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American kestrel population trends and vital rates at the continental scale American kestrel population trends and vital rates at the continental scale
The American kestrel (Falco sparverius, hereafter referred to as kestrel) has declined across much of its North American range since at least the mid-1960s. Kestrel population dynamics have been explored through a multitude of local studies and two broad reviews of available data. Across large geographic extents, however, the demographic cause(s) of kestrel population declines remain(s)...
Authors
Paige E. Howell, Abigail Jean Lawson, Davis Kristin P., Guthrie S. Zimmerman, Orin J. Robinson, Matthew A. Boggie, Mitchell J. Eaton, Fitsum Abadi, Jessi L. Brown, Julie A. Heath, John A. Smallwood, Karen Steenhof, Ted Swem, Brian W. Rolek, Christopher J.W. McClure, Jean-Francois Therrien, Karl E. Miller, Brian A. Milsap
Persistence of coral reef structures into the twenty-first century Persistence of coral reef structures into the twenty-first century
Coral reefs provide important socioecological services but are vulnerable to climate change, which shifts the balance between the production and erosion of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). In this Review, we summarize understanding of reef accretion, describe the mechanisms of carbonate production and erosion, and consider the effects of future ocean warming and acidification on key reef...
Authors
Christopher E. Cornwall, Orlando Timmerman, Andreas Andersson, Denisa M. Berbece, Oscar Branson, Steeve Comeau, Travis A. Courtney, Simon D. Donner, Ian. Enochs, Ben P. Harvey, Ashtyn L. Isaak, Holly E. Koch, Cheryl A. Logan, Chris T. Perry, Verena Schoepf, Lauren T. Toth, Alice Webb
Use of precariously balanced rocks to constrain postglacial earthquake magnitudes in New England, United States Use of precariously balanced rocks to constrain postglacial earthquake magnitudes in New England, United States
We use the age and fragility of 13 precariously balanced rocks (PBRs) in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and southwestern Maine to evaluate the estimated probabilistic seismic hazard (PSH) from the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM), and also develop a map of maximum postglacial earthquake magnitudes in the region. The PBRs are erratic boulders left behind by the...
Authors
Mark Stirling, Thomas L. Pratt
Genetic structure in a previously extirpated population of gray wolves following reintroduction and natural recolonization Genetic structure in a previously extirpated population of gray wolves following reintroduction and natural recolonization
Genetic structuring in wildlife populations is driven by barriers that restrict gene flow as well as the history of population demography. Mechanisms driving genetic structuring can be nuanced in group-living species, such as gray wolves (Canis lupus). Behavioral factors, such as social affiliation and resistance, natal habitat imprinting, and trade-offs between dispersal from natal...
Authors
Heather R. Clendenin, David Edward Ausband, Jennifer R. Adams, Paul A. Hohenlohe, Lisette P. Waits
Wildfire smoke reduces the vocal activity of imperiled grassland birds in New York State Wildfire smoke reduces the vocal activity of imperiled grassland birds in New York State
Smoke from new fire regimes driven by climate change may affect biodiversity in new regions of the world. Wildfires that occurred in eastern Canada in 2023 burned nearly 7.8 million hectares of forest, sending smoke throughout the northeastern United States. We leveraged passive acoustic monitoring to investigate real-time effects of wildfire smoke on vocalization behavior of globally...
Authors
Trifosa I. Simamora, Timothy J. Boycott, Conner M. Wood, Steven Mark Grodsky
Diverse cyanopeptides follow distinct temporal succession patterns in freshwater harmful algal blooms Diverse cyanopeptides follow distinct temporal succession patterns in freshwater harmful algal blooms
Toxic cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) threaten freshwater resources globally and are intensifying with increasing eutrophication. Bloom toxicity is strongly influenced by intraspecific variation in the biosynthetic repertoires of toxic cyanobacteria, yet few studies examine the diversity of cyanobacterial cyanopeptides beyond hepatotoxic microcystins. To understand the...
Authors
Lauren N. Hart, Reagan Errera, Casey Godwin, Keith A. Loftin, Zachary R. Laughrey, Leon R. Katona, Emma C. Johnson, Rose M. Cory, E. Anders Kiledal, Paul Den Uyl, Jenan J. Kharbush, David H. Sherman, Gregory J. Dick
Depth-resolved carbon dioxide and methane concentrations in 522 lakes, ponds, and reservoirs worldwide Depth-resolved carbon dioxide and methane concentrations in 522 lakes, ponds, and reservoirs worldwide
Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs (hereafter: “lakes”) are important sources of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). Emissions of CO2 and CH4 from lakes are regulated in part by in-lake processes, including the production and storage of gases in the lower parts of the water column (bottom waters). However, while substantial efforts have been made to improve estimates...
