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USGS2020

Physical and chemical stressors on algal, invertebrate, and fish communities in 14 Milwaukee area streams, 2004–2013

In 2004, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began sampling 14 wadable streams in urban or urbanizing watersheds near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The overall goal of the study is to assess the health of the aquatic communities in the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District planning area to inform current and future watershed management. In addition to collection of biological data on aquatic communities, physical and chemical data were also collected to evaluate effects of potential environmental stressors on the aquatic communities. This fact sheet summarizes the primary results of the study from 2004 to 2013. Detailed information is described in Scudder Eikenberry and others (2020a), and all data are available in Scudder Eikenberry and others (2020b; https://doi.org/10.5066/P9FWMODL ).

Wisconsin↗

USGS2021

Data management and interactive visualizations for the evolving marine biodiversity observation network

Assessing the current state of and predicting change in the ocean’s biological and ecosystem resources requires observations and research to safeguard these valuable public assets. The Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) partnered with the Global Ocean Observing System Biology and Ecosystems Panel and the Ocean Biodiversity Information System to address these needs through collaboration, data standardization, and data sharing. Here, we describe the generalized MBON data processing flow, which includes several steps to ensure that data are findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. By following this flow, data collected and managed by MBON have contributed to our understanding of the Global Ocean Observing System Essential Ocean Variables and demonstrated the value of web-based, interactive tools to explore and better understand environmental change. Although the MBON’s generalized data processing flow is already in practice, work remains in building ontologies for biological concepts, improving processing scripts for data standardization, and speeding up the data collection-to-sharing timeframe.

Oceanography↗

USGS1995

K1-95-HW: Cruise report 1995 - Preliminary results, phase III: Sediment chemistry and biological sampling survey

Mamala Bay, off the south shore of the island of Oahu, has been used as a repository of dredged material primarily from Pearl and Honolulu Harbors for over a century. The U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are conducting an integrated study on the distribution and character of dredged materials as well as the effects of dredged material on the marine environment. A three phase study is providing information to evaluate the effects on seafloor substrate and the benthic fauna. The studies include geophysical profiling and imaging, bottom photography, sampling, chemical and physical analyses of sediment, and evaluations of the benthic population, population density, and adverse impacts to the benthic fauna. Phase 1, conducted in 1993, inventoried the seafloor via remote sensing. Sidescan sonar and subbottom profilers characterized the seafloor in and around the disposal sites, and the resulting products reveal the character and extent of the dredged material. These data were used to plan Phase 2 in 1994, a sampling program that employed subbottom profilers, video and still photography, and seafloor sampling to ground truth the sonar mosaic and identify the seafloor substrates responsible for the various acoustic signatures on the sonar images and subbottom profiles. Box coring provided the samples necessary to distinguish dredged material from native sediment, and for the chemical analyses used to determine contaminant concentrations. Phase 3 studies conducted in June of 1995 consisted of box core sampling for chemical and biological analyses. Specific studies include: infaunal taxonomy and population density, bioassay/bioaccumulation, sediment chemistry, and post-disposal resuspension and transport. The 1995 survey, conducted June 14 through 17, resulted in the collection of 39 box cores from 20 different stations. Multiple box cores were composited at 7 different locations occupied in 1994, to provide the material required for the 7 bioassay and bioaccumulation analyses currently underway (Figure 1). Seventeen of the 20 stations occupied provided the biological samples for the benthic infaunal identification and population density study conducted by Dr. Julie Brock of the University of Hawaii, and the sediment chemistry analyses conducted (and completed) by Quanterra Environmental Laboratories (Figure 1). Seven of the 20 stations occupied in 1995 were occupied in 1994, and provide the data for direct comparison of sediment chemistry at the same sites from two consecutive years. The sum total of the data collected from all three phases of the monitoring program will provide the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with the information required to make informed decisions as to the management of the South Oahu disposal site in Mamala Bay.

