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Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

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At least 847 records · Page 47Linked to original sources
USGS2017

Rafinesque's Sicilian whale, Balena gastrytis

In 1815, the naturalist Constantine S. Rafinesque described a new species of cetacean, Balena gastrytis, from Sicily, based on a whale that stranded on Carini beach near Palermo. In comparing the characteristics of his new whale with known species, Rafinesque also took the opportunity to name a new genus, Cetoptera, to replace Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804. Unfortunately, few of Rafinesque's contemporaries saw his article, which appeared in Il Portafoglio, a local journal that he published and distributed. The journal remains rare, and awareness of the whale remains minimal, despite its relevance to cetacean taxonomy and understanding of whale diversity and distribution in the Mediterranean. We describe the circumstances of the stranding of the Sicilian whale and provide Rafinesque's original description of the whale, as well as an evaluation of its reported characteristics and its current identity.

Archives of Natural History↗
USGS2021

Knowledge gaps update to the 2019 IPCC special report on the ocean and cryosphere: Prospects to refine coastal flood hazard assessments and adaptation strategies with at-risk communities of Alaska

This article reviews the status of knowledge gaps and co-production process challenges that impede coastal flood hazard resilience planning in communities of northwestern Alaska, where threat levels are high. Discussion focuses on the state of knowledge arising after preparation of the 2019 IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate and highlights prospects to address urgent needs. The intent is to identify some key steps necessary to advance the integration of relevant multidisciplinary observations with flood modeling and infrastructure mapping to co-produce new online hazard and risk assessment tools that inform local community planning and improve science collaboration among Federal, state, and regional partners for enhanced pre-storm preparations and post-storm recovery, including partial or complete relocation. By focusing coastal data integration for delivery of priority geospatial hazard map products through a consistent yet customized approach to adaptation planning, the broad collaborative effort in Alaska may yield a path of stakeholder service delivery that can be applied to many Arctic communities and other vulnerable regions of the world.

Frontiers in Climate↗
USGS2021

Impacts of a non-indigenous ecosystem engineer, the American beaver (Castor canadensis), in a biodiversity hotspot

Non-native species having high per capita impacts in invaded communities are those that modulate resource availability and alter disturbance regimes in ways that are biologically incompatible with the native biota. In areas where it has been introduced by humans, American beaver ( Castor canadensis ) is an iconic example of such species due to its capacity to alter trophic dynamics of entire ecosystems and create new invasional pathways for other non-native species. The species is problematic in several watersheds within the Southern California-Northern Baja California Coast Ecoregion, a recognized hotspot of biodiversity, due to its ability to modify habitat in ways that favor invasive predators and competitors over the region's native species and habitat. Beaver was deliberately introduced across California in the mid-1900s and generally accepted as non-native to the region up to the early 2000s; however, articles promoting the idea that beaver may be a natural resident have gained traction in recent years, due in large part to the species' charismatic nature rather than by presentation of sound evidence. Here, we discuss the problems associated with beaver disturbance and its effects on conserving the region's native fauna and flora. We refute arguments underlying the claim that beaver is native to the region, and review paleontological, zooarchaeological, and historical survey data from renowned field biologists and naturalists over the past ~160 years to show that no evidence exists that beaver arrived by any means other than deliberate human introduction. Managing this ecosystem engineer has potential to reduce the richness and abundance of other non-native species because the novel, engineered habitat now supporting these species would diminish in beaver-occupied watersheds. At the same time, hydrologic functionality would shift toward more natural, ephemeral conditions that favor the regions' native species while suppressing the dominance of the most insidious invaders.

California↗
USGS2019

Editorial: Synthetic Aperture Radar and natural hazards: Applications and outlooks

The ability of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to image the Earth’s surface, even through dense cloud cover and in night-and-day conditions, can facilitate the evaluation and monitoring of natural hazards and the management of natural disasters. The family of SAR satellite sensors orbits the Earth at an altitude ranging from 500 to 800 km, following sun-synchronous, near-polar orbits, slightly inclined with respect to Earth meridians. The most commonly used bands in SAR applications are the C-band (5–6 GHz, ~5,6 cm wavelength), the X-band (8–12 GHz, ~3,1 cm wavelength) and the L-band (1–2 GHz ~23 cm wavelength) with a temporal resolution depending on the satellite revisiting time. The availability of SAR has made a new spectrum of measurements possible on a global and spatial scale not attainable by ground-based studies, revealing critical insights into remote or poorly understood areas (e.g., Biggs et al., 2014). This Research Topics presents a review of articles on the state-of-art in the application of SAR sensors to study surface deformation in different geologic environments and triggered by a variety of processes. The topics discussed range from the analysis of co-seismic deformation (Marryman Boncori) to studies of volcanic unrest (Dzurisin et al., Garthwaite et al.), monitoring of landslides (Bianchini et al.) and ground subsidence in urban areas (Solari et al.).

