) There are 23 such animal species and 71 plant species covered in the handbook, including six species planted in HAVO but not naturally occurring. In addition, we describe seven rare communities. In some cases, HAVO offers the best opportunity to save these species and communities from extinction. Increasingly, the park has attempted to restore rare populations by conducting surveys to locate them, controlling threats such as feral livestock, and bolstering existing populations or creating new ones by planting nursery stock. To aid such efforts, our original intent was to publish an identification guide for researchers and field management personnel. Particularly, we wanted to familiarize the reader with the many rare plant species which otherwise are known mainly from the technical literature. Because we soon came to realize that this handbook would be useful to a much larger, general readership, our aim is to make this information available to anyone interested in endangered animals and plants at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

Hawaii↗
USGS2021

Mangroves and people: Impacts and interactions

Mangroves have long been associated with human populations, as coastal communities rely on the various ecosystem services that mangroves provide. However, human degradation and destruction of mangrove forests is common, despite and because of our reliance on them as valuable ecosystems. Mangrove research and management must elucidate and reconcile these conflicts to maintain mangrove forests and the services that humans depend on. To better understand the complex dynamics, interactions and relationships that exist between mangroves and coastal communities, the 5th Mangrove Macrobenthos and Management (MMM5) conference was held in Singapore in July 2019, with the theme “ Mangroves and People: Impacts and Interactions”. This theme was chosen because Southeast Asia is the epicentre of ongoing mangrove loss, and a large number of coastal communities in the region rely on the ecosystem services that mangroves provide. The 32 papers published in this Special Issue represent the breadth of mangrove research presented at MMM5, including topics in faunal biology, ecosystem ecology, genetics, physical geography, biogeochemistry, remote sensing and the social sciences. The articles are characterized under the following topics: 1) mangrove ecosystem functioning; 2) range expansion of mangroves; 3) ecosystem services of mangroves; 4) anthropogenic and natural threats to mangroves; and 5) the management and social-ecology of mangroves. This Special Issue highlights the current state of the art of mangrove research and application, and describes a number of emerging new ideas and research opportunities that will continue to advance mangrove ecosystem science into the future.

Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science↗
USGS2025

The 3D Elevation Program—Supporting Rhode Island’s economy

Introduction High-resolution elevation data are critical to applications of landscape modeling and planning, both of which have a significant effect on Rhode Island’s economy. In these and other enterprises, program managers, while aiming to strike a balance between accuracy and cost, strive to obtain the best available elevation data to help them address a range of issues. Programs focused on climate change, environmental management, transportation design and asset management, aviation navigation and safety, riverine ecosystem management, wildlife habitat characterization and management, shellfish aquaculture, and the management and mapping of forests, parks and recreation areas, soils, wetlands, and impervious surfaces are also among the critical applications that meet the State’s management needs and depend on light detection and ranging (lidar) data that provide a highly detailed three-dimensional (3D) model of the Earth’s surface and aboveground features. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) is managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in partnership with Federal, State, Tribal, U.S. territorial, and local agencies to acquire consistent lidar coverage at quality level 2 or better to meet the many needs of the Nation and Rhode Island. The status of available and in-progress 3DEP baseline lidar data in Rhode Island is shown in figure 1. 3DEP baseline lidar data include quality level 2 or better, 1-meter or better digital elevation models, and lidar point clouds, and must meet the Lidar Base Specification version 1.2 ( https://www.usgs.gov/3dep/lidarspec ) or newer requirements. The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment identified user requirements and conservatively estimated that availability of lidar data would result in at least $178,560 in new benefits annually to the State. The top 10 Rhode Island business uses for 3D elevation data, which are based on the estimated annual conservative benefits of 3DEP, are shown in table 2.

Rhode Island↗
USGS2000

Palaeohydrology, vegetation, and climate since the late Illinois Episode (~130 ka) in south-central Illinois

