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Browse more than 65,000 articles authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS and refine search by topic, location, year, and advanced search.

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Spatiotemporal dynamics of insect pollinator communities in sagebrush steppe associated with weather and vegetation Spatiotemporal dynamics of insect pollinator communities in sagebrush steppe associated with weather and vegetation

The conservation of native insect pollinators is hampered by a lack of information about environmental factors influencing pollinator communities. We investigated how insect pollinator communities, composed of bees (Hymenoptera), butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera), and flies (Diptera), are influenced by spatial and temporal aspects of the environment in sagebrush steppe shrublands. We...
Authors
Ashley Rohde, David S. Pilliod

Sources and risk factors for nitrate and microbial contamination of private household wells in the fractured dolomite aquifer of northeastern Wisconsin Sources and risk factors for nitrate and microbial contamination of private household wells in the fractured dolomite aquifer of northeastern Wisconsin

Background: Groundwater quality in the Silurian dolomite aquifer in northeastern Wisconsin, USA, has become contentious as dairy farms and exurban development expand.Objectives: We investigated private household wells in the region, determining the extent, sources, and risk factors of nitrate and microbial contamination.Methods: Total coliforms, Escherichia coli, and nitrate were...
Authors
Mark A. Borchardt, Joel P. Stokdyk, Burney A Kieke, Maureen A. Muldoon, Susan K. Spencer, Aaron D. Firnstahl, Davina Bonness, Randall J. Hunt, Tucker R. Burch

Quantitative microbial risk assessment for contaminated private wells in the fractured dolomite aquifer of Kewaunee County, Wisconsin Quantitative microbial risk assessment for contaminated private wells in the fractured dolomite aquifer of Kewaunee County, Wisconsin

Background: Private wells are an important source of drinking water in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin. Due to the region’s fractured dolomite aquifer, these wells are vulnerable to contamination by human and zoonotic gastrointestinal pathogens originating from land-applied cattle manure and private septic systems.Objective: We determined the magnitude of the health burden associated with...
Authors
Tucker R. Burch, Joel P. Stokdyk, Susan K. Spencer, Burney A Kieke, Aaron D. Firnstahl, Maureen A. Muldoon, Mark A. Borchardt

Ecological engineering with oysters enhances coastal resilience efforts Ecological engineering with oysters enhances coastal resilience efforts

Coastal areas are especially vulnerable to habitat loss, sea-level rise, and other climate change effects. Oyster-dominated eco-engineered reefs have been promoted as integral components of engineered habitats enhancing coastal resilience through provision of numerous ecological, morphological, and socio-economic services. However, the assessed ‘success’ of these eco-engineered oyster...
Authors
M. S. N. Chowdhury, Megan K. La Peyre, L. D. Coen, R. L. Morris, M. W. Luckenbach, T. Ysebaert, B. Walles, A. C. Smaal

Mapping the vulnerability of giant sequoias after extreme drought in California using remote sensing Mapping the vulnerability of giant sequoias after extreme drought in California using remote sensing

Between 2012 and 2016, California suffered one of the most severe droughts on record. During this period Sequoiadendron giganteum (giant sequoias) in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI), California, USA experienced canopy water content (CWC) loss, unprecedented foliage senescence, and, in a few cases, death. We present an assessment of the vulnerability of giant sequoia...
Authors
Andres Baeza, Roberta E. Martin, Nathan L. Stephenson, Adrian Das, Paul Hardwick, Koren R. Nydick, Jeff Mallory, Michèle Slaton, Kirk Evans, Gregory P. Asner

Hyperspectral narrowband data propel gigantic leap in the earth remote sensing Hyperspectral narrowband data propel gigantic leap in the earth remote sensing