Authors
Joseph S. Rabaey, Abigail S. Lewis, Katrin Attermeyer, Patrick Aurich, Sheel Bansal, Maciej Bartosiewicz, Brittni L. Bertolet, Ingeborg Bussmann, Sarah B. Cadieux, Elisa Calamita, Camilla Capelli, Cayelan C. Carey, Carmen Cillero, Francois Clayer, Sofia L. D'Ambrosio, Thomas A. Davidson, Bridget R. Deemer, Blaize A. Denfeld, Werner Eckert, Chiara Esposito, Phillip Ford, Adrianna Gorsky, Natalie A. Griffiths, Hans-Peter F. Grossart, David P. Hamilton, Meredith A. Holgerson, Brian J. Huser, Tomoya Iwata, Joachim Jansen, Stuart E. Jones, Sari Juutinen, Pirkko Kortelainen, Matthias Koschorreck, Theis Kragh, Alo Laas, Tuula Larmola, Saskia Läubli, Isabelle Laurion, Moritz F. Lehmann, Liu Liu, Pertti J. Martikainen, Anna Matoušů, Stephen A. McCord, Jorge J. Montes-Pérez, Daniele Nizzoli, César Ordóñez, Mike Peacock, Rachel M. Pilla, Vilmantas Prėskienis, Junbing Pu, Tenna Riis, Taija Saarela, Arianto B. Santoso, Carsten Schubert, Armando Sepulveda-Jauregui, Bradford S. Sherman, Jonas S. Sø, Katherine J. Stenehjem, Kristin E.D. Strock, Kenji Tsuchiya, Katrin Wendt-Potthoff, Gesa A. Weyhenmeyer, Petr Znachor, Jakob Zopfi
Generating geochemical and mineralogy distributions of soil in the conterminous United States using Bayesian hierarchical spatial models Generating geochemical and mineralogy distributions of soil in the conterminous United States using Bayesian hierarchical spatial models
Characterizing geochemical and mineralogical soil distributions across large spatial extents is essential for understanding mineral resources, ecosystem processes, and environmental risks. Rasters of soil geochemical distributions for the conterminous United States, however, are limited. We present a Bayesian modeling workflow and tool for generating predictive geochemical and mineralogy
Authors
Kristin J. Bondo, Tiffany M. Wolf, W. David Walter
Seasonal drivers of density in a subarctic population of northern red-backed voles Seasonal drivers of density in a subarctic population of northern red-backed voles
Northern red-backed voles (Clethrionomys rutilus) are an important species in the boreal forest ecosystem, both as herbivores and as a key food source for many mammalian and avian predators. They exhibit dramatic inter- and intra-annual population fluctuations, for which causes are not entirely known. We monitored northern red-backed vole densities in Denali National Park and Preserve...
Authors
Sarah Swanson, Melanie J. Flamme, Joshua H. Schmidt, Shawn M. Crimmins, Carl A. Roland, Knut Kielland
Artificial intelligence strategy for the U.S. Geological Survey Artificial intelligence strategy for the U.S. Geological Survey
Artificial intelligence (AI) can offer opportunities to enhance the science, science delivery, and business operations of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Although USGS staff have proactively adopted AI into our workflows for many years, a comprehensive USGS strategy for AI has not previously been developed. The strategy described here is motivated by the acceleration of AI...
Authors
Janice M. Gordon, Alison P. Appling, Alfredo Aretxabaleta, John F. Bechtell, Thomas E. Burley, Janet M. Carter, Peter C. Esselman, Jason C. Fisher, Graham W. Lederer, James M. Mitchell, Neal J. Pastick, Jake Weltzin, Tim Woods
Assessing natural recharge in Indian Wells Valley, California: A Basin Characterization Model case study Assessing natural recharge in Indian Wells Valley, California: A Basin Characterization Model case study
The communities in Indian Wells Valley (IWV), in the northern Mojave Desert in California, rely on groundwater for domestic and agricultural use. Mountain front recharge from the surrounding Sierra Nevada is the main source of natural recharge to the valley. Increased urbanization, agricultural development, and groundwater pumping during recent decades put IWV in a state of critical...
Authors
Dina Saleh, Lorraine E. Flint, Michelle A. Stern
Mixed support for the temperature-size rule in wild freshwater fishes Mixed support for the temperature-size rule in wild freshwater fishes
The temperature-size rule states that species living in warmer temperatures will grow faster and mature earlier at smaller sizes. While several studies have documented patterns in average body size consistent with the temperature-size rule in wild populations, a comprehensive test is lacking. Here, we use age and length data of 1.4 million fish across 7 species from 2704 lakes to...
Authors
George C. Brooks, Paul N. Frater, Olaf P. Jensen, Gretchen J.A. Hansen, Craig Paukert, Michael Verhoeven, Lyndsie Wszola, Luoliang Xu, Zachary S. Feiner