Our interpretation of pollen and ostracode successions from four basins in south-central Illinois provides a new synthesis of palaeovegetation, palaeohydrology, and palaeoclimate for the period from the late Illinois Episode (about 130,000 years ago) to near the end of the Wisconsin Episode (about 25,000 years ago). Correlations of pollen biozones between Raymond, Pittsburg, and Bald Knob basins are the basis for identifying the late Illinois glacial, Sangamon interglacial, Wisconsin glacial, and Hudson interglacial episodes. Glacial episodes were identified primarily by the presence of Picea pollen and the ostracode Limnocythere friabilis, whereas interglacial episodes were identified by Quercus pollen and by the ostracodes Candona caudata and Heterocypris punctata. Within interglacial and glacial episodes, pollen and ostracode assemblages varied with changes in moisture balance. Local palaeohydrology was assessed primarily on the basis of environmental tolerance indices of ostracodes and the stable isotope (C,O) stratigraphy of ostracodal calcite. Regional moisture balance was assessed from multivariate analyses of the pollen successions. Three climatic regimes occurred during the Sangamon Episode. (1) One regime was characterised by precipitation exceeding evaporation that promoted basin overflow. This climate was inferred from the high percentages (generally >80%) of deciduous-forest pollen. Peaks in the abundance of Liquidambar and Fagus pollen indicate that winters may have been slightly warmer, and effective moisture slightly greater, than at present. (2) The second climatic regime was continental, similar to the present climate of Illinois in which precipitation is equal to or just less than evaporation. This climate is inferred from abundant Ambrosia pollen (40 to 60%) and abundant nektic (swimming) ostracode valves which suggest a shallow lake. These conditions probably developed in association with a 'heat-low' over the interior of North America during marine oxygen isotope stages 5e and 5c. Associated with the transition between the first two climates are fossils of the subtropical ostracode Heterocypris punctata and the giant tortoise Geochelone crassiscutata that suggest short periods in winter when polar low-pressure systems did not extend into Illinois as they do today. (3) The third climatic regime occurred during the transition from the Sangamon interglacial episode to the Wisconsin glacial episode. A severely continental climate is indicated by the heat-tolerant ostracode Pelocypris tuberculatum, variable ??18O values of ostracode valves, and high environmental tolerance index values for the ostracode assemblages. The weedy Chenopodiaceae and Amaranthaceae families grew on exposed mudflats. The tree pollen associated with this type of climate included low percentages of Picea and Liquidambar, an assemblage that has no modem analogue. We suggest that this transitional climatic regime was associated with the large-scale changes in the climate system during marine oxygen isotope stage 4.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2010

Interfacing models of wildlife habitat and human development to predict the future distribution of puma habitat

The impact of human land uses on ecological systems typically differ relative to how extensively natural conditions are modified. Exurban development is intermediate-intensity residential development that often occurs in natural landscapes. Most species-habitat models do not evaluate the effects of such intermediate levels of human development and even fewer predict how future development patterns might affect the amount and configuration of habitat. We addressed these deficiencies by interfacing a habitat model with a spatially-explicit housing-density model to study the effect of human land uses on the habitat of pumas ( Puma concolor ) in southern California. We studied the response of pumas to natural and anthropogenic features within their home ranges and how mortality risk varied across a gradient of human development. We also used our housing-density model to estimate past and future housing densities and model the distribution of puma habitat in 1970, 2000, and 2030. The natural landscape for pumas in our study area consisted of riparian areas, oak woodlands, and open, conifer forests embedded in a chaparral matrix. Pumas rarely incorporated suburban or urban development into their home ranges, which is consistent with the hypothesis that the behavioral decisions of individuals can be collectively manifested as population-limiting factors at broader spatial scales. Pumas incorporated rural and exurban development into their home ranges, apparently perceiving these areas as modified, rather than non-habitat. Overall, pumas used exurban areas less than expected and showed a neutral response to rural areas. However, individual pumas that selected for or showed a neutral response to exurban areas had a higher risk of mortality than pumas that selected against exurban habitat. Exurban areas are likely hotspots for puma-human conflict in southern California. Approximately 10% of our study area will transform from exurban, rural, or undeveloped areas to suburban or urban by 2030, and 35% of suitable puma habitat on private land in 1970 will have been lost by 2030. These land-use changes will further isolate puma populations in southern California, but the ability to visualize these changes had provided a new tool for developing proactive conservation solutions.

