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At least 469 records · Page 26Linked to original sources
USGS2015

H7N9 influenza A virus in turkeys in Minnesota

Introductions of H7 Influenza A virus (IAV) from wild birds into poultry have been documented worldwide, resulting in varying degrees of morbidity and mortality. H7 IAV infection in domestic poultry has served as a source of human infection and disease. We report the detection of H7N9 subtype IAV in Minnesota turkey farms during 2009 and 2011. The full-genome was sequenced from eight isolates as well as the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) gene segments of H7 and N9 virus subtypes for 108 isolates from North American wild birds between 1986 and 2012. Through maximum likelihood and coalescent phylogenetic analyses, we identified the recent H7 and N9 IAV ancestors of the turkey-origin H7N9 IAV, estimated the time and geographic origin of the ancestral viruses, and determined the relatedness between the 2009 and the 2011 turkey-origin H7N9 IAV. Analyses supported that the 2009 and the 2011 viruses were distantly related genetically, suggesting that the two outbreaks arose from independent introduction events from wild birds. Our findings further support that the 2011 MN turkey-origin H7N9 virus was closely related to H7N9 IAV isolated in poultry in Nebraska during the same year. Although the precise origin of the wild-bird donor of the turkey-origin H7N9 IAV could not be determined, our findings suggest that, for both the NA and HA gene segments, the MN turkey-origin H7N9 viruses were related to viruses circulating in wild birds between 2006 and 2011 in the Mississippi flyway.

Minnesota↗
USGS1991

Geographic variation in sea otters, Enhydra lutris

Univariate and multivariate analyses of 20 skull characters of 304 adult sea otters from throughout the geographic range strongly suggest that three subspecies should be recognized. The nominate form, Enhydra lutris lutris , occurs from the Kuril Islands north to the Commander Islands in the western Pacific Ocean. Individuals of E. l. lutris are characterized by large size and wide skulls with short nasal bones. E. l. nereis is found along the California coast and off San Nicolas Island, where the species recently has been reintroduced from coastal California. Specimens of E. l. nereis have narrow skulls with a long rostrum and small teeth, and usually lack the characteristic notch in the postorbital region found in most specimens of the other two subspecies. A new subspecies described by Don E. Wilson in this report, occurs throughout the Aleutian Islands and southward in the eastern Pacific to Washington. Specimens of the new subspecies are intermediate in size in most, but not all, characters and have longer mandibles than either of the other two subspecies.

Journal of Mammalogy↗
USGS2017

Isotopic niches support the resource breadth hypothesis

Because a broad spectrum of resource use allows species to persist in a wide range of habitat types, and thus permits them to occupy large geographical areas, and because broadly distributed species have access to more diverse resource bases, the resource breadth hypothesis posits that the diversity of resources used by organisms should be positively related with the extent of their geographic ranges. We investigated isotopic niche width in a small radiation of South American birds in the genus Cinclodes . We analysed feathers of 12 species of Cinclodes to test the isotopic version of the resource breadth hypothesis and to examine the correlation between isotopic niche breadth and morphology. We found a positive correlation between the widths of hydrogen and oxygen isotopic niches (which estimate breadth of elevational range) and widths of the carbon and nitrogen isotopic niches (which estimates the diversity of resources consumed, and hence of habitats used). We also found a positive correlation between broad isotopic niches and wing morphology. Our study not only supports the resource breadth hypothesis but it also highlights the usefulness of stable isotope analyses as tools in the exploration of ecological niches. It is an example of a macroecological application of stable isotopes. It also illustrates the importance of scientific collections in ecological studies.

