Publications
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Social impact analysis: monetary valuation Social impact analysis: monetary valuation
This section provides basic guidance for using and conducting economic valuation, including criteria for judging whether valuation is appropriate for supporting decisions. It provides an introduction to the economic techniques used to measure changes in social welfare and describes which methods may be most appropriate for use in valuing particular ecosystem services. Rather than...
Authors
Lisa A. Wainger, Robert J. Johnston, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Frank Casey, Tibor Vegh
U.S. Geological Survey Science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative - 2013 Annual Report U.S. Geological Survey Science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative - 2013 Annual Report
This is the sixth report produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) to detail annual activities conducted by USGS for addressing specific management needs identified by WLCI partners. In FY2013, there were 25 ongoing and new projects conducted by the USGS. These projects fall into 8 major categories: (1) synthesizing and...
Authors
Zachary H. Bowen, Cameron L. Aldridge, Patrick J. Anderson, Timothy J. Assal, Carleton R. Bern, Laura R Biewick, Gregory K. Boughton, Anna D. Chalfoun, Geneva W. Chong, Marie K. Dematatis, Bradley C. Fedy, Steven L. Garman, Steve Germaine, Matthew G. Hethcoat, Collin G. Homer, Christopher Huber, Matthew J. Kauffman, Natalie Latysh, Daniel J. Manier, Cynthia P. Melcher, Kirk A. Miller, Christopher J. Potter, Spencer Schell, Michael J. Sweat, Annika W. Walters, Anna B. Wilson
The misconception of ecosystem disservices: How a catchy term may yield the wrong messages for science and society The misconception of ecosystem disservices: How a catchy term may yield the wrong messages for science and society
In their recent article, Shapiro and Báldi (2014) build on the long-running narrative of “ecosystem services and disservices” (e.g., Zhang et al., 2007 ; Lyytimäki et al., 2008), describing how nature yields both benefits and harms to society. These harms include crop pests, floods, landslides, wildfires, and zoonotic disease transmission, among others. While we agree with their argument...
Authors
Ferdinando Villa, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Brian Voigt, Gary W. Johnson, Ioannis N Athanasiadis, Stefano Balbi
Late quaternary paleoseismology of the west valley fault zone: Insights from the Baileys Lake trench site Late quaternary paleoseismology of the west valley fault zone: Insights from the Baileys Lake trench site
No abstract available.
Authors
Michael D. Hylland, Christopher B. DuRoss, Greg N. McDonald, Susan S. Olig, Charles G. Oviatt, Shannon Mahan, Anthony J. Crone, Stephen F. Personius
Geomorphic evidence for enhanced Pliocene-Quaternary faulting in the northwestern Basin and Range Geomorphic evidence for enhanced Pliocene-Quaternary faulting in the northwestern Basin and Range
Mountains in the U.S. Basin and Range Province are similar in form, yet they have different histories of deformation and uplift. Unfortunately, chronicling fault slip with techniques like thermochronology and geodetics can still leave sizable, yet potentially important gaps at Pliocene–Quaternary (∼105–106 yr) time scales. Here, we combine existing geochronology with new geomorphic...
Authors
Magdalena A Ellis, Barnes Jason B, Joseph P. Colgan
The changing southwest The changing southwest
This chapter describes important geographical and socio-economic characteristics and trends in the Southwest—such as population and economic growth and changes in land ownership, land use, and land cover—that provide the context for how climate change will likely affect the Southwest. The chapter also describes key laws and institutions relevant to adaptive management of resources.
Authors
David M. Theobald, William Travis, Mark A. Drummond, Eric Gordon, Michelle Betsill
Digital-image processing and image analysis of glacier ice Digital-image processing and image analysis of glacier ice
This document provides a methodology for extracting grain statistics from 8-bit color and grayscale images of thin sections of glacier ice—a subset of physical properties measurements typically performed on ice cores. This type of analysis is most commonly used to characterize the evolution of ice-crystal size, shape, and intercrystalline spatial relations within a large body of ice...
Authors
Joan J. Fitzpatrick
Wyoming Basin Rapid Ecoregional Assessment: Work Plan Wyoming Basin Rapid Ecoregional Assessment: Work Plan
The overall goal of the Rapid Ecoregional Assessments (REAs) being conducted for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is to provide information that supports regional planning and analysis for the management of ecological resources. The REA provides an assessment of baseline ecological conditions, an evaluation of current risks from drivers of ecosystem change, and a predictive capacity...
Authors
Natasha B. Carr, Steven L. Garman, Annika Walters, Andrea Ray, Cynthia P. Melcher, Jeff S. Wesner, Michael S. O’Donnell, Kirk R. Sherrill, Nils C. Babel, Zachary H. Bowen
Loess origin, transport, and deposition over the past 10,000 years, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska Loess origin, transport, and deposition over the past 10,000 years, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska
Contemporary glaciogenic dust has not received much attention, because most research has been on glaciogenic dust of the last glacial period or non-glaciogenic dust of the present interglacial period. Nevertheless, dust from modern glaciogenic sources may be important for Fe inputs to primary producers in the ocean. Adjacent to the subarctic Pacific Ocean, we studied a loess section near...
Authors
Daniel R. Muhs, James R. Budahn, John P. McGeehin, E. Arthur Bettis, Gary L. Skipp, James B. Paces, Elisabeth A. Wheeler
Geochronology and paleoenvironment of pluvial Harper Lake, Mojave Desert, California, USA Geochronology and paleoenvironment of pluvial Harper Lake, Mojave Desert, California, USA
Accurate reconstruction of the paleo-Mojave River and pluvial lake (Harper, Manix, Cronese, and Mojave) system of southern California is critical to understanding paleoclimate and the North American polar jet stream position over the last 500 ka. Previous studies inferred a polar jet stream south of 35°N at 18 ka and at ~ 40°N at 17–14 ka. Highstand sediments of Harper Lake, the upstream...
Authors
Anna L. Garcia, Jeffrey R. Knott, Shannon Mahan, Jordan Bright
Land-use and land-cover change in three corn belt ecoregions: Similarities and differences Land-use and land-cover change in three corn belt ecoregions: Similarities and differences
Land use categorical changes, though not as numerous as one might suspect, vary by type within the three designated ecozones of the Corn Belt with the westernmost zone showing the most temporary change vis-a-vis the more permanent changes taking place in the eastern and central zones.
Authors
Roger F. Auch, Chris R. Laingen, Mark A. Drummond, Kristi L. Sayler, Ryan R. Reker, Michelle A. Bouchard, Jeffrey J. Danielson
Forest ecosystems: Vegetation, disturbance, and economics Forest ecosystems: Vegetation, disturbance, and economics
Forests cover about 47% of the Northwest (NW–Washington, Oregon, and Idaho) (Smith et al. 2009, fig. 5.1, table 5.1). The impacts of current and future climate change on NW forest ecosystems are a product of the sensitivities of ecosystem processes to climate and the degree to which humans depend on and interact with those systems. Forest ecosystem structure and function, particularly in
Authors
Jeremy S. Littell, Jeffrey A. Hicke, Sarah L. Shafer, Susan M. Capalbo, Laurie L. Houston, Patty Glick