California↗
USGS2016

Evaluating detection and monitoring tools for incipient and relictual non-native ungulate populations

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (HAVO) encompasses 1,308 km2 on Hawai‘i Island. The park harbors endemic plants and animals which are threatened by a variety of invasive species. Introduced ungulates have caused sharp declines of numerous endemic species and have converted ecosystems to novel grazing systems in many cases. Local ranchers and the Territorial Government of Hawai‘i had long conducted regional ungulate control even prior to the establishment of HAVO in 1916. In 1995 the park’s hunting team began a new hunt database that allowed managers to review hunt effort and effectiveness in each management unit. Target species included feral pigs (Sus scrofa), European mouflon sheep (Ovis gmelini musimon), feral goats (Capra hircus) and wild cattle (Bos taurus). Hunters removed 1,204 feral pigs from HAVO over a 19-year period (1996‒2014). A variety of methods were employed, but trapping, snaring and ground hunts with dogs accounted for the most kills. Trapping yielded the most animals per unit effort. Hunters and volunteers removed 6,657 mouflon from HAVO; 6,601 of those were from the 468 km2 Kahuku Unit. Aerial hunts yielded the most animals followed by ground hunt methods. Hunters completed eradications of goats in several management units over an 18- year period (1997‒2014) when they removed the last 239 known individuals in HAVO primarily with aerial hunts. There have also been seven cattle and five feral dogs (Canis familiaris) removed from HAVO. Establishing benchmarks and monitoring the success of on-the-ground ungulate removal efforts can improve the efficiency of protecting and restoring native forest for high-priority watersheds and native wildlife. We tested a variety of methods to detect small populations of ungulates within HAVO and the Hō‘ili Wai study area in the high-priority watershed of Ka‘ū Forest Reserve on Hawai‘i Island. We conducted ground surveys, aerial surveys and continuous camera trap monitoring in both fence-enclosed units and unenclosed units where populations of introduced mouflon and feral pigs threatened sensitive native plants and forest bird habitats. Beginning in June 2014, twenty infrared camera traps were positioned in areas occupied by ungulates. The cameras were active for at most 198 days, and then half of the cameras were baited with oats and salt blocks for 126 days. There were a total of 1,496 observations of mouflon captured on camera, totaling 2,592 individuals: 1,020 ewes, 900 rams, 276 lambs, and 396 sheep of unknown sex. There were no detections of the illegally introduced axis deer (Axis axis). There were 11 observations of feral pigs and 109 observations of other animals (birds, rats, and other small mammals), including one detection of the federally endangered Hawaiian hawk (Buteo solitarius). Mouflon detection rates did not increase near baited cameras until three months after the initial baiting. Ground-based surveys for ungulate presence were conducted along six transects in Kahuku in October 2014. Evidence of ungulates were detected in 27.5% of plots surveyed within an unenclosed unit, while an enclosed unit had sign in only 3.6% of plots surveyed. An aerial survey by helicopter was conducted in October 2014. A total of 378 mouflon were detected during the survey: 192 in the Kahuku Paddocks, 186 in the Kahuku East unit and no mouflon were detected in the actively controlled Mauka unit. Two baseline ungulate surveys have been completed at the Hō‘ili Wai study area in the highpriority watershed of Ka‘ū Forest Reserve adjacent to Kahuku prior to the completion of an exclusionary ungulate fence. Ground-based surveys were conducted on four transects within a 4.99 km2 area on 5 August and 5–6 November 2014. In August, 20.71% of 565 plots surveyed 2 had fresh or intermediate ungulate sign. In November, 17.41% of 557 plots surveyed had fresh or intermediate ungulate sign. These surveys represent baseline levels of ungulate activity prior to management; therefore comparative inferences can be made about ungulate distribution and relative abundance, but inferences about absolute abundance cannot be made until all ungulates have been removed from the enclosed area. Additional ground-based surveys will be conducted when the fenced area has been fully enclosed, and until ungulate removals have been completed.

Hawaii↗
USGS2013

Nutrient concentrations in surface water and groundwater, and nitrate source identification using stable isotope analysis, in the Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor watershed, New Jersey, 2010–11

