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At least 1,225 records · Page 68Linked to original sources
USGS2019

Growth, condition, and trophic relations of stocked trout in southern Appalachian mountain streams

Stream trout fisheries are among the most popular and valuable in the United States, but many are dependent on hatcheries to sustain fishing and harvest. Thus, understanding the ecology of hatchery‐reared trout stocked in natural environments is fundamental to management. We evaluated the growth, condition, and trophic relations of Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis , Brown Trout Salmo trutta , and Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss that were stocked in southern Appalachian Mountain streams in western North Carolina. Stocked and wild (naturalized) trout were sampled over time (monthly; September 2012–June 2013) to compare condition and diet composition and to evaluate temporal dynamics of trophic position with stable isotope analysis. Relative weights ( W r ) of stocked trout were inversely associated with their stream residence time but were consistently higher than those of wild trout. Weight loss of harvested stocked trout was similar among species and sizes, but fish stocked earlier lost more weight. Overall, 40% of 141 stomachs from stocked trout were empty compared to 15% of wild trout stomachs ( N = 26). We identified a much higher rate of piscivory in wild trout (18 times that of stocked trout), and wild trout were 4.3 times more likely to consume gastropods relative to stocked trout. Hatchery‐reared trout were isotopically similar to co‐occurring wild fish for both δ 13 C and δ 15 N values but were less variable than wild trout. Differences in sulfur isotope ratios (δ 34 S) between wild and hatchery‐reared trout indicated that the diets of wild fish were enriched in δ 34 S relative to the diets of hatchery‐reared fish. Although hatchery‐reared trout consumed prey items similar to those of wild fish, differences in consumption or behavior (e.g., reduced feeding) may have resulted in lower condition and negative growth. These findings provide critical insight on the trophic dynamics of stocked trout and may assist in developing and enhancing stream trout fisheries.

North Carolina↗
USGS2022

Population genetics of Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in the southern Appalachian Mountains

Broad-scale patterns of genetic diversity for Brook Trout remain poorly understood across their endemic range in the eastern United States. We characterized variation at 12 microsatellite loci in 22,020 Brook Trout among 836 populations from Georgia, USA to Quebec, Canada to the western Great Lakes region. Within-population diversity was typically lower in the southern Appalachians relative to the mid-Atlantic and northeastern regions. Effective population sizes in the southern Appalachians were often very small, with many estimates less than 30 individuals. The population genetics of Brook Trout in the southern Appalachians are far more complex than a conventionally held simple “northern” versus “southern” dichotomy would suggest. Contemporary population genetic variation was consistent with geographic expansion of Brook Trout from Mississippian, mid-Atlantic, and Acadian glacial refuges, as well as differentiation among drainages within these broader clades. Genetic variation was pronounced among drainages (57.4% of overall variation occurred among Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC)10 or larger units) but was considerable even at fine spatial scales (13% of variation occurred among collections within HUC12 drainage units). Remarkably, 87.2% of individuals were correctly assigned to their collection of origin. While comparisons with fish from existing major hatcheries showed impacts of stocking in some populations, genetic introgression did not overwhelm the signal of broad-scale patterns of population genetic structure. Although our results reveal deep genetic structure in Brook Trout over broad spatial extents, fine-scale population structuring is prevalent across the southern Appalachians. Our findings highlight the distinctiveness and vulnerability of many Brook Trout populations in the southern Appalachian Mountains and have important implications for wild Brook Trout management. To facilitate application of our findings by conservation practitioners, we provide an interactive online visualization tool to allow our results to be explored at management relevant scales.

