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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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Regional variability in peatland burning at mid-to high-latitudes during the Holocene Regional variability in peatland burning at mid-to high-latitudes during the Holocene
Northern peatlands store globally-important amounts of carbon in the form of partly decomposed plant detritus. Drying associated with climate and land-use change may lead to increased fire frequency and severity in peatlands and the rapid loss of carbon to the atmosphere. However, our understanding of the patterns and drivers of peatland burning on an appropriate decadal to millennial...
Authors
Thomas G. Sim, Graeme T. Swindles, Paul J. Morris, Andy J. Baird, Angela V. Gallego-Sala, Yuwan Wang, Maarten Blaauw, Philip Camill, Michelle Garneau, Mark Hardiman, Julie Loisel, Minna Valiranta, Lysanna Anderson, Karina Apolinarska, Femke Augustijns, Liene Aunina, Joannie Beaulne, Premysl Bobek, Werner Borken, Nils Broothaerts, Qiao-Yu Cui, Marissa A. Davies, Ana Ejarque, Michelle Farrell, Ingo Feeser, Angelica Feurdean, Richard Fewster, Sarah A. Finkelstein, Marie-Jose Gaillard, Mariusz Gałka, Annica Greisman, Liam Heffernan, Renske Hoevers, Miriam C. Jones, Teemu Juselius, Edgar Karofeld, Klaus Holger Knorr, Atte Korhola, Dmitri Kupriyanov, Malin Kylander, Terri Lacourse, Mariusz Lamentowicz, Martin Lavoie, Geoffrey Lemdahl, Dominika Lucow, Gabriel Magnan, Alekss Maksims, Claudia A. Mansilla, Katarzyna Marcisz, Elena Marinova, Paul J.H. Mathijssen, Dmitri Mauquoy, Yuri Mazei, Natalia Mazei, Julia McCarroll, Robert McCulloch, Alice Milner, Yannick Miras, Fraser J.G. Mitchell, Elena Novenko, Nicolas Pelletier, Matthew Peros, Sanna Pillo, Louis-Martin Pilote, Guillaume Primeau, Damien Rius, Vincent Robin, Mylene Robitaille, Thomas P. Roland, Eleonor Ryberg, A. Britta K. Sannel, Karsten Schittek, Gabriel Servera-Vives, William Shotyk, Michal Slowinski, Normunds Stivrins, Ward Swinnen, Gareth Thompson, Alexei Tiunov, Andrey N. Tsyganov, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Gert Verstraeten, Tuomo Wallenius, Julia Webb, Debra A. Willard, Zicheng Yu, Claudio Zaccone, Hui Zhang
Application of a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mitogenesis assay in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) to augment wild fish health studies Application of a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mitogenesis assay in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) to augment wild fish health studies
The utility of a functional immune assay for smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) lymphocyte mitogenesis was evaluated. Wild populations in the Potomac River have faced disease and mortality with immunosuppression from exposure to chemical contaminants a suspected component. However, a validated set of immune parameters to screen for immunosuppression in wild fish populations is not...
Authors
Cheyenne R. Smith, Christopher Ottinger, Heather L. Walsh, Patricia M. Mazik, Vicki S. Blazer
Algal amendment enhances biogenic methane production from coals of different thermal maturity Algal amendment enhances biogenic methane production from coals of different thermal maturity
The addition of small amounts of algal biomass to stimulate methane production in coal seams is a promising low carbon renewable coalbed methane enhancement technique. However, little is known about how the addition of algal biomass amendment affects methane production from coals of different thermal maturity. Here, we show that biogenic methane can be produced from five coals ranging in...
Authors
George A. Platt, Katherine J. Davis, Hannah D. Schweitzer, Heidi J. Smith, Matthew W. Fields, Elliott P. Barnhart, Robin Gerlach
Nest traits and major flooding events influence nest survival of Emperor Geese while regional environmental variation linked to climate does not Nest traits and major flooding events influence nest survival of Emperor Geese while regional environmental variation linked to climate does not
The reproductive ecology of geese that breed in the Arctic and subarctic is likely susceptible to the effects of climate change, which is projected to alter the environmental conditions of northern latitudes. Nest survival is an important component of productivity in geese; however, the effects of regional environmental conditions on nest survival are not well understood for some species
Authors
Jordan M. Thompson, Brian D. Uher-Koch, Bryan L. Daniels, Joel A. Schmutz, Benjamin S. Sedinger
Wastewater reuse and predicted ecological risk posed by contaminant mixtures in Potomac River watershed streams Wastewater reuse and predicted ecological risk posed by contaminant mixtures in Potomac River watershed streams
A wastewater model was applied to the Potomac River watershed to provide (i) a means to identify streams with a high likelihood of carrying elevated effluent-derived contaminants and (ii) risk assessments to aquatic life and drinking water. The model linked effluent discharges along stream networks, accumulated wastewater, and predicted contaminant loads of municipal wastewater...
