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Salt tolerance underlies the cryptic invasion of North American salt marshes by an introduced haplotype of the common reed Phragmites australis (Poaceae) Salt tolerance underlies the cryptic invasion of North American salt marshes by an introduced haplotype of the common reed Phragmites australis (Poaceae)

A distinct, non-native haplotype of the common reed Phragmites australis has become invasive in Atlantic coastal Spartina marshes. We compared the salt tolerance and other growth characteristics of the invasive M haplotype with 2 native haplotypes (F and AC) in greenhouse experiments. The M haplotype retained 50% of its growth potential up to 0.4 M NaCl, whereas the F and AC haplotypes...
Authors
Edward A. Vasquez, Edward P. Glenn, J. Jed Brown, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Stephen G. Nelson

Estimation of stream salamander (Plethodontidae, Desmognathinae and Plethodontinae) populations in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA Estimation of stream salamander (Plethodontidae, Desmognathinae and Plethodontinae) populations in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA

Stream salamanders in the family Plethodontidae constitute a large biomass in and near headwater streams in the eastern United States and are promising indicators of stream ecosystem health. Many studies of stream salamanders have relied on population indices based on counts rather than population estimates based on techniques such as capture-recapture and removal. Application of...
Authors
R.E. Jung, J. Andrew Royle, J.R. Sauer, C. Addison, R.D. Rau, J.L. Shirk, J.C. Whissel

Use of radio-telemetry to reduce bias in nest searching Use of radio-telemetry to reduce bias in nest searching

We used traditional searching, as well as radio-telemetry, to find 125 Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) nests during 1994–1996 at the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia, USA. We compared daily nest survival rates for 66 nests of radio-marked birds with 59 nests of birds found through systematic searching. By using radio-telemetry, we found Wood Thrush nests in higher...
Authors
Larkin A. Powell, J. D. Lang, David G. Krementz, Michael J. Conroy

Mercury concentrations in water from an unconfined aquifer system, New Jersey coastal plain Mercury concentrations in water from an unconfined aquifer system, New Jersey coastal plain

Concentrations of total mercury (Hg) from 2 μg/L (the USEPA maximum contaminant level) to 72 μg/L in water from about 600 domestic wells in residential parts of eight counties in southern New Jersey have been reported by State and county agencies. The wells draw water from the areally extensive (7770 km2) unconfined Kirkwood–Cohansey aquifer system, in which background concentrations of...
Authors
J. L. Barringer, Zoltan Szabo, L. J. Kauffman, T. H. Barringer, P. E. Stackelberg, T. Ivahnenko, S. Rajagopalan, D. P. Krabbenhoft

A modified beam-to-earth transformation to measure short-wavelength internal waves with an acoustic Doppler current profiler A modified beam-to-earth transformation to measure short-wavelength internal waves with an acoustic Doppler current profiler

The algorithm used to transform velocity signals from beam coordinates to earth coordinates in an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) relies on the assumption that the currents are uniform over the horizontal distance separating the beams. This condition may be violated by (nonlinear) internal waves, which can have wavelengths as small as 100-200 m. In this case, the standard...
Authors
A. Scotti, B. Butman, R.C. Beardsley, P. S. Alexander, S. Anderson

Methyl tert-butyl ether occurrence and related factors in public and private wells in southeast New Hampshire Methyl tert-butyl ether occurrence and related factors in public and private wells in southeast New Hampshire

The occurrence of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in water from public wells in New Hampshire has increased steadily over the past several years. Using a laboratory reporting level of 0.2 μg/L, 40% of samples from public wells and 21% from private wells in southeast New Hampshire have measurable concentrations of MTBE. The rate of occurrence of MTBE varied significantly for public wells...
Authors
Joseph D. Ayotte, Denise M. Argue, Frederick J. McGarry

Secondary sulfate minerals associated with acid drainage in the eastern US: Recycling of metals and acidity in surficial environments Secondary sulfate minerals associated with acid drainage in the eastern US: Recycling of metals and acidity in surficial environments

Weathering of metal-sulfide minerals produces suites of variably soluble efflorescent sulfate salts at a number of localities in the eastern United States. The salts, which are present on mine wastes, tailings piles, and outcrops, include minerals that incorporate heavy metals in solid solution, primarily the highly soluble members of the melanterite, rozenite, epsomite, halotrichite...
Authors
J. M. Hammarstrom, R.R. Seal, A. L. Meier, J.M. Kornfeld

Performance of four turbulence closure models implemented using a generic length scale method Performance of four turbulence closure models implemented using a generic length scale method

A two-equation turbulence model (one equation for turbulence kinetic energy and a second for a generic turbulence length-scale quantity) proposed by Umlauf and Burchard [J. Marine Research 61 (2003) 235] is implemented in a three-dimensional oceanographic model (Regional Oceanographic Modeling System; ROMS v2.0). These two equations, along with several stability functions, can represent...
Authors
J.C. Warner, C. R. Sherwood, H.G. Arango, R. P. Signell

Net alkalinity and net acidity 2: Practical considerations Net alkalinity and net acidity 2: Practical considerations

The pH, alkalinity, and acidity of mine drainage and associated waters can be misinterpreted because of the chemical instability of samples and possible misunderstandings of standard analytical method results. Synthetic and field samples of mine drainage having various initial pH values and concentrations of dissolved metals and alkalinity were titrated by several methods, and the...
Authors
C.S. Kirby, C.A. Cravotta

Geochemistry and jasper beds from the Ordovician Løkken ophiolite, Norway: origin of proximal and distal siliceous exhalites Geochemistry and jasper beds from the Ordovician Løkken ophiolite, Norway: origin of proximal and distal siliceous exhalites

Stratiform beds of jasper (hematitic chert), composed essentially of SiO2 (69–95 wt %) and Fe2O3 (3–25 wt %), can be traced several kilometers along strike in the Ordovician Løkken ophiolite, Norway. These siliceous beds are closely associated with volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits and are interpreted as sea-floor gels that were deposited by fallout from hydrothermal plumes in...
Authors
Tor Grenne, John F. Slack

Mineral of the month: cadmium Mineral of the month: cadmium

Cadmium, which was once used almost exclusively for pigments, now has many diverse applications. Cadmium’s low melting point, excellent electrical conductivity and resistance to corrosion make it valuable for many products including batteries, electroplated coatings, stabilizers for plastics, solar cells and nonferrous alloys. Today’s cadmium is primarily used in rechargeable batteries...
Authors
Edward Klimasauskas
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