North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia↗
USGS1999

Characterizing backcountry camping impacts in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

This investigates resource impacts on backcounty campsites in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. Study objectives were to enhance our understanding of camping impacts and to improve campsite impact assessment procedures by means of multivariate techniques. Three-hundred and eight campsites at designated backcountry campgrounds, and 69 additional unofficial campsites were assessed. Factor analysis of 195 established campsites on eight impact indicator variables revealed three dimensions of campsite impact: area disturbance, soil and groundcover damage, and tree-related damage. Four distinctive backcountry campsite types were identified, three of which were derived from cluster analyses of factor scores. These four backcountry campsite types characterize the intensity and areal extent of resource impacts, and they vary in locational and environmental attributes. At an aggregate level, different campsite types contributed unequally to the cumulative level of impact. The dimensional structure and typology developed in this study demonstrates that campsite impacts can be viewed and examined holistically with the use of multivariate methods. Implications for assessment procedures, management and further research are discussed.

Journal of Environmental Management↗
USGS1994

Analysis of nitrogen saturation potential in Rocky Mountain tundra and forest: implications for aquatic systems

We employed grass and forest versions of the CENTURY model under a range of N deposition values (0.02–1.60 g N m −2 y −1 ) to explore the possibility that high observed lake and stream N was due to terrestrial N saturation of alpine tundra and subalpine forest in Loch Vale Watershed, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Model results suggest that N is limiting to subalpine forest productivity, but that excess leachate from alpine tundra is sufficient to account for the current observed stream N. Tundra leachate, combined with N leached from exposed rock surfaces, produce high N loads in aquatic ecosystems above treeline in the Colorado Front Range. A combination of terrestrial leaching, large N inputs from snowmelt, high watershed gradients, rapid hydrologic flushing and lake turnover times, and possibly other nutrient limitations of aquatic organisms constrain high elevation lakes and streams from assimilating even small increases in atmospheric N. CENTURY model simulations further suggest that, while increased N deposition will worsen the situation, nitrogen saturation is an ongoing phenomenon.

Biogeochemistry↗
USGS1991

Sources of dissolved and particulate organic material in Loch Vale Watershed, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

The sources of both dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) to an alpine (Sky Pond) and a subalpine lake (The Loch) in Rocky Mountain National Park were explored for four years. The importance of both autochthonous and allochthonous sources of organic matter differ, not only between alpine and subalpine locations, but also seasonally. Overall, autochthonous sources dominate the organic carbon of the alpine lake, while allochthonous sources are a more significant source of organic carbon to the subalpine lake. In the alpine lake, Sky Pond, POC makes up greater than one third of the total organic matter content of the water column, and is related to phytoplankton abundance. Dissolved organic carbon is a product of within-lake activity in Sky Pond except during spring snowmelt and early summer (May–July), when stable carbon isotope ratios suggest a terrestrial source. In the subalpine lake, The Loch, DOC is a much more important constituent of water column organic material than POC, comprising greater than 90% of the spring snowmelt organic matter, and greater than 75% of the organic matter over the rest of the year. Stable carbon isotope ratios and a very strong relation of DOC with soluble Al (tot) indicate DOC concentrations are almost entirely related to flushing of soil water from the surrounding watershed during spring snowmelt. Stable carbon isotope ratios indicate that, for both lakes, phytoplankton is an important source of DOC in the winter, while terrestrial material of plant or microbial origin contributes DOC during snowmelt and summer.

Colorado↗
USGS1989

Diel drift of Chironomidae larvae in a pristine Idaho mountain stream

Simultaneous hourly net collections in a meadow and canyon reach of a mountain stream determined diel and spatial abundances of drifting Chironomidae larvae. Sixty-one taxa were identified to the lowest practical level, 52 in the meadow and 41 in the canyon. Orthocladiinae was the most abundant subfamily with 32 taxa and a 24 h mean density of 294 individuals 100 m-3 (meadow) and 26 taxa and a mean of 648 individuals 100 m-3 (canyon). Chironominae was the second most abundant subfamily. Nonchironomid invertebrates at both sites and total Chironomidae larvae (meadow) were predominantly night-drifting. Parakiefferiella and Psectrocladius were day-drifting (meadow) whereas 8 other chironomid taxa (meadow) and 2 taxa (canyon) were night-drifting. All others were aperiodic or too rare to test periodicity, Stempellinella cf brevis Edwards exhibited catastrophic drift in the canyon only. The different drift patterns between sites is attributed to greater loss of streambed habitat in the canyon compared to the meadow as streamflow decreased. Consequent crowding of chironomid larvae in the canyon caused catastrophic drift or interfered with drift periodicty. This study adds to knowledge of Chironomidae drift and shows influences on drift of hydrologic and geomorphic conditions. ?? 1989 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Hydrobiologia↗
USGS1980

