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This Final Report is a review of work on a cooperative study undertaken by the USGS Biological Resources Division's National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) and National Wetlands Research Center (NWRC; formerly the Southern Science Center) from 1994 through 1997. The study was initiated at the request of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), through a request to the former National Biological Service. The Southeastern New Mexico Playa Lakes Coordinating Committee (SENMPLCC) played an important role in outlining the research needs. The initial Study Plan document, which outlines the background, objectives and methods for the first two years is available as Appendix 1. A letter indicating modifications to the Study Plan was sent to the SENMPLCC chair on April 25,1995, and is Appendix 2. An Interim Report, covering this work was completed and submitted in September 1995. The Literature Review section of the study was completed and presented to SENMPLCC in August, 1995. Following SENMPLCC review, NWHC was asked to develop a series of questions that could be posed from information gained in the initial phase (Appendix 3). The NWHC and NWRC were then directed to begin work to answer the top three questions, within the available fiscal resources. NWRC could continue with work outlined under the original Study Plan (Appendix 1), however an additional Study Plan for experiments performed by NWHC and collaborators and is available as Appendix 4.
This document serves as the Final Report for research on Puerto Rico stream fishes and their habitat funded by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, in the form of a grant to the North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. This research was also conducted to meet the thesis requirement for a Master of Science degree granted to Elissa Buttermore (Chapters 3–4) and the dissertation requirement for a Doctor of Philospophy degree granted to William Smith (Chapters 5–8). Formatting differs among chapters, as each was developed to target a specific scientific journal and to conform to journal style.
Conservation efforts for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), hereafter sage-grouse, are underway across the range of this species. Over 70 local working groups have been established and are implementing on-the-ground sage-grouse oriented conservation projects. Early on in this process, the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) recognized the need to join in these efforts and received funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under the Candidate Species Conservation Program to help develop a species conservation plan for sage-grouse in the Mono County area. This conservation plan covers portions of Alpine, Mono, and Inyo counties in California and Douglas, Esmeralda, Lyon, and Mineral counties in Nevada. A concurrent effort underway through the Nevada Governor's Sage-grouse Conservation Team established Local Area Working Groups across Nevada and eastern California. The Mono County populations of sage-grouse were encompassed by the Bi-State Local Planning Area, which was comprised of six population management units (PMUs). The state agencies from California (CDFG) and Nevada (Nevada Department of Wildlife; NDOW) responsible for the management of sage-grouse agreed to utilize the process that had begun with the Nevada Governor's Team in order to develop local plans for conservation planning and implementation. Resources from the USFWS were applied to several objectives in support of the development of the Bi-State Local Area Sage-grouse Conservation Plan through a grant to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Objectives included: (1) participate in the development of the Bi-State Conservation Plan, (2) compile and synthesize existing sage-grouse data, (3) document seasonal movements of sage-grouse, (4) identify habitats critical to sage-grouse, (5) determine survival rates and identify causal factors of mortality, (6) determine nest success and brood success of sage-grouse, and (7) identify sage-grouse lek sites. Progress reports completed in 2004 and 2005 addressed each of the specific objectives and this final report focuses on the biological information gathered in support of local conservation efforts. Participation in the development of the Bi-State Local Area Conservation Plan was accomplished on multiple scales. Beginning in the fall of 2002, USGS personnel began participating in meetings of local stakeholders involved in the development of a sage-grouse conservation plan for the Bi-State planning area. This included attendance at numerous local PMU group meetings and field trips as well as participating on the technical advisory committee (TAC) for the Bi-State group. Whenever appropriate, ongoing results and findings regarding sage-grouse ecology in the local area were incorporated into these working group meetings. In addition, the USGS partnered with CDFG to help reorganize one of the local PMU groups (South Mono) and edited that portion of the Bi-State plan. The USGS also worked closely with CDFG to draft a description