Hawai'i↗

USGS2021

Identifying chemicals and mixtures of potential biological concern detected in passive samplers from Great Lakes tributaries using high-throughput data and biological pathways

Waterborne contaminants were monitored in 69 tributaries of the Laurentian Great Lakes in 2010 and 2014 using semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS). A risk-based screening approach was used to prioritize chemicals and chemical mixtures, identify sites at greatest risk for biological impacts, and identify potential hazards to monitor at those sites. Analyses included 185 chemicals (143 detected) including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), legacy and current-use pesticides, fire retardants, pharmaceuticals, and fragrances. Hazard quotients were calculated by dividing detected concentrations by biological effect concentrations reported in the ECOTOX Knowledgebase (toxicity quotients) or ToxCast database (exposure–activity ratios [EARs]). Mixture effects were estimated by summation of EAR values for chemicals that influence ToxCast assays with common gene targets. Nineteen chemicals—atrazine, N,N -diethyltoluamide, di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, dl-menthol, galaxolide, p-tert-octylphenol, 3 organochlorine pesticides, 3 PAHs, 4 pharmaceuticals, and 3 phosphate flame retardants—had toxicity quotients >0.1 or EARs for individual chemicals >10 –3 at 10% or more of the sites monitored. An additional 4 chemicals (tributyl phosphate, triethyl citrate, benz[ a ]anthracene, and benzo[ b ]fluoranthene) were present in mixtures with EARs >10 –3 . To evaluate potential apical effects and biological endpoints to monitor in exposed wildlife, in vitro bioactivity data were compared to adverse outcome pathway gene ontology information. Endpoints and effects associated with endocrine disruption, alterations in xenobiotic metabolism, and potentially neuronal development would be relevant to monitor at the priority sites. The EAR threshold exceedance for many chemical classes was correlated with urban land cover and wastewater effluent influence, whereas herbicides and fire retardants were also correlated to agricultural land cover. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:2165–2182. Published 2021. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Great Lakes↗

USGS2022

A review of asteroid biology in the context of sea star wasting: Possible causes and consequences

Sea star wasting—marked in a variety of sea star species as varying degrees of skin lesions followed by disintegration—recently caused one of the largest marine die-offs ever recorded on the west coast of North America, killing billions of sea stars. Despite the important ramifications this mortality had for coastal benthic ecosystems, such as increased abundance of prey, little is known about the causes of the disease or the mechanisms of its progression. Although there have been studies indicating a range of causal mechanisms, including viruses and environmental effects, the broad spatial and depth range of affected populations leaves many questions remaining about either infectious or non-infectious mechanisms. Wasting appears to start with degradation of mutable connective tissue in the body wall, leading to disintegration of the epidermis. Here, we briefly review basic sea star biology in the context of sea star wasting and present our current knowledge and hypotheses related to the symptoms, the microbiome, the viruses, and the associated environmental stressors. We also highlight throughout the article knowledge gaps and the data needed to better understand sea star wasting mechanistically, its causes, and potential management.

Biological Bulletin↗

USGS2006

Understanding the genetic effects of recent habitat fragmentation in the context of evolutionary history: Phylogeography and landscape genetics of a southern California endemic Jerusalem cricket (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatidae: Stenopelmatus)

Habitat loss and fragmentation due to urbanization are the most pervasive threats to biodiversity in southern California. Loss of habitat and fragmentation can lower migration rates and genetic connectivity among remaining populations of native species, reducing genetic variability and increasing extinction risk. However, it may be difficult to separate the effects of recent anthropogenic fragmentation from the genetic signature of prehistoric fragmentation due to previous natural geological and climatic changes. To address these challenges, we examined the phylogenetic and population genetic structure of a flightless insect endemic to cismontane southern California, Stenopelmatus 'mahogani' (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatidae). Analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequence data suggest that diversification across southern California began during the Pleistocene, with most haplotypes currently restricted to a single population. Patterns of genetic divergence correlate with contemporary urbanization, even after correcting for (geographical information system) GIS-based reconstructions of fragmentation during the Pleistocene. Theoretical simulations confirm that contemporary patterns of genetic structure could be produced by recent urban fragmentation using biologically reasonable assumptions about model parameters. Diversity within populations was positively correlated with current fragment size, but not prehistoric fragment size, suggesting that the effects of increased drift following anthropogenic fragmentation are already being seen. Loss of genetic connectivity and diversity can hinder a population's ability to adapt to ecological perturbations commonly associated with urbanization, such as habitat degradation, climatic changes and introduced species. Consequently, our results underscore the importance of preserving and restoring landscape connectivity for long-term persistence of low vagility native species. Journal compilation ?? 2006 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Molecular Ecology↗