Frontiers in Earth Science↗
USGS2020

Aeolian remobilisation of volcanic ash: Outcomes of a workshop in the Argentinian Patagonia

During explosive volcanic eruptions, large quantities of tephra can be dispersed and deposited over wide areas. Following deposition, subsequent aeolian remobilisation of ash can potentially exacerbate primary impacts on timescales of months to millennia. Recent ash remobilisation events (e.g., following eruptions of Cordón Caulle 2011; Chile, and Eyjafjallajökull 2010, Iceland) have highlighted this to be a recurring phenomenon with consequences for human health, economic sectors, and critical infrastructure. Consequently, scientists from observatories and Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers (VAACs), as well as researchers from fields including volcanology, aeolian processes and soil sciences, convened at the San Carlos de Bariloche headquarters of the Argentinian National Institute of Agricultural Technology to discuss the “state of the art” for field studies of remobilised deposits as well as monitoring, modeling and understanding ash remobilisation. In this article, we identify practices for field characterisation of deposits and active processes, including mapping, particle characterisation and sediment traps. Furthermore, since forecast models currently rely on poorly-constrained dust emission schemes, we call for laboratory and field measurements to better parameterise the flux of volcanic ash as a function of friction velocity. While source area location and extent are currently the primary inputs for dispersion models, once emission schemes become more sophisticated and better constrained, other parameters will also become important (e.g., source material volume and properties, effective precipitation, type and distribution of vegetation cover, friction velocity). Thus, aeolian ash remobilisation hazard and associated impact assessment require systematic monitoring, including the development of a regularly-updated spatial database of resuspension source areas.

Frontiers in Earth Science↗
USGS2024

Editorial: Enabling people-centered risk communication for geohazards

In the field of natural hazards, communicating science with the public and stakeholders (i.e., interested parties) involves entering the challenging and complex world of hazard and risk communication, the ultimate purpose of which is to reduce the impact of impending hazards on people and property at risk. Hazard and risk communication are adequate if they reach people with the information that they need, at the right time, and in a form that they can use. This task appears to be particularly difficult when decisions by the public and stakeholders have to be made in the presence of uncertainty about what could happen, as is often the case with geohazards. Moreover, decision-making is complex when there are time pressures, human and economic resources are limited, and multiple sources of information need to be considered. This poses several challenges for the development of two-way and people-centered risk communication for geohazards. The “Enabling People-Centered Risk Communication for Geohazards” Research Topic analyses these challenges and identifies innovative pathways to address them. More precisely, it draws together 13 state-of-the-art articles from around the world on improving communication practices, strategies, and understandings relating to a range of various geohazards and weather-related hazards.

Frontiers in Earth Science↗
USGS2023

Lessons learned from community and citizen science monitoring projects on the Elwha River Restoration Project

Community and citizen science (CCS) projects – initiatives that involve public participation in scientific research – can both sustain and expand long-term monitoring of large dam removal projects. In this article, we discuss our perspectives on CCS associated with the Elwha River dam removals. We summarize how the public has been or could be involved in monitoring and distill lessons learned for other large dam removal projects. Much of the Elwha monitoring involved technical field work requiring training and incurring potential liability risks, guiding projects towards smaller-scale public involvement. Partnering with organizations that have capacity for volunteer management expanded CCS opportunities and provided logistical support to project managers committed to public engagement. We found that many projects engaged with students and/or with paid or unpaid interns; compensating participants in various ways can help to create reciprocal relationships that support long-term monitoring. In the future, other large dam removals could consider planning ahead for community involvement in dam removal monitoring to accommodate the technical and potentially hazardous nature of the work – broadening who may be able to participate. In addition, involving community members in setting research agendas could be an important first step in engaging them in long-term monitoring, in turn facilitating multi-generational research at the timescale of landscape-level changes. Finally, explicit relationship-building with Indigenous communities can enhance the benefits of community engagement in dam removal science for all involved.