Stable isotope and fluid inclusion studies of carbonate deposits from the Tolfa Mountains mining district (Latium, central Italy)

Carbon and oxygen isotope analyses were made of representative samples of calcite and quartz from the carbonate deposits in the Tolfa Mountains mining district. Measurements were also made of hydrogen isotope compositions, filling temperatures and salinities of fluid inclusions in these minerals. There are three stages of mineralization at Tolfa. In stage I, characterized by calc-silicate hornfels, the carbonates have relatively high ?? 18O values of 14.5 to 21.6 suggesting a rather low water/rock ratio. ??13C values of -0.3 to 2.1 indicate that appreciable decarbonation or introduction of deep-seated carbon did not occur. Stage II is marked by phanerocrystalline carbonates; ?? 18O values of 13.1 to 20.0 and ??13C values of 0.7 to 5.0 identify them as hydrothermal veins rather than marbles. ?? D values of -56 to -50 for inclusion fluids suggest a possible magmatic component to the hydrothermal fluid. Filling temperatures of coarse-grained samples of Calcite II are 309?? to 362?? C with a salinity range of 5.3 to 7.1 weight percent NaCl. Calculated ??18O values of 11-12 for these fluids are again indicative of low water/rock ratios. The sparry calcites of stage III have ??18O and ??13C values of 8.1 to 12.9 and -1.7 to 3.2, respectively. ?? D values of inclusion fluids are -40 to -33, clearly heavier than in earlier stages and similar to values of modern local ground waters. A salinity measurement of <0.1 weight percent NaCl in a sample of Calcite III is compatible with a relatively unaltered ground water origin for this fluid. Precipitation of the sparry calcite took place at much lower temperatures, around 160?? C. For quartz, ??18O values of 9.3 to 12.4 and ?? D values for inclusions of -53 to -28 are consistent with its late occurrence and paragenetic link with associated carbonates. ?? 1980 Springer-Verlag.

Mineralium Deposita↗
USGS1969

A Rubidium-Strontium study of the Twilight Gneiss, West Needle Mountains, Colorado

The Precambrian trondhjemitic Twilight Gneiss (Twilight Granite of CROSS and HOWE , 1905b) of the West Needle Mountains, southwestern Colorado, and its interlayered amphibolite and metarhyodacite yield a Rb-Sr isochron of 1,805±35 m.y. A low initial Sr 87 /Sr 86 ratio of 0.7015 implies that metamorphism of these rocks to amphibolite facies took place soon after their emplacement. The mild metamorphism of Uncompahgran age, prior to 1,460 m.y. ago, and Laramide volcanism did not affect the Rb-Sr system in the Twilight. Rb contents of 26.5 to 108 ppm, Sr contents of 114 to 251 ppm, and K 2 O percentages of 1.23 to 3.64 in the Twilight Gneiss, in conjunction with high K/Rb ratios and the low initial ratio of Sr 87 /Sr 86 , lend support to geologic data that suggest the Twilight originated as volcanic or hypabyssal igneous rocks in a basaltic volcanic pile.