Five streams in the Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor (BB-LEH) watershed in southern New Jersey were sampled for nutrient concentrations and stable isotope composition under base-flow and stormflow conditions, and during the growing and nongrowing seasons, to help quantify and identify sources of nutrient loading. Samples were analyzed for concentrations of total nitrogen, ammonia, nitrate plus nitrite, organic nitrogen, total phosphorus, and orthophosphate, and for nitrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios. Concentrations of total nitrogen in the five streams appear to be related to land use, such that streams in subbasins characterized by extensive urban development (and historical agricultural land use)—North Branch Metedeconk and Toms Rivers—exhibited the highest total nitrogen concentrations (0.84–1.36 milligrams per liter (mg/L) in base flow). Base-flow total nitrogen concentrations in these two streams were dominated by nitrate; nitrate concentrations decreased during storm events as a result of dilution by storm runoff. The two streams in subbasins with the least development—Cedar Creek and Westecunk Creek—exhibited the lowest total nitrogen concentrations (0.16–0.26 mg/L in base flow), with organic nitrogen as the dominant species in both base flow and stormflow. A large proportion of these subbasins lies within forested parts of the Pinelands Area, indicating the likelihood of natural inputs of organic nitrogen to the streams that increase during periods of storm runoff. Base-flow total nitrogen concentrations in Mill Creek, in a moderately developed basin, were 0.43 to 0.62 mg/L and were dominated by ammonia, likely associated with leachate from a landfill located upstream. Total phosphorus and orthophosphate were not found at detectable concentrations in most of the surface-water samples, with the exception of samples collected from the North Branch Metedeconk River, where concentrations ranged from 0.02 to 0.09 mg/L for total phosphorus and 0.008 to 0.011 mg/L for orthophosphate. Measurements of nitrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios of nitrate in surface-water samples revealed that a mixture of multiple subsurface sources, which may include some combination of animal and septic waste, soil nitrogen, and commercial fertilizers, likely contribute to the base-flow nitrogen load. The results also indicate that atmospheric deposition is not a predominant source of nitrogen transported to the BB-LEH estuary from the watershed, although the contribution of nitrate from the atmosphere increases during stormflow. Atmospheric deposition of nitrate has a greater influence in the less developed subbasins within the BB-LEH watershed, likely because few other major sources of nitrogen (animal and septic waste, fertilizers) are present in the less developed subbasins. Atmospheric sources appear to contribute proportionally less of the overall nitrate as development increases within the BB-LEH watershed. Groundwater samples collected from five wells located within the BB-LEH watershed and screened in the unconfined Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system were analyzed for nutrient and stable isotope composition. Concentrations of nitrate ranged from not detected to 3.63 mg/L, with the higher concentrations occurring in the highly developed northern portion of the watershed, indicating the likelihood of anthropogenic sources of nitrogen. Isotope data for the two wells with the highest nitrate concentrations are more consistent with fertilizer sources than with animal or septic waste. Total phosphorus was not detected in any of the wells sampled, and orthophosphate was either not detected or measured at very low concentrations (0.005–0.009 mg/L) in each of the wells sampled.

New Jersey↗
USGS2013

Protocol for monitoring forest-nesting birds in National Park Service parks

These documents detail the protocol for monitoring forest-nesting birds in National Park Service parks in the National Capital Region Network (NCRN). In the first year of sampling, counts of birds should be made at 384 points on the NCRN spatially randomized grid, developed to sample terrestrial resources. Sampling should begin on or about May 20 and continue into early July; on each day the sampling period begins at sunrise and ends five hours later. Each point should be counted twice, once in the first half of the field season and once in the second half, with visits made by different observers, balancing the within-season coverage of points and their spatial coverage by observers, and allowing observer differences to be tested. Three observers, skilled in identifying birds of the region by sight and sound and with previous experience in conducting timed counts of birds, will be needed for this effort. Observers should be randomly assigned to ‘routes’ consisting of eight points, in close proximity and, ideally, in similar habitat, that can be covered in one morning. Counts are 10 minutes in length, subdivided into four 2.5-min intervals. Within each time interval, new birds (i.e., those not already detected) are recorded as within or beyond 50 m of the point, based on where first detected. Binomial distance methods are used to calculate annual estimates of density for species. The data are also amenable to estimation of abundance and detection probability via the removal method. Generalized linear models can be used to assess between-year changes in density estimates or unadjusted count data. This level of sampling is expected to be sufficient to detect a 50% decline in 10 years for approximately 50 bird species, including 14 of 19 species that are priorities for conservation efforts, if analyses are based on unadjusted count data, and for 30 species (6 priority species) if analyses are based on density estimates. The estimates of required sample sizes are based on the mean number of individuals detected per 10 minutes in available data from surveys in three NCRN parks. Once network-wide data from the first year of sampling are available, this and other aspects of the protocol should be re-assessed, and changes made as desired or necessary before the start of the second field season. Thereafter, changes should not be made to the field methods, and sampling should be conducted annually for at least ten years. NCRN staff should keep apprised of new analytical methods developed for analysis of point-count data.

