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Cryospheric sciences at the U.S. Geological Survey Cryospheric sciences at the U.S. Geological Survey
Introduction The cryosphere is the collective parts of the Earth where water is in its frozen state and includes snow, glaciers, ice sheets, ice shelves, freshwater ice, sea ice, and permafrost. The cryosphere is a climate indicator and climate regulator. Surface cryosphere features, such as glaciers, snow, and sea ice, store freshwater and make the surface of the Earth bright white...
Authors
Caitlyn Florentine, Erich H. Peitzsch, Miriam C. Jones, Theodore B. Barnhart, Thomas M. Cronin
A meta-analysis highlights the idiosyncratic nature of tradeoffs in laboratory models of virus evolution A meta-analysis highlights the idiosyncratic nature of tradeoffs in laboratory models of virus evolution
Different theoretical frameworks have been invoked to guide the study of virus evolution. Three of the more prominent ones are (i) the evolution of virulence, (ii) life history theory, and (iii) the generalism–specialism dichotomy. All involve purported tradeoffs between traits that define the evolvability and constraint of virus-associated phenotypes. However, as popular as these...
Authors
Ketty Kabengele, Wendy Christine Turner, Paul E. Turner, C. Brandon Ogbunugafor
Cumulative effects assessment of restoration programs: A framework to assess achievement of regional and programmatic goals Cumulative effects assessment of restoration programs: A framework to assess achievement of regional and programmatic goals
Increasing global investments focused on conservation and restoration of natural resources aim to address challenges presented by climate change and biodiversity loss. Many restoration and conservation program assessments examine individual actions, assuming additive effects only, failing to acknowledge or capture potential synergistic or antagonistic effects across a region or program...
Authors
T. M. Davenport, D. A. Comba, P. S. Dalyander, Nicholas Enwright, Margaret L. Palmsten, Gregory Steyer, Megan La Peyre
Disparities in Perimyotis subflavus body mass between cave and culvert hibernacula in Georgia, USA Disparities in Perimyotis subflavus body mass between cave and culvert hibernacula in Georgia, USA
The tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus), once common in the eastern United States, has experienced significant mortality due to white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that primarily affects bats hibernating in caves and mines. In coastal regions of the southeastern United States, where caves and mines are scarce, tricolored bats often use roadway culverts as hibernacula. However...
Authors
Emily Ferrall, S. Perea, K.M. Morris, P.E. Pattavina, Brian J. Irwin, J. Hepinstall-Cymerman, S.B. Castleberry
An audience segmentation study of native plant gardening behaviors in the United States An audience segmentation study of native plant gardening behaviors in the United States
Audience segmentation can be used to identify target audiences in environmental public engagement and communication, but few studies have used segmentation to study biodiversity conservation behavior. This study used segmentation to better understand perceptions and behaviors around different types of actions related to native plant gardening. With a United States representative survey...
Authors
Veronica M. Champine, Kaiya Tamlyn, Megan Siobhan Jones, Meena M. Balgopal, Brett Bruyere, Jennifer N. Solomon, Rebecca M. Niemiec
Gray wolf breeders are more vulnerable to harvest during the breeding season Gray wolf breeders are more vulnerable to harvest during the breeding season
In cooperatively breeding carnivores, breeders are vital to perpetuating the group; the death or removal of an individual breeder can greatly affect group composition, genetic content, and short-term population growth. Understanding the number of breeders harvested and timing of harvest can increase our knowledge of how mortality affects groups of cooperative breeders. Gray wolves (Canis...
Authors
Peter F. Rebholz, Lisette P. Waits, David Edward Ausband
Cosmogenic 21Ne exposure ages on late Pleistocene moraines in Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, USA Cosmogenic 21Ne exposure ages on late Pleistocene moraines in Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, USA
We report new cosmogenic 21Ne in quartz exposure ages from 18 samples on three distinct moraines deposited in the Lost Creek drainage, approximately 3–7 km down-valley from Lassen Peak in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Although measuring 21Ne in quartz is generally straightforward, accurate 21Ne exposure dating of deposits of late Pleistocene is rarely possible due to the significant...