Journal of Animal Ecology↗
USGS2017

Conservation status assessment of an endangered insular raptor: the Sharp-shinned Hawk in Puerto Rico

Sharp‐shinned Hawks ( Accipiter striatus ) are forest raptors that are widely distributed in the Americas. A subspecies endemic to Puerto Rico ( A. s. venator ) is listed as endangered and restricted to mature and old secondary montane forests and shade coffee plantations. However, recent information about the population status and distribution of Puerto Rican Sharp‐shinned Hawks is lacking. We developed a spatial geographic distribution model for Sharp‐shinned Hawks in Puerto Rico from 33 locations collected during four breeding seasons (2013–2016) using biologically relevant landscape variables (aspect, canopy closure, elevation, rainfall, slope, and terrain roughness). Elevation accounted for 89.8% of the model fit and predicted that the greatest probability of occurrence of Sharp‐shinned Hawks in Puerto Rico (> 60%) was at elevations above 900 m. Based on our model, an estimated 56.1 km 2 of habitat exists in Puerto Rico with a high probability of occurrence. This total represents ~0.6% of the island's area. Public lands included 43.8% of habitat with high probability of occurrence (24.6 km 2 ), 96% of which was located within four protected areas. Our results suggest that Sharp‐shinned Hawks are rare in Puerto Rico and restricted to the higher elevations of the Cordillera Central. Additional research is needed to identify and address ecological limiting factors, and recovery actions are needed to avoid the extinction of this endemic island raptor.

Puerto Rico↗
USGS2008

A characterization of non-biotic environmental features of prairies hosting the Dakota Skipper (Hesperia dacotae, Hesperiidae) across its remaining U.S. range

Within the United States, the Dakota Skipper now occurs only in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. In these states it has been associated with margins of glacial lakes and calcareous mesic prairies that host warm-season native grasses. Preliminary geographic information system (GIS) analysis in North Dakota has indicated a close congruency between historic distribution of the Dakota Skipper and that of specific near-shore glacial lake features and related soil associations. This study analyzed humidity-related non-biotic microhabitat characteristics within three remaining occupied Dakota Skipper sites in each state during the larval growth period in 2000. Measured parameters included topographic relief, soil compaction, soil pH, moisture, and temperature at various depths, soil bulk density, soil texture, and temperature and humidity within the larval nest zone. Results of these efforts reveal two distinctive habitat substrates, one of relatively low surface relief with dense but relatively less compact soils, and another of relatively high relief with less dense but more compact soils. In the low-relief habitat, grazing appears to compact soils unfavorably in otherwise similar prairies in the more xeric western portion of the range, potentially by affecting ground-water buffering of larval nest zone humidity.

Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society↗
USGS2015

Surveillance potential of non-native Hawaiian birds for detection of West Nile Virus

West Nile virus (WNV) was first detected in North America in 1999. Alaska and Hawaii (HI) remain the only U.S. states in which transmission of WNV has not been detected. Dead bird surveillance has played an important role in the detection of the virus geographically, as well as temporally. In North America, corvids have played a major role in WNV surveillance; however, the only corvid in HI is the endangered Hawaiian crow that exists only in captivity, thus precluding the use of this species for WNV surveillance in HI. To evaluate the suitability of alternate avian species for WNV surveillance, we experimentally challenged seven abundant non-native bird species present in HI with WNV and compared mortality, viremia, oral shedding of virus, and seroconversion. For detection of WNV in oral swabs, we compared viral culture, reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and the RAMP ® test. For detection of antibodies to WNV, we compared an indirect and a competitive enzyme-linked immunoassay. We found four species (house sparrow, house finch, Japanese white-eye, and Java sparrow) that may be useful in dead bird surveillance for WNV; while common myna, zebra dove, and spotted dove survived infection and may be useful in serosurveillance.

American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene↗
USGS2008

Subspecific affinities and conservation genetics of western big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii pallescens) at the edge of their distributional range

Subspecific affinities, determination of population boundaries, and levels of population connectedness are of critical importance for the development of management and conservation planning. We used variation at a mitochondrial locus and 5 biparentally inherited nuclear loci to determine partitioning of genetic variation of western big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii) within and among caves occurring in a fragmented landscape of gypsum deposits in western Oklahoma. To accomplish this objective, we first performed a phylogenetic analysis based on the mitochondrial locus of western big-eared bats from a large portion of their range. This analysis indicated that western big-eared bats at the periphery of the distribution in western Oklahoma share phylogenetic affinities with the most geographically restricted subspecies, C. t. pallescens. Because C. townsendii is rare in Oklahoma and is listed as a species of special concern, this finding provides additional support for the continued protection of this species in Oklahoma. Within western Oklahoma, we failed to detect significant differentiation among any caves for the biparentally inherited microsatellite data. However, the mitochondrial locus exhibited significant levels of genetic differentiation among caves, with the highest level of differentiation occurring between caves within the disjunct distributions of gypsum (??ST = 38.76%). Although a significant amount of genetic differentiation was detected between populations on the 2 disjunct distributions of gypsum deposits, Analysis with the program Migrate suggested high levels of asymmetric gene flow among some populations. Our results provide a greater understanding of the population dynamics of western big-eared bats on the periphery of their range and highlight the importance of continued monitoring and study of this taxon. ?? 2008 American Society of Mammalogists.

Journal of Mammalogy↗
USGS1979

New host and geographical records for the leech Acanthobdella peledina Grube 1851 (Hirudinea, Acanthobdellidae)

A total of four leeches (Acanthobdella peledina), parasitizing four specimens of the least cisco (Coregonus sardinella), were found during July and August 1977. The hosts and parasites were collected during a fishery survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the North Slope waters of Naval Petroleum Reserve, Alaska. Two host fishes were collected from the Chipp River (70035' latitude, 155012' longitude) and two from an unnamed, landlocked lake (69054' latitude, 153o23' longitude). The Chipp River collection site is about 130 km southeast of Barrow, and the unnamed lake about 200 km southeast of Barrow. The leeches, which were fixed in situ with neutral formalin, appeared to have penetrated the integument and were embedded in subcutaneous tissues and white muscle at the base of the pelvic fins. The specimens were cylindrical and about 23 mm long and 2-3 mm wide. Color before fixation was olive-green. The five anterior segments each had four pairs of hooked setae at the ventral surface. Our identification was based on a description in Bykhovskaya-Pavlovskaya et al., 1962, Key to parasites of freshwater fish of the USSR (Transl. from Russian), NTIS TT-64-11040.

Journal of Parasitology↗
USGS2005

The severity of Whirling disease among wild trout corresponds to the differences in genetic composition of tubifex tubifex populations in Central Colorado

We analyzed the geographic distribution of Tubifex tubifex from various river drainages in central Colorado by genetic screening with specific mitochondrial 16S ribosomal DNA (mt 16S rDNA) markers. Four distinct mt 16S rDNA lineages are evident. The sites varied with respect to land- and water-use practices. All sites represented habitats presumed capable of supporting oligochaetes. At the locations where whirling disease has had the greatest impact on resident rainbow trout, T. tubifex, representing lineages I and III (genotypes known to be susceptible to Mxyobolus cerebralis), were most commonly found. In contrast, at sites less affected by whirling disease, T. tubifex of lineages V and VI that are more resistant to M. cerebralis infections were more abundant. The predominance of resistant T. tubifex worms (lineages V and VI) at low-impact sites supports the conclusion that when these genotypes are in greater abundance, the potential for more severe effects of whirling disease on wild rainbow trout populations may be diminished. ?? American Society of Parasitologists 2005.

Journal of Parasitology↗
USGS1982

Behavioral interactions of penned red and arctic foxes

Expansion of the geographical distribution of red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) into the far north tundra region may lead to competition between arctic ( Alopex lagopus ) and red foxes for space and resources. Behavioral interactions between red and arctic foxes were evaluated during 9 trials conducted in a 4.05-ha enclosure near Woodworth, North Dakota. Each trial consisted of introducing a male-female pair of arctic foxes into the enclosure and allowing them to acclimate for approximately a week before releasing a female red fox into the enclosure, followed by her mate a few days later. In 8 of 9 trials, red foxes were dominant over arctic foxes during encounters. Activity of the arctic foxes decreased upon addition of red foxes. Arctic foxes tried unsuccessfully to defend preferred den, resting, and feeding areas. Even though the outcome of competition between red and arctic foxes in the Arctic is uncertain, the more aggressive red fox can dominate arctic foxes in direct competition for den sites and other limited resources.

North Dakota↗
USGS2000

Genetic analyses reveal unusually high diversity of infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus in rainbow trout aquaculture

Infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is the most significant virus pathogen of salmon and trout in North America. Previous studies have shown relatively low genetic diversity of IHNV within large geographical regions. In this study, the genetic heterogeneity of 84 IHNV isolates sampled from rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) over a 20 year period at four aquaculture facilities within a 12 mile stretch of the Snake River in Idaho, USA was investigated. The virus isolates were characterized using an RNase protection assay (RPA) and nucleotide sequence analyses. Among the 84 isolates analysed, 46 RPA haplotypes were found and analyses revealed a high level of genetic heterogeneity relative to that detected in other regions. Sequence analyses revealed up to 7·6% nucleotide divergence, which is the highest level of diversity reported for IHNV to date. Phylogenetic analyses identified four distinct monophyletic clades representing four virus lineages. These lineages were distributed across facilities, and individual facilities contained multiple lineages. These results suggest that co-circulating IHNV lineages of relatively high genetic diversity are present in the IHNV populations in this rainbow trout culture study site. Three of the four lineages exhibited temporal trends consistent with rapid evolution.

Journal of General Virology↗
USGS2012

Interseismic deformation at the Nankai Trough, Japan, subduction zone

Uplift along the coast of southwestern Japan following the 1944 Tonankai ( M s = 8.0) and 1946 Nankaido ( M s = 8.2) earthquakes has been inferred from the 1950–1985 tide gage records. Although uplift rates vary with geographic position, the temporal dependence at each site can be described as the superposition of an exponentially decaying (time constant ∼5 years) transient, significant only in the first decade postseismic, and a steady interseismic rate. The steady interseismic uplift rate is defined only over the 1956–1985 interval, but the linearity in time ofthat uplift record is such that uplift over the remainder of the interseismic cycle (∼80 years) might reasonably be expected to occur at the same rate. Moreover, the spatial pattern and magnitude of the steady uplift rate are reasonably close to those predicted by a simple dislocation model of subduction. However, the currently observed steady uplift rate is not consistent with the uplift rate inferred from geodetic leveling for the final half of the previous earthquake cycle. Thus, either the hypothesis of a steady interseismic uplift rate after the first decade postseismic is wrong or the strain accumulation pattern for one earthquake need not be the same as for the preceding earthquake on the same segment.

Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth↗
USGS2012

Pyrethroid insecticides in bed sediments from urban and agricultural streams across the United States

Pyrethroid insecticides are hydrophobic compounds that partition to streambed sediments and have been shown to cause toxicity to non-target organisms; their occurrence is well documented in parts of California, but there have been limited studies in other urban and agricultural areas across the United States. To broaden geographic understanding of pyrethroid distributions, bed sediment samples were collected and analyzed from 36 streams in 25 states, with about 2/3 of the sites in urban areas and 1/3 in agricultural areas. At least one pyrethroid (of the 14 included in the analysis) was detected in 78% of samples. Seven pyrethroids were detected in one or more samples. Bifenthrin was the most frequently detected (58% of samples), followed by permethrin (31%), resmethrin (17%), and cyfluthrin (14%). The other three detected pyrethroids (cyhalothrin, cypermethrin and delta/tralomethrin) were found in two or fewer of the samples. Concentrations ranged from 0.3 to 180 ng g -1 dry weight. The number of pyrethroids detected were higher in the urban samples than in the agricultural samples, but the highest concentrations of individual pyrethroids were split between urban and agricultural sites. The pyrethroids detected in the agricultural areas generally followed use patterns. Predicted toxicity was greater for urban areas and attributed to bifenthrin, cyfluthrin and cypermethrin, while in agricultural areas the toxicity was mainly attributed to bifenthrin.

Journal of Environmental Monitoring↗
USGS2019

Bioclimatic envelopes for individual demographic events driven by extremes: Plant mortality from drought and warming

The occurrence of plant species across the globe is largely constrained by climate. Ecologists use plant-climate relationships such as bioclimatic envelopes and related niche models to determine potential environmental conditions promoting probable species occurrence. Traditionally bioclimatic envelopes either exclude disturbance explicitly, or only include disturbance as infrequent and smaller scale processes, assuming that the net effect of climate parameters on key demographic processes predict longer-term equilibrial responses of biota. Due to increasing frequency and extent of extreme events associated with climate change, ecologists may need to increase focus on individual demographic events driven by environmental extremes such as widespread coral bleaching or large-scale tree die-off. An expanded focus on how extreme events catalyze individual demographic events would complement existing tools that predict long-term equilibrial biogeographic responses associated with long-term trends in climate. In many cases, extreme conditions (e.g. drought) are a necessary precursor for an abrupt demographic event (e.g. large-scale tree die-off) and the effects of extremes can be exacerbated by climatic trends (e.g. higher temperatures in combination with drought). Here, we highlight application of bioclimatic models for predicting individual demographic events. Defining the environmental conditions that precipitate demographic events such as widespread tree mortality is a necessary precursor for applying predictions to geographic space, and may require challenging biota with experiments that impose a combination of ecologically extreme conditions in one parameter and a shifting distribution in another (e.g. drought under higher temperatures). Currently data on conditions that drive individual demographic events associated with extremes are usually rare, aggregated across time, and/or correlative. We highlight this approach with a case study of drought-induced mortality in adult Pinus edulis trees that predicts a more than five-fold increase in frequency of die-off events under a global change scenario of high emissions. This general approach complements both traditional bioclimatic envelopes and more detailed physiological approaches currently being refined to address climate change challenges. Notably, this proposed approach could be developed for any climate condition or plant life stage, offering promise for improving predictions of individual demographic events that are rapidly altering ecosystems globally.

International Journal of Plant Sciences↗
USGS2025

Site-level connectivity identified from multiple sources of movement data to inform conservation of a migratory bird

Migratory birds depend on a suite of sites across their annual cycles, making them vulnerable to a wide variety of anthropogenic pressures. Current area-based conservation measures have been found inadequate to safeguard migratory birds, in part due to a lack of consideration for the connectivity between sites mediated by the movements of individuals. To address this issue, we develop a network analysis integrating different types of individual movement data for a migratory shorebird, the Black-tailed Godwit ( Limosa limosa ), across the East Atlantic Flyway. Leveraging metal-ring recoveries, colour-ring re-sightings and satellite tracking from over 10,000 individual godwits, we quantify variation in connectivity between sites across the migratory range, using two weighted metrics to address sampling biases. Colour-ring re-sightings provided the largest number of sites (70%) and links (60% and 43% per season) overall, followed by tracking data (50% of sites, 49% and 63% of links per season) and ring recoveries (25% of sites, <1% of links per season), with clear regional variation in datatype contributions. Sampling completeness of the network structure varied with longitude, with information particularly lacking in central and eastern countries of both Europe and Africa. We identified 49 sites playing a disproportionate role in the site network, each with direct connections to 48 (interquartile range 32–84) other sites, on average. Just 23 (47%) top sites are formally recognized for their international importance for Black-tailed Godwits, and 33 (67%) were robust to sampling incompleteness. Across all 1058 sites, 20% lacked protected area coverage, and per site, 44% (44% ± SD) of bird relocations fell within protected areas. Integrating multiple sources of data improved geographical coverage and completeness of the site network, allowing us to quantify the importance of sites in terms of connectivity across the flyway. Our results highlight shortcomings of existing area-based conservation measures and add value to ongoing efforts to identify important sites for migratory birds. Policy implications . The increasing availability of individual movement data provides valuable opportunities to reveal the inter-dependence of sites used by migratory species, which can help identify priority areas and facilitate flyway-scale management.

Journal of Applied Ecology↗
USGS2022

Towards real-time probabilistic ash deposition forecasting for New Zealand

Volcanic ashfall forecasts are highly dependent on eruption source parameters (ESPs) and synoptic weather conditions at the time and location of the eruption. In New Zealand, MetService and GNS Science have been jointly developing an ashfall forecast system that incorporates four-dimensional high-resolution numerical weather prediction (NWP) and ESPs into the HYSPLIT model, a state-of-the art hybrid Eulerian and Lagrangian dispersion model widely used for volcanic ash. However, these forecasts are based on discrete ESPs combined with a deterministic weather forecast and thus provide no information on output uncertainty. This shortcoming hinders stakeholder decision making, particularly near the geographical margin of forecasted ashfall and in areas with large gradients in forecasted ash deposition. Our study presents a new approach that incorporates uncertainty from both eruptive and meteorological inputs to deliver uncertainty in the model output. To this end, we developed probability density functions (PDFs) for three key ESPs (plume height, mass eruption rate, eruption duration) tailored to New Zealand’s volcanoes and combine them with NWP ensemble datasets to generate probabilistic ashfall forecasts using the HYSPLIT model. We show that the Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) technique can be used to representatively span this four-dimensional parameter space and allow us to add uncertainty quantification to rapid response forecast systems. For a case study of a hypothetical eruption at Tongariro, New Zealand we suggest that large parts of New Zealand’s North Island would not receive adequate warning for potential ashfall if uncertainties were not included in the forecasts. We also propose new probabilistic summary products to support public information and emergency responders decision making.

Journal of Applied Volcanology↗
USGS2009

A tangled tale of two teal: Population history of the grey Anas gracilis and chestnut teal a. castanea of Australia

Two Australian species of teal (Anseriformes: Anatidae: Anas), the grey teal Anas gracilis and the chestnut teal A. castanea, are remarkable for the zero or near-zero divergence recorded between them in earlier surveys of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diversity. We confirmed this result through wider geographical and population sampling as well as nucleotide sampling in the more rapidly evolving mtDNA control region. Any data set where two species share polymorphism as is the case here can be explained by a model of gene flow through hybridization on one hand or by incomplete lineage sorting on the other hand. Ideally, analysis of such shared polymorphism would simultaneously estimate the likelihood of both phenomena. To do this, we used the underlying principle of the IMa package to explore ramifications to understanding population histories of A. gracilis and A. castanea. We cannot reject that hybridization occurs between the two species but an equally or more plausible finding for their nearly zero divergence is incomplete sorting following very recent divergence between the two, probably in the mid-late Pleistocene. Our data add to studies that explore intermediate stages in the evolution of reciprocal monophyly and paraphyletic or polyphyletic relationships in mtDNA diversity among widespread Australian birds. ?? 2009 J. Avian Biol.

Journal of Avian Biology↗
USGS2004

Fish-habitat modeling for gap analysis to conserve the endangered Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka)

Decision support tools that predict fish distribution over broad spatial scales are needed to assist in planning watershed management and endangered species recovery. We developed a geographical information system model with multivariate logistic regression to rank valley segments for probable occurrence of the endangered Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka) using stream condition variables (stream size, groundwater potential, channel slope, streamflow, network position) and land-cover variables (percent pasture, percent trees) in streams characteristic of the North American Great Plains. The stream condition and land-cover models correctly classified 89% and 68% of outcomes (i.e., presence or absence), respectively. Field tests of maps of predicted species distribution resulted in more species occurrences than expected in valley segments classified as high potential for presence and less than expected in low-potential valley segments. Gaps between high-priority segments and protected land parcels were found in all basins. In 37 basins with Topeka shiners, protected land coverage was <1% in 17 basins, 1-5% in 10 basins, and 5-21.8% in 10 basins. Conservation activities in gaps are long-term conservation measures, but maps of predicted species distribution have many immediate applications.

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences↗