Colorado↗
USGS1988

Geochemistry and origin of albite gneisses, northeastern Adirondack Mountains, New York

Albite gneisses containing up to 8.7 percent Na2O and as little as 0.1% K2O comprise a significant part of the Proterozoic Lyon Mountain Gneiss in the Ausable Forks Quadrangle of the northeastern Adirondacks, New York State. Two distinct types of albite gneisses are present. One is a trondhjemitic leucogneiss (LAG) consisting principally of albite (Ab95-Ab98) and quartz with minor magnetite and, locally, minor amounts of amphibole or acmiterich pyroxene. LAG probably originated by metamorphism of a rhyolitie or rhyodacitic ash-flow tuff with A-type geochemical affinities, following post-depositional analcitization in a saline or saline-alkaline environment. The other type is a mafic albite gneiss (MAG) containing albite and pyroxene along with 0-45 percent quartz, minor amphibole, and titanite. MAG locally displays pinstripe banding and contains albite (Ab98) megacrysts up to 5 cm across. Its precursor may have been a sediment composed of diagenetic analcite or albite, dolomite, and quartz. Both types of albite gneiss are interlayered with granitic gneisses (LMG) of variable composition derived from less altered tuffs. A potassium-rich (up to 9.7% K2O) microcline gneiss facies may have had a protolith rich in diagenetic K feldspar. We propose that the albite gneisses and associated granitic gneisses are the granulite-facies metamorphic equivalent of a bimodal, dominantly felsic, volcanic suite with minor intercalated sediments, probably including evaporites. The volcanics were erupted in an anorogenic setting, such as an incipient or failed intracontinental rift. Deposition took place in a closed-basin, playa lake environment, where diagenetic alteration resulted in redistribution of the alkalis and strong oxidation. ?? 1988 Springer-Verlag.

Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology↗
USGS1987

Residence of silver in mineral deposits of the Thunder Mountain caldera complex, Central Idaho, U.S.A.

Silver is an accessory element in gold, antimony, and tungsten deposits of the caldera complex. Most of the deposits are economically of low grade and genetically of xenothermal or epithermal character. Their gold- and silver-bearing minerals are usually disseminated, fine grained, and difficult to study. Sparsely disseminated pyrite and arsenoprite are common associates. Identified silver minerals are: native silver and electrum; the sulfides acanthite, argentite (the latter always inverted to acanthite), and members of the Silberkies group; the sulfosalts matildite, miargyrite, pyrargyrite, argentian tetrahedrite, and unnamed Ag-Sb-S and Ag-Fe-Sb-S minerals; the telluride hessite and the selenide naumannite; halides of the cerargyrite group; and the antimonate stetefeldtite. Suspected silver minerals include the sulfide uytenbogaardtite and the sulfosalts andorite, diaphorite, and polybasite. Electrum, acanthite, and argentian tetrahedrite are common, though nowhere abundant. The other silver minerals are rare. Silver is present as a minor element in the structure of some varieties of other minerals. These include arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, chalcostibite, covelline, digenite, galena, sphalerite, and stibnite. The search for adventitious Ag in most of these minerals has been cursory. The results merely indicate that elemental silver is not confined to discrete silver minerals and is, therefore, an additional complication for the recovery of silver-bearing material from some deposits. Silver occurs cryptically in some plants of the region. At Red Mountain, for example, the ashed sapwood of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) contains 2 to 300 ppm Ag. Silver in the ashed wood is roughly 100 times as abundant as it is in soil. The phenomenon, useful in biogeochemical exploration, deserves the attention of mineralogists. ?? 1987 Springer-Verlag.

Mineralogy and Petrology↗
USGS1988

Erosion and slope instability on Horizon Guyot, Mid-Pacific Mountains

Seismic-reflection profiles, sediment cores, and current velocities were assessed to study the impact of erosion and sediment redistribution on the pelagic sediment cap of Horizon Guyot, a flat-topped submarine volcanic ridge in the Mid-Pacific Mountains. These processes seem to concentrate their effect around the rim of the sediment cap. Sediment slumping occurs on the northwest perimeter of the guyot's sediment cap. Slope stability analysis suggests that if overconsolidation on Horizon Guyot is the result of current reworking or if local undercutting by bottom currents steepens the sea floor declivity, the sediment cap may be unstable during infrequent earthquake loading, transporting sediment from the guyot summit to the abyssal sea floor. ?? 1988 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