USGS2005

Advancing migratory bird conservation and management by using radar: An interagency collaboration

Migratory birds face many changes to the landscapes they traverse and the habitats they use. Wind turbines and communications towers, which pose hazards to birds and bats in flight, are being erected or proposed across the United States and offshore. Human activities can also destroy or threaten habitats critical to birds during migratory passage, and climate change appears to be altering migratory patterns. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and other agencies are under increasing pressure to identify and evaluate movement patterns and habitats used during migration and other times. Few tools for deciphering migratory travels exist, but radar-based studies of movements and habitat use patterns in songbirds, waterfowl, and bats hold promise. The U.S. system of over 150 Doppler weather radars provides continental coverage, similar to the scale of bird migration. Although data stored from weather radar represent perhaps the second largest biological data archive in the world, use of those data is currently limited to technically savvy biologists who can handle the obscure data formats. Complementary mobile radar units and thermal and acoustic monitoring are also used in site-specific studies. Efforts to advance bird conservation and management through the use of radar arose independently in several USFWS/USGS collaborations. Recently, this coalition of scientists and resource managers identified the need to work together more closely to foster radar-related research and software development. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists at Fort Collins Science Center, National Wetlands Research Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, and Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, as well as USFWS Migratory Bird biologists across the country, are collaborating with university partners to develop a suite of products for managers. The goals are to identify migratory pathways and stopover sites for conservation, mitigation, and landscape planning; convey the importance of functional landscapes and unobstructed airspaces for migrating wildlife; enable use of radar by the wider biological, wind power, and related communities; and simplify the analysis of radar data. The long term focus is to use radar technologies to better understand movement patterns and habitat associations of migratory birds and other wildlife. Land managers and industry may use the knowledge and tools developed to optimize the siting of energy projects, other facilities, and migratory bird habitat projects. The complementary endeavors, not all of which are funded, concentrate on four fundamentals: (1) develop software, in collaboration with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists, that enables biologists to access unfiltered weather data and integrate it into standard geographic information systems; (2) develop artificial intelligence-based filters that separate bird from nonbird radar echoes; (3) determine characteristics of bird migration in terms of altitude, speed and direction, daily movements, seasonality, and associations with habitats and landforms; and (4) examine specific movement patterns in relation to towers, wind generation facilities, and tall obstructions. Many technical issues make this work difficult, including complex data structures, massive data sets, digital recognition of birds, large areas not covered by weather radar, and model validation; however, progress will only be furthered by tackling the challenge. The new coalition will meets its goals by: (1) facilitating a productive collaboration with NOAA, Department of the Interior bureaus, state wildlife agencies, universities, power companies, and other potential partners; (2) building and strengthening scientific capabilities within USGS; (3) addressing key migratory bird management issues; and (4) ensuring full funding for the collaborative effort.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2023

Closing the gap between science and management of cold-water refuges in rivers and streams

