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The USGS provides unbiased, objective, and impartial scientific information upon which our audiences, including resource managers, planners, and other entities, rely.
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Tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) demographics and metal(loid) concentrations in egg contents from the Kootenai River basin, Montana nest box colonies Tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) demographics and metal(loid) concentrations in egg contents from the Kootenai River basin, Montana nest box colonies
Selenium (Se) levels in water have been increasing in Lake Koocanusa and the Kootenai River below Libby Dam in Montana due to coal mining in the drainage basin of the Elk River, British Columbia. Aquatic monitoring of Se is ongoing to assess potential effects; however, exposure to terrestrial, aquatic-dependent wildlife has not been investigated. Tree swallows are a targeted receptor for
Authors
Brian C. Balmer, Joseph P. Skorupa, Katherine B. Adams, Bridger M. Creel, Gregory C. Hoffman, Megan A. Fylling, Stephanie Le, Jacob M. Martin, W. Scott McBride, Jacob T. Williams, Travis S. Schmidt
Wildfire risk information sources and the acceptability of fuels treatments near select WUI communities in the Western United States Wildfire risk information sources and the acceptability of fuels treatments near select WUI communities in the Western United States
Fuels treatments intended to reduce fuel loads and improve forest health on public lands offer one way to reduce wildfire hazards in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), where the natural and built environments meet. However, for fuels treatment implementation to be successful, it must comply with regulatory and scientific standards and be supported by local communities, as lack of...
Authors
Kelly Wallace, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ, James R. Meldrum, Grant Webster, Christine Taniguchi, Julia B. Goolsby, Colleen Donovan, Carolyn Wagner, Christopher M. Barth, Josh Kuehn, Suzanne Wittenbrink
Meet the people where they are: Assessing user needs for aftershock forecast products in El Salvador, Mexico and the United States Meet the people where they are: Assessing user needs for aftershock forecast products in El Salvador, Mexico and the United States
Aftershock forecasts can help communities reduce their seismic risk by conveying how many aftershocks can be expected following a large earthquake, and how the expected number of aftershocks and their corresponding ground shaking evolves over time and space. Prior work finds that graphical forecast products may communicate such information better than only text or numbers. To identify...
Authors
Max Schneider, Anne Wein, Sara K. McBride, Nicholas van der Elst, Julia Becker, Raul Castro, Manuel Diaz, Hector Gonzalez-Huizar, Jeanne L. Hardebeck, Andrew J. Michael, Luis E. Mixco, Morgan T. Page
Climate-driven sulfate export in alpine watersheds may stimulate methylmercury production Climate-driven sulfate export in alpine watersheds may stimulate methylmercury production
Climate change is increasing sulfate export and changing wetland extent in mountain regions. These changes may increase microbially mediated production of the neurotoxic substance methylmercury due to enhanced sulfate metabolism in mountain environments. Here, we assess methylmercury concentrations and formation rates across high-elevation wetlands in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. We...
Authors
Hannah R. Miller, Charles T. Driscoll, Sarah E. Janssen, Eve-Lyn S. Hinckley
Leucism in a family group and a review of color aberrations in Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia) Leucism in a family group and a review of color aberrations in Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia)
Avian color aberrations capture public interest and sometimes indicate ecological problems. Diagnosing color aberration type can be difficult because nomenclature is inconsistent, appearance of color aberrations vary, typical coloration varies, and there are many undocumented color aberration types. One type of recognized avian color aberration is leucism. Leucism is often colloquially...
Authors
Anthony J. Locatelli, Travis M. Livieri, Steven C. Forrest, Marc R. Matchett, Courtney J. Conway, Thomas D. Mangelsen
Pysochron: A Python-based solution for calculating cosmogenic 26Al/10Be isochron burial ages Pysochron: A Python-based solution for calculating cosmogenic 26Al/10Be isochron burial ages
Cosmogenic 26Al/10Be isochron burial dating is a powerful tool for dating sediment burial over the past several million years. By measuring in-situ 26Al and 10Be in a suite of samples from the same depth in a buried deposit, it is possible to quantify the inventory of cosmogenic nuclides produced after burial, date the burial of shallow sediments, identify sediment reworking, and...
Authors
William E. Odom
Simulation of the impacts of projected climate change on groundwater resources in the urban, semiarid Yucaipa Valley watershed, southern California using an integrated hydrologic model Simulation of the impacts of projected climate change on groundwater resources in the urban, semiarid Yucaipa Valley watershed, southern California using an integrated hydrologic model
Managing water resources in semiarid watersheds is challenging due to limited supply and uncertain future climate conditions. This paper examines the impact of future climate changes on an urban watershed in southern California using an integrated hydrologic model. GSFLOW modeling software is used to simulate the nonlinear relationships between climate trends and precipitation...
Authors
Derek W. Ryter, Ayman H. Alzraiee, Richard G. Niswonger
On the importance and practical conservation of nongame fishes. On the importance and practical conservation of nongame fishes.
Fisheries management has historically focused conservation efforts on game or sport species. However, most species are nongame—those not traditionally captured for sport or harvest in countries where recreational fisheries predominate. Greater conservation of nongame species could help ensure that population declines do not go unnoticed. Unfortunately, fisheries managers already manage...
Authors
Niall G. Clancy, Frank J. Rahel, Brandon K. Peoples, Annika W. Walters, John Lyons, Nicholas E. Mandrak, Phaedra E. Budy, Emmanuel A Frimpong, Wyatt F. Cross
Editorial: Microbial ecology supporting growth of free-living amoebae in natural and engineered water systems Editorial: Microbial ecology supporting growth of free-living amoebae in natural and engineered water systems
No abstract available.
Authors
Elliott P. Barnhart, Isabel Douterelo, Matthew J. Morgan, Gregory J. Puzon
First evidence of natural reproduction and recruitment of reintroduced Lake Sturgeon in the Coosa River, Georgia First evidence of natural reproduction and recruitment of reintroduced Lake Sturgeon in the Coosa River, Georgia
Objective Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fluences became extirpated from the Coosa River system in Georgia and Alabama during the 1970s. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources began stocking hatchery-raised Lake Sturgeon in 2002 with the goal of reestablishing a self-sustaining population. Stocking lapsed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed an opportunity to assess natural
Authors
Martin J. Hamel, Matthew A. Phillips, Savannah R. Perry, Brian J. Irwin, John D. Damer
Denning black bear response to anthropogenic disturbance and implications for cub survival in Florida Denning black bear response to anthropogenic disturbance and implications for cub survival in Florida
Wildlife research and management can be disruptive to wildlife. By advancing our understanding of the impacts of these activities, we can reduce adverse effects, improve decision-making, and enhance the outcomes of research and management. During 2017–2019, we observed the responses of denning female American black bears (Ursus americanus) to 3 types of routine research and management...
Authors
Darcy Doran-Myers, Kaili Gregory, Conor P. McGowan, Vanessa Hull, Brian K. Scheick
Reproductive output of the rare plant Arctomecon californica does not appear to be limited by its floral visitor community Reproductive output of the rare plant Arctomecon californica does not appear to be limited by its floral visitor community
The majority of plants rely on animal-mediated pollination for reproduction. Reductions in pollinator visitations can lead to pollen limitation and declines in seed production. Arctomecon californica, the Las Vegas bearpoppy, is a rare plant native to the northeastern Mojave Desert. It is pollinator dependent for reproduction as it is self-incompatible, but associated pollinator...
Authors
Kelsey K. Graham, Lesley A. DeFalco, Terry Griswold