Geo-Marine Letters↗
USGS1966

Volcanism in the western San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Three major cycles of volcanism during the Miocene and Pliocene formed a layered succession of calc-alkaline eruptive materials in the western San Juan Mountains nearly 1.5 miles thick and having a volume greater than 1,000 cubic miles. Each cycle was characterised by major eruptions followed by subsidence in the vent areas, and the resulting structure was a great volcanic plateau surrounding a complex of nested cauldrons. In the first cycle, cruption of several hundred cubic miles of tuff breccia and subordinate lavas was followed by subsidence that created the San Juan volcanic depression, about 15 miles wide and 30 miles long. During the second cycle, pyroclastic rocks and lava flows accumulated within this depression and on its borders, and the depression subsided further. During the third cycle, ash flows spead widely from centres within the depression, and their eruption resulted in formation and subsidence of the nearly circular comagmatic Silverton and Lake City cauldrons, each about 10 miles across, within the earlier depression. Cauldron subsidence in the second and third cycles was followed by resurgence and doming of the central blocks. Keystone grabens formed along the distended crests of the domed floors; graben faults formed in the third cycle were in part controlled by those formed in the second cycle. The distribution of post-cauldron radial and concentric fractures, dikes, and intrusive plutons, particularly around the Silverton cauldron, suggests that the underlying magma chamber must have been appreciably larger than the associated cauldrons.

Colorado↗
USGS2019

Reducing wet ammonium deposition in Rocky Mountain National Park: The development and evaluation of a pilot early warning system for agricultural operations in eastern Colorado

Agricultural emissions are the primary source of ammonia (NH3) deposition in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), a Class I area, that is granted special air quality protections under the Clean Air Act. Between 2014 and 2016, the pilot phase of the Colorado agricultural nitrogen early warning system (CANEWS) was developed for agricultural producers to voluntarily and temporarily minimize emissions of NH3 during periods of upslope winds. The CANEWS was created using trajectory analyses driven by outputs from an ensemble of numerical weather forecasts together with the climatological expertise of human forecasters. Here, we discuss the methods for the CANEWS and offer preliminary analyses of 33 months of the CANEWS based on atmospheric deposition data from two sites in RMNP as well as responses from agricultural producers after warnings were issued. Results showed that the CANEWS accurately predicted 6 of 9 high N deposition weeks at a lower-elevation observation site, but only 4 of 11 high N deposition weeks at a higher-elevation site. Sixty agricultural producers from 39 of Colorado’s agricultural operations volunteered for the CANEWS, and a two-way line of communication between agricultural producers and scientists was formed. For each warning issued, an average of 23 producers responded to a post-warning survey. Over 75% of responding CANEWS participants altered their practices after an alert. While the current effort was insufficient to reduce atmospheric deposition, we were encouraged by the collaborative spirit between agricultural, scientific, and resource management communities. Solving a broad and complex social-ecological problem requires both a technological approach, such as the CANEWS, and collaboration and trust from all participants, including agricultural producers, land managers, university researchers, and environmental agencies.

Colorado↗
USGS1999

Integrating physical and chemical characteristics of lakes into the glacially influenced landscape of the Northern Cascade Mountains, Washington State, USA

A basic knowledge of the physical and chemical characteristics of lakes is needed by management to make informed decisions to protect water resources. In this study we investigated some of the physical and chemical characteristics of 58 lakes in alpine, subalpine, and forest vegetation zones in a natural area (North Cascades National Park Service Complex) between 1989 and 1993. The objectives of the study were to: (1) document the time of ice-out relative to lake elevation; (2) determine how a sharp climate gradient west and east of the hydrologic divide affected the time of ice-out for subalpine lakes; and (3) assess how lake water quality was associated with lake elevation, lake depth, and basin geology. As expected, lake ice-out times occurred earlier with decreasing elevation. East-slope subalpine lakes iced-out earlier than did west-slope subalpine lakes because the east slope of the study area was drier and warmer than the west slope. On average, the lakes were relatively cold, neutral in pH, and low in dissolved substances and concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus. Although some shallow lakes (depth ,10 m) exhibited the highest alkalinities, conductivities, and concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen, most shallow lakes exhibited low values for these variables that were comparable to values observed in deep lakes. Geology did not play a major role in segregating the lakes based on water quality. Overall, lake temperature, pH, alkalinity, conductivity, and concentrations of total phosphorus and total Kjeldahl N increased with decreasing elevation. These changes in water quality with decreasing elevation in this temperate mountainous region corresponded with warmer air temperatures and increased vegetation biomass, soil depth and maturity, and dissolved substances and nutrients.