Human activities and climate change threaten coldwater organisms in freshwater ecosystems by causing rivers and streams to warm, increasing the intensity and frequency of warm temperature events, and reducing thermal heterogeneity. Cold-water refuges are discrete patches of relatively cool water that are used by coldwater organisms for thermal relief and short-term survival. Globally, cohesive management approaches are needed that consider interlinked physical, biological, and social factors of cold-water refuges. We review current understanding of cold-water refuges, identify gaps between science and management, and evaluate policies aimed at protecting thermally sensitive species. Existing policies include designating cold-water habitats, restricting fishing during warm periods, and implementing threshold temperature standards or guidelines. However, these policies are rare and uncoordinated across spatial scales and often do not consider input from Indigenous peoples. We propose that cold-water refuges be managed as distinct operational landscape units, which provide a social and ecological context that is relevant at the watershed scale. These operational landscape units provide the foundation for an integrated framework that links science and management by (1) mapping and characterizing cold-water refuges to prioritize management and conservation actions, (2) leveraging existing and new policies, (3) improving coordination across jurisdictions, and (4) implementing adaptive management practices across scales. Our findings show that while there are many opportunities for scientific advancement, the current state of the sciences is sufficient to inform policy and management. Our proposed framework provides a path forward for managing and protecting cold-water refuges using existing and new policies to protect coldwater organisms in the face of global change.

Global Change Biology↗

USGS1998

Detailed study of selenium and selected constituents in water, bottom sediment, soil, and biota associated with irrigation drainage in the San Juan River area, New Mexico, 1991-95