Washington↗
USGS2024

Turning setbacks into stepping-stones for growth in conservation paleobiology

Conservation paleobiology is a cross-disciplinary field that utilizes the geohistorical record of past life on Earth to inform present-day decisions in conservation and restoration and assist in planning for future natural resource management. However, information on how past ecosystems and species responded to environmental change over decadal to millennial timescales is rarely incorporated into conservation and restoration decision-making. To heighten awareness among conservation and restoration practitioners of the relevance of geohistorical data and to bridge the gap between research and implementation in conservation paleobiology, we proposed a Research Topic titled “ Integrating Conservation Biology and Paleobiology to Manage Biodiversity and Ecosystems in a Changing World ”. The 21 articles subsequently published demonstrate the diversity and breadth of geohistorical information available to resource management and the challenges of translating these results into conservation practice and policy. Here we discuss the lessons we learned from editing the Research Topic and suggest a pathway forward for conservation paleobiologists who aspire to generate actionable research results to solve current problems in biodiversity conservation and ecological restoration.

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution↗
USGS2018

A dirty dozen ways to die: Metrics and modifiers of mortality driven by drought and warming for a tree species

Tree mortality events driven by drought and warmer temperature, often amplified by pests and pathogens, are emerging as one of the predominant climate change impacts on plants. Understanding and predicting widespread tree mortality events in the future is vital as they affect ecosystem goods and services provided by forests and woodlands, including carbon storage needed to help offset warming. Additionally, if extensive enough, tree die-off events can influence not only local climate but also climate and vegetation elsewhere via ecoclimate teleconnections. Consequently, recent efforts have focused on improving predictions of tree mortality. One of the most commercially important genera of trees is Pinus , and the most studied species globally for drought-induced tree mortality is piñon pine, Pinus edulis . Numerous metrics have been developed in association with predicting mortality thresholds or variations in mortality for this species. In this article, we compiled metrics associated with drought and warming related mortality that were developed for P. edulis or for which P. edulis was a key example species used in a calculation or prediction. We grouped these metrics into three categories: (i) those related to simple climate variables, (ii) those related to physiological responses, and (iii) those that require multi-step calculations or modeling using climate, ecohydrological, and/or ecophysiological data; and we identified the spatial-temporal scale of each of these metrics. We also compiled factors shown to modify rates or sensitivities of mortality. The metrics to predict mortality include empirical ones which often have implicit linkages to expected mechanisms, and more mechanistic ones related to physiological drivers. The metrics for P. edulis have similarities with those available for other species of Pinus . Expected future mortality events will provide an opportunity to observationally and experimentally test and compare these metrics related to tree mortality for P. edulis via near-term ecological forecasting. The metrics for P. edulis may also be useful as potential analogs for other genera. Improving predictions of tree mortality for this species and others will be increasingly important as an aid to move toward anticipatory management.

Frontiers in Forests and Global Change↗
USGS2023

Climate change and maple syrup: Producer observations, perceptions, knowledge, and adaptation strategies

Introduction: Climate change is impacting forest-based agricultural systems with implications for producer decision-making and livelihoods. This article presents a case study on the observations, perceptions, knowledge, and adaptation strategies of maple syrup producers in the United States to climate change. Methods: We carried out two semi-structured surveys with maple producers on: (1) climate change and its impacts on the maple system ( n = 106 participants); and (2) responses to climate adaptation scenarios ( n = 98 participants). Additionally, we carried out two focus groups and key informant interviews ( n = 70+) to understand barriers and opportunities for climate adaptation. One of these focus groups and follow up key informant interviews was with tribally affiliated community members with the intention to acknowledge Indigenous Peoples’ voices, history, and relationships to the land. Results: Findings highlight that most of the surveyed producers (89%) have experienced the negative impacts of climate on maple syrup production. While 40% of participants feel concerned regarding the future of the maple system, 39% feel hopeful, with significant differences based on the age of the surveyed producers. The majority of producers have adapted their harvesting practices to climate effects. Producers shared knowledge of multiple adaptation strategies in response to climate scenarios comprised of: (1) stand management practices such as diversification of sap species tapped; (2) harvesting practices such as changing the type and number of taps; (3) sap processing practices focused on the integration of technology such as the use of an evaporator and reverse osmosis; and (4) marketing practices such as innovation of products and marketing different maple syrup characteristics. Responses shared by tribally affiliated producers highlight knowledge of multiple adaptation strategies that focus on long-term ecological management of forests rather than technological solutions. Discussion: Overall, findings emphasize the importance of cooperation and diversification at every level and dimension of the maple system for its long-term resilience.