Environmental Management↗
USGS1997

Plagioclase zonation styles in hornblende gabbro inclusions from Little Glass Mountain, Medicine Lake volcano, California: Implications for fractionation mechanisms and the formation of composition gaps

The rhyolite of Little Glass Mountain (73–74% SiO 2 ) is a single eruptive unit that contains inclusions of quenched andesite liquid (54–61% SiO 2 ) and partially crystalline cumulate hornblende gabbro (53–55% SiO 2 ). Based on previous studies, the quenched andesite inclusions and host rhyolite lava are related to one another through fractional crystallization and represent an example of a fractionation-generated composition gap. The hornblende gabbros represent the cumulate residue associated with the rhyolite-producing and composition gap-forming fractionation event. This study combines textural (Nomarski Differential Interference Contrast, NDIC, imaging), major element (An content) and trace element (Mg, Fe, Sr, K, Ti, Ba) data on the style of zonation of plagioclase crystals from representative andesite and gabbro inclusions, to assess the physical environment in which the fractionation event and composition gap formation took place. The andesite inclusions (54–61% SiO 2 ) are sparsely phyric with phenocrysts of plagioclase, augite and Fe-oxide±olivine, +/–orthopyroxene, +/–hornblende set within a glassy to crystalline matrix. The gabbro cumulates (53–55% SiO 2 ) consist of an interconnected framework of plagioclase, augite, olivine, orthopyroxene, hornblende and Fe-oxide along with highly vesicular interstitial glass (70–74% SiO 2 ). The gabbros record a two-stage crystallization history of plagioclase+olivine+augite (Stage I) followed by plagioclase+orthopyroxene+ hornblende+Fe-oxide (Stage II). Texturally, the plagioclase crystals in the andesite inclusions are characterized by complex, fine-scale oscillatory zonation and abundant dissolution surfaces. Compositionally (An content) the crystals are essentially unzoned from core-to-rim. These features indicate growth within a dynamic (convecting?), reservoir of andesite magma. In contrast, the plagioclase crystals in the gabbros are texturally smooth and featureless with strong normal zonation from An 74 at the core to around An 30 . K, and Ba abundances increase and Mg abundances decrease steadily towards the rim. Ti, Fe, and Sr abundances increase and then decrease towards the rim. The trace element variations are fully consistent with the two-stage crystallization sequence inferred from the gabbro mineralogy. These results indicate progressive closed-system in situ crystallization in a quiescent magmatic boundary layer environment located along the margins of the andesite magma body. The fractional crystallization that generated the host rhyolite lava is one of inward solidification of a crystallizing boundary layer followed by melt extraction and accumulation of highly evolved interstitial liquid. This mechanism explains the formation of the composition gap between parental andesite and rhyolite magma compositions.

California↗
USGS2002

Effects of stress from mine drainage on diversity, biomass, and function of primary producers in mountain streams