In response to increasing concern about the quality of irrigation drainage and its potential effects on fish, wildlife, and human health, the U.S. Department of the Interior began the National Irrigation Water Quality Program (NIWQP) to investigate these concerns at irrigation projects sponsored by the Department. The San Juan River area in northwestern New Mexico was one of the areas designated for study. Study teams composed of scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs collected water, bottom-sediment, soil, and biological samples at 61 sites in the San Juan River area during 1993-94. Supplemental data collection conducted during 1991-95 by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its contractor extended the time period and sampling sites available for analysis. Analytical chemistry performed on samples indicated that most potentially toxic elements other than selenium generally were not high enough to be of concern to fish, wildlife, and human health. Element concentrations in some water, bottom-sediment, soil, and biological samples exceeded applicable standards and criteria suggested by researchers in current literature. Selenium concentrations in water samples from 28 sites in the study area exceeded the 2-microgramper-liter (lg/L) wildlife-habitat standard. Vanadium concentrations in water exceeded the 100-Kg/L standard for livestock-drinking water at one site. In biota, selenium and aluminum concentrations regularly equaled or exceeded avian dietary threshold concentrations. In bottom sediment and soil, element concentrations above the upper limit of the baseline range for western soils were: selenium, 24 exceedances; lead, 2 exceedances; molybdenum, 2 exceedances;strontium, 4 exceedances; and zinc, 4 exceedances. Concentrations of total selenium in bottom-sediment and soil samples were significantly greater for Cretaceous than for non-Cretaceous soil types in the study area and were generally similar for habitats within and outside irrigation-affected areas. Mean and median total-selenium concentrations in samples from areas with Cretaceous soil types were 4.6 and 2.2 micrograms per gram (ps/g), respectively. Mean and median total-selenium concentrations in samples from areas with non-Cretaceous soil types were 0.6 and 0.15 pg/g, respectively. Samples from the study area had low concentrations of organic constituents. Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls were detected in a few biological samples at low concentrations. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds were not detected in whole-water samples collected using conventional water-sampling techniques. In tests involving the use of semipermeable-membrane devices to supplement conventional water assays for PAH's, low concentrations of PAH's were found at several locations in the Hammond Irrigation Supply Canal, but were not detected in the Hammond ponds at the downstream reach of the Hammond irrigation service area. PAH compounds do not appear to reach the San Juan River through the Hammond Canal. Data indicate that water samples from irrigation-drainage-affected habitats had increased mean selenium concentrations compared with samples from irrigation-delivery habitat. The mean selenium concentration in water was greatest at seeps and tributaries draining irrigated land (17 μg/L); less in irrigation drains and in ponds on irrigated land (61.tg/L); and least in backwater, the San Juan River, and irrigation-supply water (0.5 - 0.6 μg/L). Statistical tests imply that irrigation significantly increases selenium concentrations in water samples when a Department of the Interior irrigation project is developed on selenium-rich sediments. Water samples from sites with Cretaceous soils had significantly greater selenium concentrations than water samples from sites with non-Cretaceous soils. Water samples from Department of the Interior project irrigation-drainage sites developed on Cretaceous soils contained a mean selenium concentration about 10 times greater than those in samples from Department of the Interior project sites developed on non-Cretaceous soils. Selenium was much less concentrated in water than in bottom sediment, soil, or biota in the study area. The range in concentrations of dissolved selenium in water was less than 1 ptg/L to 37 1.1g/L (less than 1 to 37 parts per billion). The range in concentrations of total selenium in bottom sediment and soil was less than 0.1 to 23lig/g (less than 100 to 23,000 parts per billion). The range in concentration of selenium in biota was less than 0.1 to 24.0 fig/g (less than 100 to 24,000 parts per billion). Data indicated that bioaccumulation and leaching from soil were the important processes at the study area that lead to elevated levels of selenium. Other processes examined included: (1) evapoconcentration of selenium; (2) atmospheric deposition of aerosols containing selenium; and (3) contamination of surface water by point-source or non-point-source discharges. Selenium concentrations in biological samples were evaluated by a number of variables including: (1) media sampled (emergent and submergent plants, nektonic and benthic invertebrates, omnivore/herbivore and carnivore fish, and terrestrial and aquatic amphibians); (2) habitat (San Juan River main-stem reaches, backwaters, tributary reaches, irrigation delivery or drainage canals, and ponds); (3) irrigation project area and reference sites; and (4) soil type (non-Cretaceous or Cretaceous soils). Graphical techniques and nonparametric statistical tests were applied to determine the influence of selected physiographic variables on selenium concentrations in biological samples collected in the San Juan River area. Species of sucker and of smaller fish contained significantly higher selenium concentrations in the upstream portion of the river where a productive community of plants and animals is found that is associated with warming, nutrient-rich waters discharged from an upstream reservoir. Selenium concentrations in algae, odonates, and mosquitofish collected from both irrigation-drain and pond habitats underlain by Cretaceous soils were significantly greater than in those collected from similar habitats underlain by non-Cretaceous soils. Investigators conclude that the major factor affecting the variability of selenium accumulation in biota at aquatic habitats was the presence of underlying Cretaceous soils. Median selenium concentrations were less than 2 lAg/g for plant samples, less than 7 μg/g for invertebrate samples, and less than 6 lAg/g for whole-fish samples collected from aquatic habitats underlain by non-Cretaceous soils. Similar samples collected from aquatic habitats underlain by Cretaceous soils contained median selenium concentrations two to five times greater. Leaching of selenium from Cretaceous soils in the San Juan River area increases the accumulation of selenium concentrations in the biota and thereby increases the exposure and potential health risks associated with selenium to migratory birds, fish, and other wildlife that use these aquatic habitats extensively. Aquatic habitats presenting the greatest average exposure to excess selenium concentrations in the diets of resident wildlife are from consumption of plants, invertebrates, and fish at irrigation-drain habitats underlain by Cretaceous soils. Of the irrigation projects evaluated in the San Juan River area, the highest median selenium concentrations in algae, cattail leaves, odonate nymphs, mosquitofish, and leopard frog samples from the study area were collected from the east hogback irrigation drain.