Authors
Kaycee E. Faunce, Larry B. Barber, Steffanie H. Keefe, Jeramy Roland Jasmann, Jennifer L. Krstolic
Assessing impaired benthic communities using sediment toxicity and contaminant concentrations from reference sites inside the Niagara River Area of Concern Assessing impaired benthic communities using sediment toxicity and contaminant concentrations from reference sites inside the Niagara River Area of Concern
Anthropogenically degraded benthic-macroinvertebrate communities (benthos) are one of seven beneficial use impairments (BUIs) in the Niagara River Area of Concern (AOC). Over the last 50 years, upgrades to waste-water treatment, industry closures, and sediment remediations reduced contaminant levels throughout the system. Improvements in benthic communities and sediment toxicity, however...
Authors
Barry P. Baldigo, Scott D. George, Andrew Lenox, Mark Filipski, Brian T. Duffy
Evaluating brook trout egg and alevin survival at different temperatures in simulated karst environments with marl sedimentation Evaluating brook trout egg and alevin survival at different temperatures in simulated karst environments with marl sedimentation
Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) have been extirpated from many karst-geology streams in West Virginia; however, the causes are not fully understood. Specifically, the impact of calcareous precipitate (marl), which is common in hard-water environments, has not been evaluated as an im- pediment to juvenile survival. Accordingly, two lab-based studies were conducted to determine if...
Authors
John. Davidson, Clayton D. Raines, Curtis Crouse, CHristopher Goodchild, Brandon J. Keplinger
Food caching by a solitary large carnivore reveals importance of intermediate-sized prey Food caching by a solitary large carnivore reveals importance of intermediate-sized prey
Pumas (Puma concolor) are solitary large carnivores that exhibit high energetic investments while hunting prey that often take multiple days to consume. Therefore, pumas should behave in a way to maximize their energetic gains, including using caching, which is a behavior used by many mammal species to preserve and store food or to conceal it from conspecifics and scavengers to limit...
Authors
Maximilian L. Allen, L. Mark Elbroch, Javan Mathias Bauder, Heiko U. Wittmer
Wall diffuser velocity effects on American shad (Alosa sapidissima) inside a fishway entrance channel Wall diffuser velocity effects on American shad (Alosa sapidissima) inside a fishway entrance channel
Attraction water for fishways is typically introduced through a diffuser inside the entrance channel, often through the floor or wall. In the spring of 2019, this laboratory study examined how 151 adult American Shad (Alosa sapidissima) responded to different gross velocities through a wall diffuser inside a full-scale fishway entrance channel. Two velocity conditions were studied, 0.152...
Authors
Kevin B. Mulligan, Marcia Rojas, Brett Towler, Bjorn Lake, Richard Palmer
Mercury accumulation potential of aquatic plant species in West Dongting Lake, China Mercury accumulation potential of aquatic plant species in West Dongting Lake, China
West Dongting Lake is a protected wetland with the potential for high levels of mercury release via wastewater and deposition from industry and agriculture during the last decade. To find out the ability of various plant species to accumulate mercury pollutants from soil and water, nine sites were studied in the downstream direction of the flow of the Yuan and Li Rivers, which are...
Authors
Dong Peng, Mingzhu Chen, Xinyue Su, Chenchen Liu, Zhehao Zhang, Beth A. Middleton, Ting Lei
Investigating hydrologic alteration in the Pearl and Pascagoula River basins using rule-based model trees Investigating hydrologic alteration in the Pearl and Pascagoula River basins using rule-based model trees
Anthropogenic hydrologic alteration threatens the health of riverine ecosystems. Machine learning algorithms that employ the use of model trees to predict hydrologic alteration are underrepresented in related literature. This study assesses hydrologic alteration in the Pearl and Pascagoula River basins using modeled daily streamflow. Hydrologic alteration was determined by hypothesis...
Authors
Victor L. Roland, Elena Crowley-Ornelas, Kirk D. Rodgers
DNA virome composition of two sympatric wild felids, bobcat (Lynx rufus) and puma (Puma concolor) in Sonora, Mexico DNA virome composition of two sympatric wild felids, bobcat (Lynx rufus) and puma (Puma concolor) in Sonora, Mexico
With viruses often having devastating effects on wildlife population fitness and wild mammals serving as pathogen reservoirs for potentially zoonotic diseases, determining the viral diversity present in wild mammals is both a conservation and One Health priority. Additionally, transmission from more abundant hosts could increase the extinction risk of threatened sympatric species. We...
Authors
Natalie Payne, Leigh Combrink, Simona Kraberger, Rafaela S. Fontenele, Kara Schmidlin, Ivonne Cassaigne, Megan K. La Peyre, Arvind Varsani, Koenraad Van Doorslaer