Authors
Joseph P. Tulenko, Greg Balco, Michael A. Clynne, L.J. Patrick Muffler
High genetic diversity, low population genetic structure, strong natal philopatry, and longevity revealed in the Black Swift (Cypseloides niger borealis) High genetic diversity, low population genetic structure, strong natal philopatry, and longevity revealed in the Black Swift (Cypseloides niger borealis)
Genetic diversity is a critical cornerstone of biodiversity and is a central goal in management and conservation biology. Such diversity has implications for survivability, adaptability, and resiliency of a species. This study aimed to determine levels of genetic diversity and population genetic structure in the Northern Black Swift (Cypseloides niger borealis). This species nests across...
Authors
Carolyn Gunn, Kim Potter, Jennifer A. Fike, Sara J. Oyler-McCance
System characterization report on the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) sensor System characterization report on the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) sensor
Executive Summary This report addresses system characterization of the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) sensor, an imaging spectrometer developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This report is part of a series of system characterization reports produced and delivered by the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val...
Authors
Mahesh Shrestha, Aparajithan Sampath, Minsu Kim, Seonkyung Park
Tungsten skarn quantitative mineral resource assessment and gold, rare earth elements, graphite, and uranium qualitative assessments of the Kuldjuktau and Auminzatau Ranges, in the central Kyzylkum region, Uzbekistan Tungsten skarn quantitative mineral resource assessment and gold, rare earth elements, graphite, and uranium qualitative assessments of the Kuldjuktau and Auminzatau Ranges, in the central Kyzylkum region, Uzbekistan
A new quantitative mineral resource assessment for tungsten skarn was conducted for the Auminzatau and Kuldjuktau mountain ranges in Central Uzbekistan, along with qualitative assessments of orogenic gold, rare earth elements (REEs), amorphous graphite, and uranium. By integrating a variety of geological, geochemical, geophysical, and remote sensing data sets, estimates of undiscovered...
Authors
Joshua Aaron Coyan, Federico Solano, Cliff D. Taylor, Carol A. Finn, Steven M. Smith, Christopher S. Holm-Denoma, Laura Pianowski, Kelsey Elizabeth Crocker, Rustam Mirkamalov, Fareed Divaev, Abdulla Baratov, Botir Khakimov, Jurabek Azimov, Akrom Goipov, Jamshid Avulov, Shokir Akhmadov, Nurbek Inatov, Xurshid Janiev, Nafisa Dulabova
Reconstructing half a century of coregonine recruitment reveals species-specific dynamics and synchrony across the Laurentian Great Lakes Reconstructing half a century of coregonine recruitment reveals species-specific dynamics and synchrony across the Laurentian Great Lakes
Understanding how multiple species and populations vary in their recruitment dynamics can elucidate the processes driving recruitment across space and time. Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) and Cisco (C. artedi) are socioecologically important fishes across their range; however, many Laurentian Great Lakes populations have experienced declining, poor, or sporadic recruitment in...
Authors
Taylor A. Brown, Lars G. Rudstam, Suresh A. Sethi, Paul Ripple, Jason Smith, Ted Treska, Christopher Hessell, Erik Olsen, Ji X. He, Jory Jonas, Benjamin J. Rook, Joshua Blankenheim, Sarah J.H. Beech, Erin Brown, Eric K. Berglund, H. Andrew Cook, Erin S. Dunlop, Stephen James, Steven A. Pothoven, Zach Amidon, John A. Sweka, Dray Carl, Scott Hansen, David B. Bunnell, Brian Weidel, Andrew Edgar Honsey
Sea level rise threatens Florida’s insular vertebrate biodiversity Sea level rise threatens Florida’s insular vertebrate biodiversity
Islands are some of the most biodiverse places on earth, but they are also hotspots of biodiversity loss. The coastline of Florida, U.S.A., is surrounded by thousands of islands, many of which are home to species that occur nowhere else. A rapidly emerging threat to these low-lying islands is inundation as sea levels rise. The capacity of island-dwelling species to adapt to climate...
Authors
Erin L. Koen, William J. Barichivich, Elizabeth Braun De Torrez, Susan Walls