New Mexico↗

USGS1993

Managing biological diversity

Biological diversity is the variety of life and accompanying ecological processes (Off. Technol. Assess. 1987, Wilcove and Samson 1987, Keystone 1991). Conservation of biological diversity is a major environmental issue (Wilson 1988, Counc. Environ. Quality 1991). The health and future of the earth's ecological systems (Lubchenco et al. 1991), global climate change (Botkin 1990), and an ever-increasing rate in loss of species, communities, and ecological systems (Myers 1990) are among issues drawing biological diversity to the mainstream of conservation worldwide (Int. Union Conserv. Nat. and Nat. Resour. [IUCN] et al. 1991). The legal mandate for conserving biological diversity is now in place (Carlson 1988, Doremus 1991). More than 19 federal laws govern the use of biological resources in the United States (Rein 1991). The proposed National Biological Diversity Conservation and Environmental Research Act (H.R. 585 and S.58) notes the need for a national biological diversity policy, would create a national center for biological diversity research, and recommends a federal interagency strategy for ecosystem conservation. There are, however, hard choices ahead for the conservation of biological diversity, and biologists are grappling with how to set priorities in research and management (Roberts 1988). We sense disillusion among field biologists and managers relative to how to operationally approach the seemingly overwhelming charge of conserving biological diversity. Biologists also need to respond to critics like Hunt (1991) who suggest a tree farm has more biological diversity than an equal area of old-growth forest. At present, science has played only a minor role in the conservation of biological diversity (Weston 1992) with no unified approach available to evaluate strategies and programs that address the quality and quantity of biological diversity (Murphy 1990, Erwin 1992). Although actions to conserve biological diversity need to be clearly defined by viewing issues across biological, spatial, and temporal scales (Knopf and Smith 1992), natural resource managers find much conflicting information in the literature on strategies and programs for the conservation of biological diversity (Ehrlich 1992). Moreover, recommendations provided in much of the published information available for planning or decisions not only can be debated but may prove counterproductive if implemented. Current operational efforts beg for clearer focus on fundamental concepts central to daily decisions that impact native biological diversity. Recognizing that many biologists would provide different council and at the risk of oversimplification, we offer the following 4 topical issues as fundamental guidance to wise conservation action. These recommendations are based on our collective experiences working within conservation agencies since our original, collaborative essay (Samson and Knopf 1982). They are offered as initial, rather than authoritative, steps to better align research and management decisions with what we perceive as the critical issues in conserving biological diversity at the landscape and ecosystem levels of resolution.

Wildlife Society Bulletin↗

USGS2026

A comprehensive inventory of communication tower infrastructure across the range of greater and Gunnison sage-grouse

We compiled and verified a comprehensive inventory dataset of communication tower infrastructure across the range of the greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus ) and Gunnison sage-grouse ( Centrocercus minimus ), two species of conservation concern that are viewed as ecosystem health indicators for the entire sagebrush biome within the United States. Our dataset includes all known towers with emphasis on validating construction year and month for towers built between 1990–2023. The annual spatial time series format of the data allows users to visualize, assess, and download tower locations and duration (including dates of construction and dismantlement) across the sagebrush biome of the western U.S. Tower data were acquired from publicly available infrastructure databases and records were filtered to include communication tower structures within the area of interest. Data records were validated and checked for accuracy with high resolution aerial and satellite imagery, and a subset were verified during field visits. The final filtered dataset comprises 4,322 tower sites, of which 3,528 tower site locations were verified via satellite imagery or field visits, and 794 were unverified tower sites (tower presence could not be confirmed via satellite imagery). Each tower record includes geographic coordinates, structure height, estimated date of construction, number of towers at each site, and, if applicable, date of dismantlement. The data product closes spatiotemporal gaps and resolves discrepancies present in other public versions of similar data and can be used in ecological research, infrastructure planning/siting/permitting, decision support tools for biological or landscape management, environmental assessments, or general use pertaining to the historic and current locations of communication infrastructure across sagebrush ecosystems.

western united States↗

USGS2009

Instability of seawater pH in the South China Sea during the mid-late Holocene: Evidence from boron isotopic composition of corals

