USGS EcoNews - Vol. 4 | Issue 4
We hope you enjoy the fall edition of EcoNews - the quarterly newsletter published by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area. As the seasons change, we have been busy! New partnerships, the discovery of humans in North America thousands of years earlier than once thought, and new threats to amphibians are just a few of the science highlights in this issue.
Study confirms age of oldest fossil human footprints in North America
ALAMOGORDO, N.M. — New research reaffirms that human footprints found in White Sands National Park, NM, date to the Last Glacial Maximum, placing humans in North America thousands of years earlier than once thought.
PFAS in US Tapwater Interactive Dashboard
Drinking-water quality and potential exposures to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at the point-of-use (tapwater) are a rising concern in the United States (US).
Amphibians have one more thing to worry about—mercury—large USGS study shows
RESTON, Va. — The first widescale assessment of methylmercury in adult amphibians in the U.S. to date shows that, in amphibians, this toxic compound is common, widespread and, at least for some, can reach very high levels.
Wetland Loss: Modeling Consequences for Waterfowl Production, Recreation Use, and Economic Opportunities
Amendments to the Clean Water Act in 1972 established federal jurisdiction over “navigable waters,” defined in the Act as the “waters of the United States.” A revised definition of the Waters of the U.S. rule took effect on 20 March 2023. However, various legal challenges precluded implementation of the new definition. On 25 May 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of Sackett et ux. v. Environmental Protection Agency et al., provided important clarification to this rule. As a result, the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are developing amendments to the 'Waters of the United States’ rule consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision.
Cloudberry Booklet: First in the “Berries in Alaska’s Changing Environment Series”
A new Alaska CASC-supported booklet, the first in a series, summarizes what is and isn’t known about how climate change is affecting the prized northern cloudberry.
Modeling chronic wasting disease prevalence through time to investigate mechanisms of spread in deer and elk in Wyoming
Diseases are challenging to manage in wild ungulate populations, particularly when there are many ways the disease can spread. Wildlife management agencies often need to take action to control disease spread, but it is unclear which actions are most effective in constraining disease because the importance of different spread mechanisms is not fully understood. This project will aid state wildlife management agencies by modeling which disease transmission mechanisms most influence changes in prevalence and geographic spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer and elk. The results simulate the potential effectiveness of different management alternatives at reducing CWD spread and can contribute to the development of management strategies that constrain the disease.
Where the Rubber Meets the Road (and River)—Evaluating Impacts of Stormwater and Road Runoff on Salmon and Aquatic Ecosystems
Every day, millions of cars, and trucks drive along our nation’s roadways, many crossing streams and rivers as they go. Those driving may not consider the threat automobiles can pose to our aquatic ecosystems.
Two USGS Publications Outline Pollinator Conservation Efforts
Pollinator species in the U.S. are in crisis based on broad-scale changes in land-use and climate. Scientists within several USGS programs, including the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units, the National and Regional CASCs, and Ecosystems Science Centers, are contributing their diverse expertise to study the effects of climate on pollinators.
A long-term assessment of ecosystem resilience in a protected grassland in the southwest US Canyonlands
In a rare, never-grazed, and undisturbed grassland in the southwest US, researchers conducted a multi-decadal study to assess how a protected ecosystem is faring under warming temperatures and the invasion of a non-native exotic grass.
Climate Research and Development Program – Day in the Life of Climate R & D
USGS science helps to understand the causes and effects of environmental change. Scientists in the Climate Research and Development Program focus specifically on these changes, conducting their work across many fields and disciplines throughout the United States and the globe.
FORT scientists publish an annotated bibliography of scientific research on a threatened species, the Gunnison sage-grouse
In 2014, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) listed Gunnison sage-grouse as threatened under the Endangered Species Act because of declining populations and increasing habitat loss. To aid conservation practitioners, a recently published U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Open-File Report compiles and summarizes 53 research products about Gunnison sage-grouse published between 2005 and 2022.
Purdue University to host new multi-agency research partnership to benefit Indiana’s wildlife and wild places
The partnership is Indiana’s first U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit