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USGS2017

Amphibian terrestrial habitat selection and movement patterns vary with annual life-history period

Identification of essential habitat is a fundamental component of amphibian conservation; however, species with complex life histories frequently move among habitats. To better understand dynamic habitat use, we evaluated Wood Frog ( Lithobates sylvaticus (LeConte, 1825)) habitat selection and movement patterns during the spring migration and foraging periods and described the spatiotemporal variability of habitats used during all annual life-history periods. We radio-tracked 71 frogs in Maine during 2011–2013 and evaluated spring migration, foraging activity center (FAC), and within-FAC habitat selection. Telemetered frogs spent the greatest percentage of each field season in hibernacula (≥54.4%), followed by FACs (≥25.5%), migration habitat (≥16.9%), and breeding sites (≥4.5%). FACs ranged 49 – 1 335 m 2 (568.0 ± 493.4 m 2 ) and annual home ranges spanned 1 413 – 32 165 m 2 (11 780.6 ± 12 506.1 m 2 ). During spring migration, Wood Frogs exhibited different movement patterns (e.g., turn angles), selected different habitat features, and selected habitat features less consistently than while occupying FACs, indicating that the migration and foraging periods are ecologically distinct. Habitat-use studies that do not discriminate among annual life-history periods may obscure true ecological relationships and fail to identify essential habitat necessary for sustaining amphibian populations.

Maine↗

USGS2010

Quantifying landscape ruggedness for animal habitat analysis: A case study using bighorn sheep in the Mojave Desert

Terrain ruggedness is often an important variable in wildlife habitat models. Most methods used to quantify ruggedness are indices derived from measures of slope and, as a result, are strongly correlated with slope. Using a Geographic Information System, we developed a vector ruggedness measure (VRM) of terrain based on a geomorphological method for measuring vector dispersion that is less correlated with slope. We examined the relationship of VRM to slope and to 2 commonly used indices of ruggedness in 3 physiographically different mountain ranges within the Mojave Desert of the southwestern United States. We used VRM, slope, distance to water, and springtime bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) adult female locations to model sheep habitat in the 3 ranges. Using logistic regression, we determined that the importance of ruggedness in habitat selection remained consistent across mountain ranges, whereas the relative importance of slope varied according to the characteristic physiography of each range. Our results indicate that the VRM quantifies local variation in terrain more independently of slope than other methods tested, and that VRM and slope distinguish 2 different components of bighorn sheep habitat.

Journal of Wildlife Management↗

USGS1994

Movements and habitat use of mallard broods in northeastern California

To increase recruitment of mallards ( Anas platyrhynchos ), wildlife managers must understand the habitat and space needs of mallard broods. During 1989-90, we examined the movements, home range, and habitat use of 27 radio-marked mallard broods on Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, California. Twelve of the 27 broods made 22 relocation movements (>1,000 m in 24 hr) in the first week ( n = 6) and after the fourth ( n = 16) week of life. Mean home range size was 0.93 km2 (SE = 0.25) and did not differ between years ( P = 0.26). Brood-rearing females selected seasonally flooded wetlands with a cover component and avoided open or permanently flooded habitats. In 1989, broods hatched in permanent wetlands were less successful in fledging ( P = 0.006) radio-marked ducklings than broods from seasonal wetlands, suggesting habitat availability or movement to preferred habitats may affect duckling survival.

California↗

USGS2005

Coupled inverse modeling of vadose zone water, heat, and solute transport: Calibration constraints, parameter nonuniqueness, and predictive uncertainty

In this study, an inverse methodology is presented and used to evaluate the effect that calibration of a synthetic artificial recharge model, constrained by different combinations of measurements (pressure head, temperature, and concentration), has on estimated vadose zone model parameter-value nonuniqueness and predictive water, heat, and solute transport uncertainty. Several findings are arrived at following model calibration and predictive analysis. First, composite scaled sensitivities revealed that all calibration measurement combinations contributed to the estimation of 30 water, heat, and solute transport parameters by inverting a set of vadose zone transport equations that were coupled explicitly through dependent variables and implicitly through parameters and fluid properties. Second, despite excellent model quality and perfect match of simulated-to-measured dependent field variables, the limitations in information content of field measurements used to constrain the calibration process promoted correlation among parameters; correlation among parameters promoted parameter nonuniqueness; and parameter nonuniqueness promoted predictive uncertainty. Consequently, simulations by transport models calibrated against field information represent a single realization associated with some quantifiable range of predictive uncertainty. Third, a primary reduction in uncertainty was achieved by increasing the number of calibration-constraint measurements, but reductions in uncertainty appeared restricted implying a practical limit to parameterization detail. Fourth, for a fixed number of measurements, a less prominent reduction in the range of predictive uncertainty could be realized through selective use of measurement types to constrain the calibration process. Therefore, field measurement types used to constrain the calibration process should be matched to target predictions. Fifth, because correlation among parameters contributes to predictive uncertainty, it may be possible to further reduce predictive uncertainty by estimating parameters that also minimize the largest eigenvalue in the normalized eigenvector matrix.

Journal of Hydrology↗

USGS2000

Response of hatchling and yearling turtles to thermal gradients: Comparison of Chelydra serpentina and Trachemys scripta

In laboratory tests, young Chelydra serpentina and Trachemys scripta altered their distribution in the presence of a temperature gradient. Selection of temperatures in the gradient for hatchlings and yearlings showed that body temperatures ( T b s) of C. serpentina were lower than T. scripta , but the difference was insignificant. Relatively low T b s could allow greater activity range and reduced metabolic maintenance cost for C. serpentina , which seldom leaves water.

Journal of Thermal Biology↗

USGS2019

Reducing sampling uncertainty in aeolian research to improve change detection

Measurements of aeolian sediment transport support our understanding of mineral dust impacts on Earth and human systems and assessments of aeolian process sensitivities to global environmental change. However, sample design principles are often overlooked in aeolian research. Here, we use high‐density field measurements of sediment mass flux across land use and land cover types to examine sample size and power effects on detecting change in aeolian transport. Temporal variances were 1.6 to 10.1 times the magnitude of spatial variances in aeolian transport for six study sites. Differences in transport were detectable for >67% of comparisons among sites using ~27 samples. Failure to detect change with smaller sample sizes suggests that aeolian transport measurements and monitoring are much more uncertain than recognized. We show how small and selective sampling, common in aeolian research, gives the false impression that differences in aeolian transport can be detected, potentially undermining inferences about process and impacting reproducibility of aeolian research.

Journal of Geophysical Research F: Earth Surface↗

USGS1994

Classification of vegetation communities in which geese rear broods on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska

Plant communities are described from an area on the Yukon – Kuskokwim (Y-K) delta of Alaska that is used extensively for brood rearing by three species of geese. Earlier studies identified plant species important as food for young geese, but few studies describe or quantify plant communities. We classified species presence or absence information from over 700 quadrats using a two-way indicator species analysis ( TWINSPAN ) and then tested for agreement of signatures on colour infrared air photos with the identified communities. Sedges were found to dominate all but the wettest and driest communities. Most of the brood-rearing area was covered by Carex ramenskii and Carex rariflora meadows, ponds, Carex mackenziei -dominated pond margins, and C . ramenskii and grass levee meadows. Our interpretation of airphotos accurately predicted vegetation community classes, which will facilitate future studies of habitat selection by geese during the time they are rearing young. The TWINSPAN classification was comparable to classifications of studies conducted elsewhere on the Y-K delta. The interpretation of air photos will enable the identification and evaluation of wetland vegetation complexes and potential goose brood-rearing areas away from our study site.

Alaska↗

USGS2007

Genetic diversity of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus from Feather River and Lake Oroville, California, and virulence of selected isolates for Chinook salmon and rainbow trout

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is a significant pathogen of young salmonid fishes worldwide but particularly within the historical range of the Pacific Northwest and California. In the Sacramento and San Joaquin River drainages of California, IHNV outbreaks in juvenile Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha have been observed regularly at large production hatcheries, including Coleman National Fish Hatchery (established in 1941) and Feather River State Fish Hatchery (FRH; established in 1967), since facility operations began. Recent severe epidemics at the FRH in 1998 and 2000-2002 prompted investigations into the characteristics and potential sources of virus at this facility. Both phylogenetic analyses of a variable portion of the glycoprotein gene and serologic comparisons based on neutralization with three polyclonal rabbit sera were used to characterize 82 IHNV isolates from the Feather River watershed between 1969 and 2004. All isolates examined were in the L genogroup and belonged to one of three serologic groups typical of IHNV from California. The IHNV isolates from the Feather River area demonstrated a maximum nucleotide sequence divergence of 4.0%, and new isolates appeared to emerge from previous isolates rather than by the introduction of more diverse subgroups from exogenous sources. The earliest isolates examined from the watershed formed the subgroup LI, which disappeared coincidently with a temporal shift to new genetic and serologic types of the larger subgroup LII. Experimental challenges demonstrated no significant differences in the virulence for juvenile Chinook salmon and rainbow trout O. mykiss from selected isolates representing the principal types of IHNV found historically and from recent epidemics at FRH. While most isolates were equally virulent for both host species, one isolate was found to be more virulent for Chinook salmon than for rainbow trout. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2007.

Journal of Aquatic Animal Health↗

USGS2021

Nest site selection of White-tailed Hawks (Geranoaetus albicaudatus) on Texas barrier islands

The distribution of the White-tailed Hawk ( Geranoaetus albicaudatus ) in the United States is restricted to the prairies and savannas of the Gulf Coastal Plain of Texas. Although listed as a state threatened species, it remains one of the least studied raptors in North America. It appears to reach high densities on some Texas barrier islands despite the island vegetation communities being structurally simple and providing few nesting substrates. We compared vegetation and landscape characteristics for sets of White-tailed Hawk nest sites and random sites on 3 Texas barrier islands (Matagorda, Mustang, and North Padre) representing a gradient of low to high human presence and impact. We constructed model sets consisting of vegetation and landscape features measured at a random subsample of nest sites and random sites, then assessed model sets with logistic regression. Our best constructed model correctly differentiated 83% of nest sites from random sites on Matagorda Island, 70% on Mustang Island, and 50% on North Padre Island. Overall, it appears that the structure of nest substrates was important to White-tailed Hawk nest-site selection: shrubs categorized as densely structured with or without thorns accounted for 78% of nest substrates compared to only 13% of paired, random potential substrates. The most frequently selected nest substrates overall were yaupon ( Ilex vomitoria ; 43%) and Macartney rose ( Rosa bracteata ; 24%). If White-tailed Hawks are to be conserved on the barrier islands, a balance will need to be found between continued anthropogenic development, maintenance of habitat patches, and availability of suitable nesting substrates.

Texas↗

USGS1996

Incorporation of bacterial extracellular polysaccharide by black fly larvae (Simuliidae)

Black fly larvae (Simulium) assimilated, with high efficiency (80-90%), bacterial extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) extracted from laboratory cultures of a pseudomonad isolated from the Ogeechee River. Incorporation was traced using 13C-labelled EPS offered to larvae as a coating on a mixture of 1-μm latex beads and kaolin particles. These EPS-coated particles were used to simulate natural particles, both living and dead. Solubility, protein, and nitrogen content of the EPS suggested it was a slime rather than a capsular polysaccharide. Glycosyl composition of the EPS was glucose and galactose in α and β linkages, with pyruvate, succinate, and possibly malonate constituent groups. To evaluate the incorporation of C derived from protein associated with the EPS matrix, feeding experiments were conducted using EPS with and without proteins extracted. Black fly larvae incorporated 7.2 μg EPS C larva-1 d-1 from EPS that did not have proteins extracted, and 19.5 μg EPS C larva-1 d-1 from EPS with proteins extracted. Carbon in protein that is typically associated with EPS was not solely or selectively incorporated. EPS incorporation rates are similar to rates of cellular bacterial carbon incorporation previously estimated for Ogeechee River black fly larvae. If EPS is generally available as a food resource, the importance of bacteria in detrital food webs may be underestimated by studies that examine only the consumption of bacterial cells.

Journal of the North American Benthological Societ↗

USGS2012

Relative value of managed wetlands and tidal marshlands for wintering northern pintails

Northern pintail Anas acuta (hereafter, pintail) populations have declined substantially throughout the western US since the 1970s, largely as a result of converting wetlands to cropland. Managed wetlands have been developed throughout the San Francisco Bay estuaries to provide wildlife habitat, particularly for waterfowl. Many of these areas were historically tidal baylands and plans are underway to remove dikes and restore tidal action. The relationship between tidal baylands and waterfowl populations is poorly understood. Our objective was to provide information on selection and avoidance of managed and tidal marshland by pintails. During 1991–1993 and 1998–2000, we radio-marked and relocated 330 female pintails (relocations, n =11,574) at Suisun Marsh, the largest brackish water estuary within San Francisco Bay, to estimate resource selection functions during the nonbreeding months (winter). Using a distance-based modeling approach, we calculated selection functions for different ecological communities (e.g., tidal baylands) and investigated variation explained by time of day (day or night hours) to account for differences in pintail behavior (i.e., foraging vs. roosting). We found strong evidence for selection of managed wetlands. Pintails also avoided tidal marshes and bays and channels. We did not detect differences in selection function between day and night hours for managed wetlands but the degree of avoidance of other habitats varied by time of day. We also found that areas subjected to tidal action did not influence the selection of immediately adjacent managed wetlands. If current management goals include providing habitat for wintering waterfowl populations, particularly pintail, then we recommend wildlife managers focus tidal restoration on areas that are not currently managed wetland and/or improve conditions in areas of managed wetlands to increase local carrying capacities

California↗

USGS2022

Postbreeding movements and molting ecology of female gadwalls and mallards

The wing molt is an important annual life-history event that occurs in waterfowl and molt site selection can play an important role in determining survival. We tracked postbreeding movements of gadwall ( Mareca strepera ) and mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos ) females that bred in the Suisun Marsh (Suisun) of California, USA, to determine molt site selection and wing molt chronology. We attached backpack transmitters with global positioning system and global system for mobile communications (GPS-GSM) technology to female gadwalls and mallards within Suisun and tracked the birds following the breeding season during 2015–2018. We determined molt locations for 52 female gadwalls and 112 female mallards. Thirty of the marked gadwall females selected 2 regions within southern Oregon-northeastern California (SONEC) to undergo molt; 16 molted in the Upper Klamath Basin (southern OR) and 14 in the Lower Klamath Basin (northeastern CA). A large portion of female mallards molted in Suisun ( n = 34) and the Sacramento Valley in California ( n = 31) but also used the Upper Klamath Basin ( n = 13), Lower Klamath Basin ( n = 12), and the Yolo–Delta region in California ( n = 12). On average, gadwalls departed Suisun on 30 July (±17.82 days [SD]), and mallards departed on 24 July (±22.69 days). Mean start date of molt for each species was similar: 27 August (±16.09 days) for gadwalls and 26 August (±21.03 days) for mallards. Molt end date was analogous for each species as well. Molt ended on average 1 October (±15.52 days) for gadwalls and on 5 October (±18.34 days) for mallards. Gadwalls and mallards showed intraspecific differences in average molt start and end date within the 3 main geographical zones: Suisun, Central Valley of California (Central Valley), and SONEC. Mean duration of wing molt for gadwalls was 34.72± 8.62 days and 41.09 ± 12.54 days for mallards. Both species primarily selected permanent marsh to undergo wing molt (gadwalls = 90.4%, mallards = 63.4%). Conservation and active management of these high-use molting areas used by California's primary breeding waterfowl species could enhance postbreeding survival, leading to increased breeding waterfowl populations.

California, Nevada, Oregon↗

USGS2024

Spatial and seasonal variability in trophic relationships and carbon sources of two key invertebrate species in Lake Ontario

Mysids ( Mysis diluviana) and dreissenids ( Dreissena polymorpha and mostly D. bugensis ) are important invertebrate taxa in the food webs of the Laurentian Great Lakes but there are uncertainties about the seasonal and spatial variability in their stable isotope signatures. We quantified δ 13 C and δ 15 N in 304 mysid and 366 dreissenid samples across five spatial ecoregions, varying site depth, and three seasons (spring, summer, and fall) in Lake Ontario in 2012 and 2013. Particulate organic matter (POM) was also collected across site depth and season from the Deep Hole ecoregion for use as an isotopic baseline. Lipid normalization models for δ 13 C were generated for both taxa to reduce lipid bias in our statistical analysis. Season was a significant predictor of POM stable isotopes, with δ 13 C lower in the summer and δ 15 N decreasing from spring to summer before increasing into fall. Mysid lipid normalized δ 13 C varied by site depth and ecoregion while δ 15 N decreased across season and did not vary by site depth or ecoregion. Dreissenid stable isotopes varied significantly across season, depth, and ecoregion, with site depth having positive relationship with δ 15 N. Mysids and dreissenids were two trophic positions higher than POM based on δ 15 N; this comparison was restricted to the one region where POM was collected. Isotopic variability suggested selective feeding within POM and differing trophic pathways between mysids and dreissenids. Collecting an appropriate taxon across all observed variables to serve as an isotopic baseline, particularly in spatial and temporal studies, is critical to the correct interpretation of trophic relationships.

Lake Ontario↗

USGS1998

The Fremont complex: A behavioral perspective

The Fremont complex is composed of farmers and foragers who occupied the Colorado Plateau and Great Basin region of western North America from about 2100 to 500 years ago. These people included both immigrants and indigenes who shared some material culture and symbolic attributes, but also varied in ways not captured by definitions of the Fremont as a shared cultural tradition. The complex reflects a mosaic of behaviors including full-time farmers, full-time foragers, part-time farmer/foragers who seasonally switched modes of production, farmers who switched to full-time foraging, and foragers who switched to full-time farming. Farming defines the Fremont, but only in the sense that it altered the matrix in which both farmers and foragers lived, a matrix which provided a variety of behavioral options to people pursuing an array of adaptive strategies. The mix of symbiotic and competitive relationships among farmers and between farmers and foragers presents challenges to detection in the archaeological record. Greater clarity results from use of a behavioral model which recognizes differing contexts of selection favoring one adaptive strategy over another. The Fremont is a case where the transition from foraging to farming is followed by a millennium of adaptive diversity and terminates with the abandonment of farming. As such, it serves as a potential comparison to other cases in the world during the early phases of the food producing transition.

Journal of World Prehistory↗

USGS2017

Geographic variation in winter adaptations of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus)

Understanding adaptations of nonhibernating northern endotherms to cope with extreme cold is important because climate-induced changes in winter temperatures and snow cover are predicted to impact these species the most. We compared winter pelage characteristics and heat production of snowshoe hares ( Lepus americanus Erxleben, 1777) on the southern edge of their range, in Pennsylvania (USA), to a northern population, in the Yukon (Canada), to investigate how hares might respond to changing environmental conditions. We also investigated how hares in Pennsylvania altered movement rates and resting spot selection to cope with variable winter temperatures. Hares from Pennsylvania had shorter, less dense, and less white winter coats than their northern counterparts, suggesting lower coat insulation. Hares in the southern population had lower pelage temperatures, indicating that they produced less heat than those in the northern population. In addition, hares in Pennsylvania did not select for resting spots that offered thermal advantages, but selected locations offering visual obstruction from predators. Movement rates were associated with ambient temperature, with the smallest movements occurring at the lower and upper range of observed ambient temperatures. Our results indicate that snowshoe hares may be able to adapt to future climate conditions via changes in pelage characteristics, metabolism, and behavior.

Canadian Journal of Zoology↗

USGS1995

Improving electrofishing catch consistency by standardizing power

The electrical output of electrofishing equipment is commonly standardized by using either constant voltage or constant amperage, However, simplified circuit and wave theories of electricity suggest that standardization of power (wattage) available for transfer from water to fish may be critical for effective standardization of electrofishing. Electrofishing with standardized power ensures that constant power is transferable to fish regardless of water conditions. The in situ performance of standardized power output is poorly known. We used data collected by the interagency Long Term Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP) in the upper Mississippi River system to assess the effectiveness of standardizing power output. The data consisted of 278 electrofishing collections, comprising 9,282 fishes in eight species groups, obtained during 1990 from main channel border, backwater, and tailwater aquatic areas in four reaches of the upper Mississippi River and one reach of the Illinois River. Variation in power output explained an average of 14.9% of catch variance for night electrofishing and 12.1 % for day electrofishing. Three patterns in catch per unit effort were observed for different species: increasing catch with increasing power, decreasing catch with increasing power, and no power-related pattern. Therefore, in addition to reducing catch variation, controlling power output may provide some capability to select particular species. The LTRMP adopted standardized power output beginning in 1991; standardized power output is adjusted for variation in water conductivity and water temperature by reference to a simple chart. Our data suggest that by standardizing electrofishing power output, the LTRMP has eliminated substantial amounts of catch variation at virtually no additional cost.

Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin↗

USGS1976

Feeding ecology of breeding gadwalls on saline wetlands

The feeding ecology of breeding gadwalls ( Anas strepera ) from saline wetlands in North Dakota was examined in relation to sex, pair mates, reproductive status, food availability, and wetland type during the spring and summer of 1971 and 1972. Esophagi of males and females contained 40.4 and 48.2 percent animal food, respectively, between 17 April and 25 August. Animal foods consumed by paired females varied with reproductive condition and were independent of their mates. Invertebrates increased from 47.7 i?? 17.4 percent in the diet during prelaying to 72.0 i?? 18.4 percent during laying and declined to 46.3 i?? 30.0 percent during postlaying. Aquatic insects dominated the diet during egg-laying and were selected disproportionately relative to their availability. Esophageal contents indicated that diversity of plant and animal foods in the diet varied inversely with specific conductance. Major factors influencing food selection of the breeding birds are discussed as interactions among their physiological status, their anatomical and behavioral characteristics, and the abundance and behavior of food organisms as influenced by chemical and physical features of the environment. The data suggested that these interrelated ecological factors act simultaneously to control the phenology of events and determine the foods utilized.

North Dakota↗

USGS2015

Post-White-nose syndrome trends in Virginia’s cave bats, 2008-2013

Since its 2009 detection in Virginia hibernacula, the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans causing White-nose Syndrome (WNS) has had a marked impact on cave bats locally. From 2008-2013, we documented numeric and physiologic changes in cave bats through fall swarm (FS), early hibernation (EH), and late hibernation (LH) capture and banding surveys at 18 hibernacula in western Virginia. We coupled active surveys with passive biennial winter counts in 2009, 2011, and 2013. We compared individual body mass index (BMI) across years for FS, EH, and LH hibernation to determine if WNS impacts on extant bats would be manifested by changes in body condition (as anecdotally observed elsewhere for WNS-impacted bats) as well as a population reduction. To estimate percent declines in bat presence or relative activity, we used FS capture per-unit-effort data, and the winter hibernacula absolute counts. We captured 4,524 bats of eight species, with species-specific capture success declining by 75-100% post-WNS. Little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) exhibited the greatest declines in winter hibernacula counts (AVG. = 99.0% decline), followed by tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus; 89.5% decline) and Indiana bats (M. sodalis; 33.5% decline). Graphical analyses of captures-per-trap-hour in FS showed declines for little brown bats, tri-colored bats, and northern long-eared bats (M. septentrionalis), but suggest a modest rebound of Indiana bat numbers. Fall swarm trends in BMI suggested some drops post-WNS exposure, but these trends were not consistent across sexes or seasonal time blocks. Our inconclusive BMI metrics and little brown bat band recapture data suggest little competitive advantage or selection for surviving bats. Lesser (but apparent) declines in Indiana bat numbers mirrors trends seen elsewhere regionally, and band recoveries do show that some individuals are persisting. Additional surveys will determine if bats in Virginia will persist or face extirpation due to presumed low recruitment and survivorship.

Virginia↗