We used positive thermal ionization mass spectrometry (PTIMS) to generate high precision ??11B records in Porites corals of the mid-late Holocene from the South China Sea (SCS). The ??11B values of the Holocene corals vary significantly, ranging from 22.2??? to 25.5???. The paleo-pH records of the SCS, reconstructed from the ??11B data, were not stable as previously thought but show a gradual increase from the Holocene thermal optimal and a sharp decrease to modern values. The latter is likely caused by the large amount of anthropogenic CO2 emissions since the Industrial Revolution but variations of atmospheric pCO2 cannot explain the pH change of the SCS before the Industrial Revolution. We suggest that variations of monsoon intensity during the mid-late Holocene may have driven the sea surface pH increase from the mid to late Holocene. Results of this study indicate that the impact of anthropogenic atmospheric CO2 emissions may have reversed the natural pH trend in the SCS since the mid-Holocene. Such ocean pH records in the current interglacial period can help us better understand the physical and biological controls on ocean pH and possibly predict the long-term impact of climate change on future ocean acidification. ?? 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta↗

USGS2003

Development of hardwood seed zones for Tennessee using a geographic information system

For species that have no or limited information on genetic variation and adaptability to nonnative sites, there is a need for seed collection guidelines based on biological, climatological, and/or geographical criteria. Twenty-eight hardwood species are currently grown for reforestation purposes at the East Tennessee State Nursery. The majority of these species have had no genetic testing to define guidelines for seed collection location and can be distributed to sites that have a very different environment than that of seed origin(s). Poor survival and/or growth may result if seedlings are not adapted to environmental conditions at the planting location. To address this problem, 30 yr of Tennessee county precipitation and minimum temperature data were analyzed and grouped using a centroid hierarchical cluster analysis. The weather data and elevational data were entered into a Geographic Information System (GIS) and separately layered over Bailey's Ecoregions to develop a seed zone system for Tennessee. The seed zones can be used as a practical guideline for collecting seeds to ensure that the resulting seedlings will be adapted to planting environments.

Tennessee↗

USGS2017

At the end of the line: independent overwater colonizations of the Solomon Islands by a hyperdiverse trans-Wallacean lizard lineage (Cyrtodactylus: Gekkota: Squamata)

The islands of East Melanesia have generated key insights into speciation processes and community assembly. However, when and how these islands began to form, emerge and accumulate endemic taxa remains poorly understood. Here, we show that two divergent lineages within the world’s most diverse genus of geckos ( Cyrtodactylus ) occur in the Solomon Islands. One large-bodied species is nested within a radiation from far eastern New Guinea, with inferred colonization, spread and diversification since the late Miocene. In contrast, a newly sampled and relatively small species with a restricted distribution on Guadalcanal Island is a relict that diverged from extant congeners around the early to mid-Miocene. Similar Miocene divergences from extralimital relatives have been inferred for other endemic bird, bat and lizard lineages in East Melanesia. In contrast, across all lineages (including divergent relictual lineages), there is little evidence for endemic in situ diversification within East Melanesia predating the Pliocene (especially in the Solomon Islands). While some East Melanesian endemic lineages may have origins on progenitor islands during the Miocene or even earlier, current evidence suggests the in situ diversification and assembly of extant biological communities commenced around the end of the Miocene.

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society↗

USGS2012

Ecotoxicology of mercury in fish and wildlife: Recent advances

A number of recent studies have documented subtle, yet potentially important effects of mercury on behavior, neurochemistry, and endocrine function in fish and wildlife at currently realistic levels of environmental exposure. Current levels of environmental methylmercury exposure are sufficient to cause significant biological impairment, both in individuals and in whole populations, in some ecosystems. Future toxicological studies on fish and wildlife will focus on linking biomarkers of methylmercury exposure and associated oxidative stress to effects on reproduction and population change; determining the genetic basis for mercury-related neurotoxic and other biological changes; determining the genetic basis for species differences in sensitivity to methylmercury; and linking toxic effects of methylmercury in individual animals to population-level changes.