Frontiers in Forests and Global Change↗
USGS2025

A synthesis of freshwater forested wetland soil organic carbon storage

Freshwater forested wetlands account for ~76% (918 M ha) of the total global wetland extent. However, freshwater forested wetlands are difficult to distinguish from upland forest due to canopy coverage, the abundance of wetland-nonwetland mosaics, seasonal hydropatterns, and fewer readily observable connections to large surface water bodies relative to marshes and other emergent habitats. Therefore, freshwater forested wetland ecosystems are often misclassified as upland forests in carbon accounting models, underestimating soil organic carbon (SOC) storage. This study highlights freshwater forested wetland SOC accounting challenges and presents SOC densities/stocks from a global literature synthesis across different freshwater forested wetland types. We reviewed 374 forested wetland articles, compiling and calculating carbon densities by depth from 90 freshwater forested wetland studies to construct a database of 334 study sites including nine countries. The median (± median absolute deviation) SOC stock was 91.2 ± 46.4 Mg C ha −1 and 235.3 ± 125.6 Mg C ha −1 in the top 30 cm and 100 cm of soil, respectively. The tidal freshwater forested wetland had highest SOC stock (341.6 ± 98.4 Mg C ha −1 ) in the upper 100 cm soil profile followed by rainforest (285.6 ± 75.8 Mg C ha −1 ), non-tidal swamps (229.3 ± 120.4 Mg C ha −1 ), and floodplain forested wetlands (176.6 ± 84 Mg C ha −1 ). Within the conterminous United States forest type groups, the Tsuga / Picea group had the highest median SOC stocks (353.6 ± 82.9 Mg ha −1 ) in the top 100 cm of soil followed by Quercus/Pinus (246.6 ± 82.3 Mg ha −1 ) and Quercus/Liquidambar/Taxodium (207.9 ± 87.7 Mg ha −1 ) groups, likely driven by variability in litter degradability, wetland hydroperiod, geomorphic positions, and regional climatic factors. This literature synthesis highlights SOC accounting in freshwater forested wetland carbon pools when estimating carbon stocks and fluxes. Results can be used to improve carbon modeling outcomes, as well as inform regional, national, and global management of wetland carbon resources.

Frontiers in Forests and Global Change↗
USGS2022

Editorial: Plant phenology shifts and their ecological and climatic consequences

Climate change is causing plant phenology to shift, with consequences for ecosystems and the Earth’s climate. Over the last decades, the timing of many important phenological events has advanced in spring, such as leaf emergence and flowering, or been delayed in fall, such as leaf coloration and leaf fall. The consequences of such phenological shifts are still largely unknown, but are hypothesized to have cascading effects on ecosystems, carbon and water cycles, and Earths’ climate. With this research topic, we aimed to synthesize and inspire innovative research in plant phenology to address research questions and challenges on the consequences of phenological shifts on ecosystem function and local hydrology. The articles presented here improve our understanding of the physiological mechanisms responsible for the current phenological changes in spring and fall and provide insight into some of the consequences of these changes on hydrological cycles and ecosystem functioning.

Frontiers in Plant Science↗
USGS2021

If you give a clam an estuary: The story of potamocorbula

When you look at San Francisco Bay, what animals do you see? You may see lots of fish swimming around and birds flying above. What you DON’T see is Potamocorbula, a little clam that has had a big impact. Many years ago, ships accidentally brought Potamocorbula into the Bay. Pretty soon, Potamocorbula spread out all over in large numbers! Clams pump water over their gills and eat small particles of food, like phytoplankton, that pass through with the water. Potamocorbula can pump water much faster than other clams that live in the Bay, and they can eat more than their share of phytoplankton. Sometimes Potamocorbula eats phytoplankton faster than phytoplankton can grow! What problems does that cause for other animals, like birds and fish, that also need phytoplankton? Does Potamocorbula’s invasion only have negative impacts? In this article, we dive to the bottom of the Bay to find some answers. Book series publishing the chapter: https://kids.frontiersin.org/collection/13528/where-the-river-meets-the-ocean-stories-from-san-francisco-estuary

California↗
USGS2021

Small shorebirds feast on green slime to fuel their long migration

Shorebirds wade in shallow waters along shorelines searching for food. More than a million shorebirds visit the San Francisco Estuary each year during their migration to feast on the insects, worms, clams, and crabs that live on or under the surface of the sand or mud. The abundant food in the Estuary provides shorebirds with the energy they need to migrate thousands of kilometers, between their breeding areas in the Arctic and their wintering areas along the Pacific coast of North and South America. Scientists have discovered that, during migration, small species of shorebirds eat a green slime called biofilm that grows on the surface of the mud. Larger shorebirds do not eat biofilm. This article describes how the bills and tongues of small shorebirds help them eat biofilm, what biofilm is, and why biofilm is an important food for those birds during migration.