Hyperspectral narrowbands (HNBs) capture data as nearly continuous “spectral signatures” rather than a “few spectral data points” along the electromagnetic spectrum as with multispectral broadbands (MBBs). Almost all of satellite remote sensing of the Earth in the twentieth century was conducted using MBB data from sensors such as the Landsat-series, Advanced Very High-Resolution...
Authors
Prasad Thenkabail, Itiya P. Aneece, Pardhasaradhi Teluguntla, Adam Oliphant

Perceived barriers to the use of assisted colonization for climate sensitive species in the Hawaiian Islands Perceived barriers to the use of assisted colonization for climate sensitive species in the Hawaiian Islands

Conservation actions to safeguard climate change vulnerable species may not be utilized due to a variety of perceived barriers. Assisted colonization, the intentional movement and release of an organism outside its historical range, is one tool available for species predicted to lose habitat under future climate change scenarios, particularly for single island or single mountain range...
Authors
Shannon Rivera, Lucas Berio Fortini, Sheldon M. Plentovich, Melissa Price

Reconstruction of an extreme flood hydrograph and morphodynamics of a meander bend in a high-peak discharge variability river (Powder River, USA) Reconstruction of an extreme flood hydrograph and morphodynamics of a meander bend in a high-peak discharge variability river (Powder River, USA)

Understanding of morphodynamic processes associated with large-scale floods has recently improved following significant advances of modern technologies. Nevertheless, a clear link between flood discharge and in-channel sedimentation processes remains to be resolved. The hydrological and geomorphological data available for the meandering Powder River (Montana, USA) since 1977 makes it a...
Authors
Massimiliano Ghinassi, John A. Moody

An International Virtual Workshop on Global Seismology and Tectonics (IVWGST‐2020) An International Virtual Workshop on Global Seismology and Tectonics (IVWGST‐2020)

An International Virtual Workshop on Global Seismology and Tectonics (IVWGST‐2020) was organized by the Geoscience and Technology Division of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research—North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat, India from 14 to 25 September 2020. This workshop predominantly catered to undergraduate, postgraduate, and Ph.D. students, scientists, and...
Authors
Santanu Baruah, Chandan Dey, Prachurjya Borthakur, G. Narahari Sastry, Andrew J. Michael

Trait heritability and its implications for the management of an invasive vertebrate Trait heritability and its implications for the management of an invasive vertebrate

Control methods that target specific traits of an invasive species can produce results contrary to the aims of management. If targeted phenotypes exhibit heritability, then it follows that the invasive species could evolve greater resistance to the applied control measures over time. Additional complications emerge if those traits targeted by control are also inversely related to...
Authors
Brenna A Levine, Marlis R Douglas, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Bjorn Lardner, Robert Reed, Julie A. Savidge, Michael E Douglas

Assessing the robustness of time-to-event models for estimating unmarked wildlife abundance using remote cameras Assessing the robustness of time-to-event models for estimating unmarked wildlife abundance using remote cameras

Recently developed methods, including time-to-event and space-to-event models, estimate the abundance of unmarked populations from encounter rates with camera trap arrays, addressing a gap in noninvasive wildlife monitoring. However, estimating abundance from encounter rates relies on assumptions that can be difficult to meet in the field, including random movement, population closure...
Authors
Kenneth E. Loonam, Paul M. Lukacs, David Edward Ausband, Michael S. Mitchell, Hugh S. Robinson

Airborne geophysical surveys of the lower Mississippi Valley demonstrate system-scale mapping of subsurface architecture Airborne geophysical surveys of the lower Mississippi Valley demonstrate system-scale mapping of subsurface architecture

The Mississippi Alluvial Plain hosts one of the most prolific shallow aquifer systems in the United States but is experiencing chronic groundwater decline. The Reelfoot rift and New Madrid seismic zone underlie the region and represent an important and poorly understood seismic hazard. Despite its societal and economic importance, the shallow subsurface architecture has not been mapped...
Authors
Burke J. Minsley, James R. Rigby, Stephanie R. James, Bethany L. Burton, Katherine J. Knierim, Michael Pace, Paul A. Bedrosian, Wade Kress
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