of the state of knowledge for sage-grouse genetic information for inclusion in the Bi-State Conservation Plan. The first edition of the Bi-State Conservation Plan for Greater Sage-Grouse was completed in June 2004 (Bi-State Sage-grouse Conservation Team 2004). This report is organized primarily by PMU to facilitate the incorporation of these research findings into the individual PMU plans that compose the Bi-State plan. Information presented in this report was derived from over 7,000 radio-telemetry locations obtained on 145 individual sage-grouse during a three year period (2003-2005). In addition, we collected detailed vegetation measurements at over 590 habitat sampling plots within the study area including canopy cover, shrubs, forbs, and grasses diversity. Vegetation data collection focused on sage-grouse nests, and brood-use areas. Additionally we collected data at random sites to examine sage-grouse habitat relationships within the study area. The majori
This report summarizes the activities and results of the Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) working group (WG) of the International Committee for Coal and Organic Petrology (ICCP), from its inception in September, 2015, to the present day (September, 2021). The purpose of this report is to document the history of the working group and to compile and evaluate its results. The CLSM WG examined an immature, organic-rich sample of Kimmeridge Clay, which was characterized via CLSM imaging and spectroscopy. In addition, mechanically polished and broad ion beam (BIB) milled sample preparations were characterized via atomic force microscopy. Highlights of findings from the CLSM WG include: the interpreted presence of Botryococcus; incomplete blocking of laser light from highly reflective materials; surface roughening and surface flattening induced by differential BIB milling dependent on location and scale of measurement; substitution of uranium for iron in sulfides; red-shift of reflectance and auto-fluorescence from below the sample surface; positive alteration from laser-induced photo-oxidation of the sample surface including fluorescence blue-shift; blueshift associated to higher fluorescence intensity regions in amorphous organic matter; need for fluorescence spectroscopy standardization as applied via CLSM; and the suitability of CLSM to predict solid bitumen reflectance via calibration to an extant data set. Due to the inability of WG members to continue participating in a WG format, the CLSM WG is hereby finalized. This report represents the final product of WG activity, with the aim to summarize the information included herein for a future peer-reviewed manuscript.
The goal of this study was two-fold: (1) assess the taxonomic identity and phylogenetic placement of Quadrula aurea (Golden Orb) [Federal Candidate], Quadrula houstonensis (Smooth Pimpleback) [Federal Candidate], and Quadrula petrina (Texas Pimpleback) [Federal Candidate] through mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequencing; and (2) provided additional information on the distribution and abundance for mussel species petitioned for listing under ESA through field surveys in portions of several major rivers in Central and West Texas. The final report is organized by 4 research tasks as per contract (see Appendix A) and submitted proposals. Below is an outline of goal-oriented tasks for this project: Task 1 – Conduct comprehensive surveys of portions of the Brazos, Colorado, and Guadalupe River basins Task 2 – Conduct comprehensive surveys of portions of the Rio Grande Basin Task 3 – Develop conservation status assessment maps for 9 state-threatened mussel species in Texas Task 4 – Delineate species boundaries, test for cryptic species, and assess phylogenetic relationships for threatened Texas mussel species in the genus Quadrula Note the following 2 tasks were either not funded in the current contract or was a modification of the contract and added as a project deliverable: Task 5 – Delineate species boundaries, test for cryptic species, and assess phylogenetic relationships for east Texas mussel species in the genus Fusconaia (Not Funded) Task 6 – Evaluate the conservation status of Texas hornshell and other mussels in the Pecos and Devils Rivers (Contract amendment, results combined with Task 2). Detailed descriptions of the research tasks and findings are found within each chapter of the report. Here, we outline and summarize project deliverables and major findings for each task.
The Ice and Climate Evolution Science Analysis Group (ICE-SAG) was convened by the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) in fall 2018, with the aims of (1) identifying and prioritizing fundamental science questions related to the recent and ongoing evolution of Mars volatiles and climate, and (2) exploring new mission approaches that could address these high-priority science questions during the coming decade (2023–2032). In this white paper, we summarize the ICE-SAG final report via a selection of report materials and provide broad context for the content of this MEPAG-generated report (which is likely a reference mentioned within a number of other, community-based white papers).
The Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM), Sevres, France, hosted the 7th International Comparison of Absolute Gravimeters (ICAG) and the associated Relative Gravity Campaign (RGC) from August to September 2005.;ICAG 2005 was prepared and performed as a metrological pilot study, which aimed:;(1) To determine the gravity comparison reference values;;(2) To determine the offsets of the absolute gravimeters; and;(3) As a pilot study to accumulate experience for the CIPM Key Comparisons.;This document presents a complete and extensive review of the technical protocol and data processing procedures. The 1st ICAG-RGC comparison was held at the BIPM in 1980-1981 and since then meetings have been organized every 4 years.;In this paper, we present an overview of how the meeting was organized, the conditions of BIPM gravimetric sites, technical specifications, data processing strategy and an analysis of the final results. This 7th ICAG final report supersedes all previously published reports.;Readings were obtained from participating instruments, 19 absolute gravimeters and 15 relative gravimeters. Precise levelling measurements were carried out and all measurements were performed on the BIPM micro-gravity network which was specifically designed for the comparison.
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This workshop was the third in our series of four SCEC5 workshops designed to evaluate the importance of each of the four ingredients required for dynamic earthquake rupture simulations. The four ingredients are: fault geometry, fault friction, rock properties, and initial stress conditions (Figure 1). The previous two workshops in the ‘ingredients’ series were the November 2018 SCEC workshop that focused on ingredient #1, fault geometry, and the January 2020 SCEC workshop that focused on ingredient #2, fault friction. This October 2020 workshop focused on ingredient #3, rock properties. This workshop included presentations about how our choices of velocity structures and off-fault yielding affect computationally simulated earthquake rupture behavior and ground motion. We also had one presentation that introduced everyone to a new 3D rupture dynamics benchmark that simulates thermal pressurization, and we were shown the results from the 5 codes that had simulated this benchmark by the time of the workshop.
Many bird species are of conservation concern across the Northern Gulf of Mexico from stressors such as human disturbance, predation, and habitat loss due to directional environmental change (e.g., increased sea-level rise and storm frequency and intensity, human infrastructure, changes in land use). Consequently, managers need decision-support tools that can help to answer important conservation questions for different species (e.g., which areas and how much area should be targeted by management actions to meet a particular species’ needs). The Black Skimmer ( Rynchops niger ; hereafter Skimmer) and Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica ; hereafter Tern) are designated as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Species of Conservation Concern and Gulf Coast Joint Venture (GCJV) Priority Species with nesting habitats in the USFWS Gulf Coast Biological Planning Units (BPU; Tirpak et al. 2017). They are also representative of a variety of other beach and barrier-island nesting birds whose Gulf Coast nesting habitats are threatened by directional environmental change. The Skimmer has breeding pair targets in six GCJV Initiative Areas (IA), and the Tern has breeding pair targets in five GCJV IAs. Our goal was to inform GCJV management scenarios that efficiently and simultaneously achieve both species’ targets by prioritizing sites where management actions (e.g., maintain existing habitat or change habitat, geomorphology [landmass area, landmass elevation], predator management, human and dog restrictions) could be implemented.
The Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area (BOHA) is at high risk to the impacts of sea-level rise (SLR) and erosion from coastal storms. In June 2021, the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed the islands as one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places due to climate change. BOHA partners have been working to find climate adaptive solutions to protect and sustain critical ecological and cultural resources on the islands. A range of coastal adaptation efforts are currently under consideration including increased shoreline armoring and nature-based adaptation solutions. Any action taken in the coastal zone will require an assessment of environmental and ecological communities that could potentially be impacted by disturbance caused by restoration or adaptation projects. The primary goals of the initial phase of this project were to: 1) synthesize occurrence and distribution records of biodiversity living in and using mixed coarse substrate habitats of the intertidal zone of the Boston Harbor Islands; and 2) identify and compile potential methods to develop a standard and repeatable monitoring protocol to track changes (natural or anthropogenic) in intertidal biodiversity over time and across locations; and 3) conduct preliminary site scoping of target islands to identify locations for collecting new baseline data. A biodiversity inventory list was compiled, showing a total of 451 unique species were observed in BOHA between 1861-2020. Of this list, 55 species (invertebrates: 47; algae: 8) were considered nonindigenous species; a watchlist was also developed to help BOHA partners identify potential future invaders that could colonize and impact intertidal communities due to ongoing climate change or disturbance events. Native species observed in BOHA were evaluated using existing conservation frameworks and climate vulnerability information to prioritize species at greatest risk from anthropogenic and environmental stressors for future actions. Lastly, site scoping activities during 2021 identified three types of sites for future intertidal monitoring initiatives: (1) sites with relatively high biodiversity and foundational species, (2) erosional sites near cultural areas of importance to NPS, and (3) sites with generic (common across islands) biodiversity. Overall results are anticipated to help the NPS and BOHA partners identify a suite of species and sites for future monitoring given anticipated adaptation projects and ongoing changes due to SLR, coastal storms and other stressors.
In 2011, the final year class of adult salmon Oncorhynchus spp. returned from smolt groups released for a multi-year study to evaluate an alternate release site for transported fish. Smolts were collected and tagged at Lower Granite Dam, transported, and released at the alternate site near Astoria, Oregon (river kilometer 10) or at the traditional release site near Skamania Landing (rkm 225) just downstream of Bonneville Dam. Study fish were juvenile steelhead O. mykiss and yearling spring/summer Chinook salmon O. tshawytscha , and our evaluation was based on comparisons of smolt-to-adult return rates (SARs) between replicate paired groups. Our hypothesis was that moving the traditional barge-release site 215 km downstream could increase adult returns by decreasing smolt mortality due to predation by piscivorous fish and birds. Paired groups were released weekly over 6 weeks during the migration seasons of 2006, 2007, and 2008. The last adult steelhead from these releases returned in May 2011 (2-ocean), and the last adult Chinook salmon in August 2011 (3-ocean). We found no evidence of a consistent difference in SARs for fish released at the two barge-release locations. Data were not sufficient to evaluate the effects of fish pathogens on avian predation. There was clear evidence that fish of both species released at Astoria were less vulnerable to avian predators than those released at the customary site at Skamania Landing. Unfortunately, this survival benefit did not translate to higher SARs, as it was offset by higher rates of straying by fish released from Astoria. This was likely a result of greater impairment to homing ability for fish released at Astoria.
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This report presents the results of research conducted on the 96-acre Bear Island along the Billy Goat Trail, Section A (BGT) that evaluated visitor motivations for off-trail hiking and the efficacy of four treatments designed to reduce this activity. This research was prompted by concerns about the impact of an extensive informal (visitor-created) trail network on Bear Island, because it provides habitat for more than 50 species of rare, threatened or endangered plant and animal species.
