Publications

Alternative stable state theory in aeolian geomorphology describes the occurrence of bare and vegetated aeolian dunes in response to long-term climatic and ecological drivers. Transitions between states, as well as their co-occurrence (bistability), can arise from perturbations to drivers, disturbance, and associated biophysical feedbacks. Here, we examine the role of upwind fluvial...

Native freshwater mussels occur in rivers of all sizes, yet much of the literature focuses on small- to medium-sized rivers, likely because of logistic challenges of sampling deep, fast, and turbid large rivers. As large-river surveys become more common, the information resulting from a systematic sampling design can provide baseline data on population sizes to inform decision making by...

Glaciers populate the mountain ranges of the western conterminous United States and despite their importance to alpine hydrology, their area and volume change have never been comprehensively evaluated. Since the mid-Twentieth Century about one-quarter of the glaciers have disappeared and the overall area and volume are reduced by one-third. The pattern of glacier shrinkage suggests most...

Mauna Loa’s reawakening in 2022 highlighted the limited availability of petrological constraints characterizing the geometry and dynamics of pre-eruptive storage at this volcano. In particular, there has been relatively little prior work constraining pre-eruptive volatile budgets, mineral zoning and textures. To address this, we examine olivine- and orthopyroxene-hosted melt inclusions...

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter sage-grouse) are at the center of State and national land-use policies largely because of their unique life-history traits as an ecological indicator for the health of sagebrush ecosystems. This updated population analysis provides State and Federal land and wildlife managers with the best available science to help guide...

Objective Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix are of special concern to fisheries management agencies across the Mississippi River basin, but effective control of the species is challenging. Our objectives were to (1) identify spatial and environmental patterns among key Silver Carp demographic rates that could be exploited by removal programs and (2) develop predictive models of...

Groundwater recharge potential was mapped using airborne electromagnetic survey data collected over the previously glaciated part of eastern Nebraska. To evaluate the appropriate resolution at which airborne electromagnetic data should be interpolated (or represented), we compared a 500-​meter ​cell ​raster​ and​ a​ filled ​contour​ shapefile​ to ​known​ geologic features, point...

Annual land cover monitoring using medium-resolution satellite imagery represents a transition from periodic mapping campaigns to continuous observation systems. This transition introduces accuracy assessment challenges not encountered in one-time mapping efforts, particularly when the initial monitoring period is extended forward in time. These challenges are not addressed in existing...

Winter cover crops can reduce erosion and improve water quality. Ecosystem services generally increase with higher cover crop biomass, but they are known to be variable within the field. We generated a large remotely-sensed biomass dataset from more than 8,000 fields enrolled in a cover crop cost share program to study biomass heterogeneity from fields in the Choptank and Chester...

The youngest large explosive eruption of Yellowstone volcano generated the 0.63 Ma Lava Creek Tuff (LCT) ignimbrite and a voluminous, widespread fall deposit accompanying formation of Yellowstone Caldera. The tuff is conventionally divided into members A (LCT-A) and B (LCT-B), defined by a reversal in density/welding profiles and the presence of phenocrystic amphibole in LCT-A. Remapping...

More than 2 million Californians rely on groundwater from domestic wells for their drinking-water supply. This report summarizes a 2023 California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment Priority Basin Project water-quality survey of 44 domestic and small-system drinking-water supply wells in the western Sacramento Valley (basin number 5-021) and San Joaquin Valley (basin number 5...

Habitat loss and limited upland nesting cover likely constrain waterfowl productivity in intensively managed wetland landscapes in California, USA. We evaluated whether experimental manipulations of upland habitats, including the seeding of native plants, dense nesting cover, or cereal grains, could enhance nesting vegetation and improve duck nest density and nest survival in a...