This paper proposes a hypothesis that relates biodi- versity, community biomass, and ecosystem func- tion to a gradient of stress. According to this hy- pothesis, biodiversity has a low threshold of response to stress, whereas biomass and function are stable or increase under low to moderate stress and decrease only under high stress. This hypothe- sis was tested by examining communities of pri- mary producers in streams under stress from mine drainage in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, USA. Mine drainage exerts chemical stress (low pH, dis- solved metals) as well as physical stress (deposition of metal oxides) on stream biota. Diversity of pri- mary producers was usually more sensitive to stress from mine drainage than community biomass (chlorophyll a) or primary production. Diversity was negatively related to all stresses from mine drainage, but it was especially low in streams with low pH or high concentration of dissolved zinc. Biomass and production were high in streams with only chemical stress, but they were often low in streams with physical stress caused by metal oxide deposition. Stream sites with aluminum oxide dep- osition usually had very little algal biomass. The rate of metal oxide deposition, presence of alumi- num oxides, and pH together explained 65% of the variation in biomass. The rate of net primary pro- duction was highly correlated with biomass and had a similar response to stress from mine drainage. Overall, chemical stresses (low pH, high concentra- tion of zinc) generally led to the hypothesized trends in our model of ecosystems under stress. Physical stress (deposition of metal oxides), how- ever, led to variable responses, and often decreased biomass and function even at low intensity, con- trary to the original hypothesis. Thus, the nature of ecosystem response to stress may differ for chemical and physical stresses

Colorado↗
USGS2015

Linking biophysical models and public preferences for ecosystem service assessments: a case study for the Southern Rocky Mountains

Through extensive research, ecosystem services have been mapped using both survey-based and biophysical approaches, but comparative mapping of public values and those quantified using models has been lacking. In this paper, we mapped hot and cold spots for perceived and modeled ecosystem services by synthesizing results from a social-values mapping study of residents living near the Pike&ndash;San Isabel National Forest (PSI), located in the Southern Rocky Mountains, with corresponding biophysically modeled ecosystem services. Social-value maps for the PSI were developed using the Social Values for Ecosystem Services tool, providing statistically modeled continuous value surfaces for 12 value types, including aesthetic, biodiversity, and life-sustaining values. Biophysically modeled maps of carbon sequestration and storage, scenic viewsheds, sediment regulation, and water yield were generated using the Artificial Intelligence for Ecosystem Services tool. Hotspots for both perceived and modeled services were disproportionately located within the PSI&rsquo;s wilderness areas. Additionally, we used regression analysis to evaluate spatial relationships between perceived biodiversity and cultural ecosystem services and corresponding biophysical model outputs. Our goal was to determine whether publicly valued locations for aesthetic, biodiversity, and life-sustaining values relate meaningfully to results from corresponding biophysical ecosystem service models. We found weak relationships between perceived and biophysically modeled services, indicating that public perception of ecosystem service provisioning regions is limited. We believe that biophysical and social approaches to ecosystem service mapping can serve as methodological complements that can advance ecosystem services-based resource management, benefitting resource managers by showing potential locations of synergy or conflict between areas supplying ecosystem services and those valued by the public.

Regional Environmental Change↗
USGS2017

Exploration of diffuse and discrete sources of acid mine drainage to a headwater mountain stream in Colorado, USA

We investigated the impact of acid mine drainage (AMD) contamination from the Minnesota Mine, an inactive gold and silver mine, on Lion Creek, a headwater mountain stream near Empire, Colorado. The objective was to map the sources of AMD contamination, including discrete sources visible at the surface and diffuse inputs that were not readily apparent. This was achieved using geochemical sampling, in-stream and in-seep fluid electrical conductivity (EC) logging, and electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) of the subsurface. The low pH of the AMD-impacted water correlated to high fluid EC values that served as a target for the ERI. From ERI, we identified two likely sources of diffuse contamination entering the stream: (1) the subsurface extent of two seepage faces visible on the surface, and (2) rainfall runoff washing salts deposited on the streambank and in a tailings pile on the east bank of Lion Creek. Additionally, rainfall leaching through the tailings pile is a potential diffuse source of contamination if the subsurface beneath the tailings pile is hydraulically connected with the stream. In-stream fluid EC was lowest when stream discharge was highest in early summer and then increased throughout the summer as stream discharge decreased, indicating that the concentration of dissolved solids in the stream is largely controlled by mixing of groundwater and snowmelt. Total dissolved solids (TDS) load is greatest in early summer and displays a large diel signal. Identification of diffuse sources and variability in TDS load through time should allow for more targeted remediation options.

Colorado↗