Frontiers for Young Minds↗
USGS2020

Eradication of peste des petits ruminants and the wildlife-livestock interface

Growing evidence suggests that multiple wildlife species can be infected with peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV), with important consequences for the potential maintenance of PPRV in communities of susceptible hosts, and the threat that PPRV may pose to the conservation of wildlife populations and resilience of ecosystems. Significant knowledge gaps in the epidemiology of PPRV across the ruminant community (wildlife and domestic), and the understanding of infection in wildlife and other atypical host species groups (e.g., camelidae, suidae, and bovinae) hinder our ability to apply necessary integrated disease control and management interventions at the wildlife-livestock interface. Similarly, knowledge gaps limit the inclusion of wildlife in the FAO/OIE Global Strategy for the Control and Eradication of PPR, and the framework of activities in the PPR Global Eradication Programme that lays the foundation for eradicating PPR through national and regional efforts. This article reports on the first international meeting on, “Controlling PPR at the livestock-wildlife interface,” held in Rome, Italy, March 27–29, 2019. A large group representing national and international institutions discussed recent advances in our understanding of PPRV in wildlife, identified knowledge gaps and research priorities, and formulated recommendations. The need for a better understanding of PPRV epidemiology at the wildlife-livestock interface to support the integration of wildlife into PPR eradication efforts was highlighted by meeting participants along with the reminder that PPR eradication and wildlife conservation need not be viewed as competing priorities, but instead constitute two requisites of healthy socio-ecological systems.

Frontiers in Veterinary Science↗
USGS2020

A review of pathogens, diseases, and contaminants of muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) in North America

Over the last 50 years, significant muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) harvest declines have been observed throughout North America. Several theories for the decline have been proposed, including increased parasite infections and disease within muskrat populations. No existing wholistic review of muskrat exposure to pathogens, contaminants, and diseases exists. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a thorough review of existing literature on muskrat pathogens, contaminants, and diseases across their natural range. This review is comprised of 129 articles from 1915-2019and from 27 U.S. states and 9 Canadian provinces. A wide diversity of contaminants, toxins, and pathogens were reported in muskrats, with the most common diseases being cysticercosis, tularemia, Tyzzer’s disease, and biotoxin poisoning from cyanobacteria. This review provides a summary of muskrat pathogens, contaminants, and disease over a century that has observed significant population declines throughout the species’ range in North America. Such data provides baseline data for understanding the potential role of disease in these declines. In addition, these data highlight critical knowledge gaps that warrant future research efforts.

Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Colorado, Idaho↗
USGS2026

Biochar modulates the dynamics of legacy nutrients in enhancing soil health and crop productivity

Most major crops in agricultural soils exhibit relatively low nutrient use efficiency for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), often necessitating supplemental nutrient inputs to achieve sustainable yields. Furthermore, the increasing use of biowastes such as compost, manure, and biosolids, which frequently have nutrient ratios that do not match crop requirements, has contributed to excessive nutrient inputs and subsequent accumulation in soils. This situation has been further exacerbated by intensive farming practices involving multiple cropping cycles per season. Overuse of nutrients causes them to accumulate in the soil, creating a legacy nutrient pool. The application of biochar as soil amendment is considered a potential strategy to control legacy nutrients dynamics. The current review inspects the possible value of biochar in modulating legacy nutrient reserves in the soil, thereby increasing the bioavailability of nutrients and improving crop yield. This review discusses the search scope and synthesis approaches for the bibliometric methodological component through rigorous screening process (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA)), focusing on journal articles published in last 20 years that specifically address legacy nutrient management. The significance of the economic and environmental effects of legacy nutrients and the insufficient knowledge of how biochar application influences nutrient dynamics in soil highlight the necessity for additional research to address current gaps.

Land↗