Book chapter↗

USGS2006

Predicting the persistence of coastal wetlands to global change stressors

Despite progress toward understanding the response of coastal wetlands to increases in relative sea-level rise and an improved understanding of the effect of elevated CO2 on plant species allocation patterns, we are limited in our ability to predict the response of coastal wetlands to the effects associated with global change. Static simulations of the response of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise using LIDAR and GIS lack the biological and physical feedback mechanisms present in such systems. Evidence from current research suggests that biotic processes are likely to have a major influence on marsh vulnerability to future accelerated rates of sea-level rise and the influence of biotic processes likely varies depending on hydrogeomorphic setting and external stressors. We have initiated a new research approach using a series of controlled mesocosm and field experiments, landscape scale studies, a comparative network of brackish coastal wetland monitoring sites and a suite of predictive models that address critical questions regarding the vulnerability of coastal brackish wetland systems to global change. Specifically, this research project evaluates the interaction of sea level rise and elevated CO2 concentrations with flooding, nutrient enrichment and disturbance effects. The study is organized in a hierarchical structure that links mesocosm, field, landscape and biogeographic levels so as to provide important new information that recognizes that coastal wetland systems respond to multiple interacting drivers and feedback effects controlling wetland surface elevation, habitat stability and ecosystem function. We also present a new statistical modelling technique (Structural Equation Modelling) that synthesizes and integrates our environmental and biotic measures in a predictive framework that forecasts ecosystem change and informs managers to consider adaptive shifts in strategies for the sustainable management of coastal wetlands.

Book chapter↗

USGS2005

The Colorado Plateau II: biophysical, socioeconomic, and cultural research

The publication of The Colorado Plateau: Cultural, Biological, and Physical Research in 2004 marked a timely summation of current research in the Four Corners states. This new volume, derived from the seventh Biennial Conference on the Colorado Plateau in 2003, complements the previous book by focusing on the integration of science into resource management issues. The 32 chapters range in content from measuring human impacts on cultural resources, through grazing and the wildland-urban interface issues, to parameters of climate change on the Plateau. The book also introduces economic perspectives by considering shifting patterns and regional disparities in the Colorado Plateau economy. A series of chapters on mountain lions explores the human-wildland interface. These chapters deal with the entire spectrum of challenges associated with managing this large mammal species in Arizona and on the Colorado Plateau, conveying a wealth of timely information of interest to wildlife managers and enthusiasts. Another provocative set of chapters on biophysical resources explores the management of forest restoration, from the micro scale all the way up to large-scale GIS analyses of ponderosa pine ecosystems on the Colorado Plateau. Given recent concerns for forest health in the wake of fires, severe drought, and bark-beetle infestation, these chapters will prove enlightening for forest service, park service, and land management professionals at both the federal and state level, as well as general readers interested in how forest management practices will ultimately affect their recreation activities. With broad coverage that touches on topics as diverse as movement patterns of rattlesnakes, calculating watersheds, and rescuing looted rockshelters, this volume stands as a compendium of cutting-edge research on the Colorado Plateau that offers a wealth of insights for many scholars.

Utah;Colorado;Arizona;New Mexico↗

USGS2004

Water resources data--Illinois, water year 2003

This annual Water-Data Report for Illinois contains current water year (Oct. 1, 2003, to Sept. 30, 2004) and historical data of discharge, stage, water quality and biology of streams; stage of lakes and reservoirs; levels and quality of ground water; and records of precipitation, air temperature, dew point, solar radiation, and wind speed. The current year's (2004) data provided in this report include (1) discharge for 177 surface-water gaging stations and for 10 crest-stage partial-record stations; (2) stage for 27 surface-water gaging stations; (3) stage for 8 reservoirs; (4) water-quality records for 7 surface-water stations; (5) sediment-discharge records for 16 surface-water stations; (6) water-level records for 14 ground-water wells; (7) precipitation records for 50 rain gages; (8) records of air temperature, dew point, solar radiation and wind speed for 1 meteorological station; and (9) biological records for 6 sample sites. Also included are miscellaneous data collected at various sites not in the systematic data-collection network. Data were collected and compiled as a part of the National Water Information System (NWIS) maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies.

Water Data Report↗