Report↗
USGS2004

Total mercury and methylmercury in fish fillets, water, and bed sediments from selected streams in the Delaware River basin, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, 1998-2001

Within the Delaware River Basin, fish-tissue samples were analyzed for total mercury (tHg). Water and bed-sediment samples were analyzed for tHg and methylmercury (MeHg), and methylation efficiencies were calculated. This study was part of a National Mercury Pilot Program conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The Delaware River Basin was chosen because it is part of the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Program that integrates physical, chemical, and biological sampling efforts to determine status and trends in surface-water and ground-water resources. Of the 35 sites in the study, 31 were sampled for fish. The species sampled at these sites include smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), the target species, and where smallmouth bass could not be collected, brown trout (Salmo trutta), chain pickerel (Esox niger), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), and rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris). There were a total of 32 fish samples; 7 of these exceeded the 0.3 microgram per gram wet-weight mercury (Hg) concentration set for human health by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and 27 of these exceeded the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service criteria of 0.1 microgram per gram wet weight for the protection of fish-eating birds and wildlife. Basinwide analysis of Hg in fish, water, and bed sediment showed tHg concentration in fillets correlated positively with population density, urban land cover, and impervious land surface. Negative correlations included wetland land cover, septic density, elevation, and latitude. Smallmouth bass from the urban sites had a higher median concentration of tHg than fish from agricultural, low intensity-agricultural, or forested sites. Concentrations of tHg and MeHg in water were higher in samples from the more urbanized areas of the basin and were positively correlated with urbanization and negatively correlated with forested land cover. Methylation efficiency of water was negatively correlated with urbanization. Bed-sediment patterns were similar to those observed in water. Concentrations of tHg were higher in samples from the urbanized areas. In the more forested areas, MeHg concentrations were higher than in other land-use areas. Concentrations of tHg in bed sediment were positively correlated with urbanization factors (population, urban land cover, and impervious land surface) and negatively correlated with forested land cover and elevation. Forested land cover and latitude were positively correlated with concentrations of MeHg. The methylation efficiency was higher in samples from the forested areas and was negatively correlated with urbanization. Analyses within land-use groups showed that tHg concentrations in fish fillets from the urban sites were positively correlated with forested land cover and wetland cover. Urbanization factors within the agricultural group were positively correlated with tHg in fish; concentrations of tHg in fish from sites in the low intensity-agricultural group were negatively correlated with urbanization factors. Within the agricultural land-use group, tHg concentrations in water were negatively correlated with septic density, and MeHg concentrations were negatively correlated with elevation. In the forested and low intensity-agricultural groups, MeHg in water was negatively correlated with forested and agricultural land cover. Methylation efficiency in water also was negatively correlated with forested land cover but positively correlated with agricultural land cover. Bed-sediment concentrations of tHg in the forested and low-agricultural groups were positively correlated with agricultural land cover and negatively correlated with forested land cover. Concentrations of MeHg in bed sediment were positively correlated with septic density and drainage area and negatively correlated with forested land cover. Methylation efficiency was negatively correlated with population density, agricultural land cover, and sulfate concentrations in water. An urbanization effect was observed in all three media—fish, water, and bed sediment. Different factors, basinwide and within land-use groups, showed a complex relation. Additional sampling within these land-use groups could help characterize interrelations of Hg in the environment to fish in the Delaware River Basin.

New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania↗
USGS2015

Ants of the national park of American Samoa

American Samoa makes up the eastern end of the Samoan Archipelago. On the islands of Tutuila, Taʽū and Ofu, the National Park of American Samoa (NPSA) protects about 4,000 ha of coastal, mid-slope and ridge-top forest. While the ant fauna of the Samoan Archipelago is considered relatively well documented, much of NPSA has never been surveyed for ants, leaving the fauna and its distribution poorly known. To address this shortfall, we systematically surveyed ants within the Tutuila and Taʽū units of NPSA using standard methods (hand collecting, litter sifting, and baits) at 39 sites within six vegetation types ranging from 8 to 945 m elevation. Forty-four ant species were identified, 19 of which are exotic to the Samoan Archipelago. Two notoriously aggressive species, Anoplolepis gracilipes and Pheidole megacephala were detected at two and seven sites, respectively. Both of these species largely excluded all other ants from bait, although their impact on ant community composition is unclear. A suite of habitat variables measured at each site was assessed to explain park-wide ant distributions. Of eight variables evaluated, only elevation was associated with ant community structure, as the ratio of native to exotic ant species increased significantly with elevation on Tutuila. Our survey documented two species not previously reported from American Samoa. Strumigenys eggersi, detected at 12 sites, appears to be a new immigrant to the Pacific Basin. A species of Pheidole was collected that likely represents an undescribed species. Solenopsis geminata, an aggressive species first reported on Tutuila in 2002, was not detected during our survey.

America Samoa↗