Executive Summary This report summarizes the results of a series of field-based case studies conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to (1) evaluate the use of nonmarket values in Bureau of Land Management (BLM) planning and project assessments, (2) update existing technical resources for measuring those values, and (3) provide guidance to field staff on the use of nonmarket values. Four BLM pilot sites participated in this effort: Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in Colorado, Red Cliffs and Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Areas in Utah, BLM’s Taos Field Office in New Mexico, and BLM's Tuscarora Field Office in Nevada. The focus of the case studies was on practical applications of nonmarket valuation. USGS worked directly with BLM field staff at the pilot sites to demonstrate the process of considering nonmarket values in BLM decisionmaking and document the questions, challenges, and opportunities that arise when tying economic language to projects. As part of this effort, a Web-based toolkit, available at https://my.usgs.gov/benefit-transfer/ , was updated and expanded to help facilitate benefit transfers (that is, the use of existing economic data to quantify nonmarket values) and qualitative discussions of nonmarket values. A total of 53 new or overlooked nonmarket valuation studies comprising 494 nonmarket value estimates for various recreational activities and the preservation of threatened, endangered, and rare species were added to existing databases within this Benefit Transfer Toolkit. In addition, four meta-regression functions focused on hunting, wildlife viewing, fishing, and trail use recreation were developed and added to the Benefit Transfer Toolkit. Results of this effort demonstrate that there are two main roles for nonmarket valuation in BLM planning. The first is to improve the decisionmaking process by contributing to a more comprehensive comparison of economic benefits and cost when evaluating resource tradeoffs for National Environmental Policy Act analyses. The second is to use economic language and information on economic values, either qualitative or quantitative, to improve the ability to communicate the economic significance of the resources provided by BLM-managed lands. Findings also indicate that the use of existing economic data to quantify nonmarket values (that is, benefit transfer) poses unique challenges because of the scarcity of both resource data and existing valuation studies focused on resources and sites managed by BLM. This highlights the need for improvements in the collection of resource data at BLM sites, especially visitor use data, as well as an opportunity for BLM’s Socioeconomics Program to strategically identify priority areas, in terms of both resources and geographic locations, where primary valuation studies could be conducted and the results used for future benefit transfers. Finally, whereas qualitative discussions of nonmarket values do not facilitate the comparison of monetized values, they can provide a manageable next step forward in providing more comprehensive information on nonmarket values for BLM plans and project assessments.
To address the 2008/2010 and Supplemental 2014 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Biological Opinion for operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) developed and began implementation of Caspian tern ( Hydroprogne caspia ) management plans. This implementation includes redistribution of the Caspian terns in the Columbia River estuary and the mid-Columbia River region to reduce predation on salmonids listed under the Endangered Species Act. Key elements of the plans are (1) reduction of nesting habitat for Caspian terns in the Columbia River estuary and the mid-Columbia River region, and (2) creation or modification of nesting habitat at alternative sites within the Caspian tern breeding range. As part of this effort, USACE and Reclamation developed Caspian tern nesting habitat at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (DENWR), California, prior to the 2015 nesting season. Furthermore, nesting habitat for western snowy plovers ( Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus ) also was developed to provide separate nesting opportunities in the same managed ponds to reduce potential conflicts with Caspian terns. Specifically, seven recently constructed islands within two managed ponds (Ponds A16 and SF2) of DENWR were modified to provide habitat attractive to nesting Caspian terns (5 islands) and snowy plovers (2 islands). These 7 islands were a subset of 46 islands recently constructed in Ponds A16 and SF2 to provide waterbird nesting habitat as part of the South Bay Salt Pond (SBSP) Restoration Project. We used social attraction methods (decoys and electronic call systems) to attract Caspian terns and snowy plovers to these seven modified islands, and conducted surveys from March to September of 2015, 2016, and 2017 to evaluate nest numbers, nest density, and productivity. Results from the 2015 nesting season, the first year of the study, indicated that island modifications and social attraction measures were successful in establishing Caspian tern breeding colonies at Ponds A16 and SF2 of DENWR. Prior to 2015, there was no history of Caspian terns nesting in either Pond A16 or Pond SF2. The success of 2015 continued in 2016 and 2017. In 2017, the third and final year of the project, Caspian terns initiated at least 664 nests, fledged at least 239 chicks, and had a breeding success rate of 0.36 fledged chicks per breeding pair. This represents a 171 percent increase in the number of breeding pairs and a 41 percent increase in the number of chicks fledged, but a 48 percent decrease in the fledglings produced per breeding pair in 2017 compared to 2015, the first year the colonies were established. The two new large and growing Caspian tern nesting colonies at Ponds A16 and SF2 demonstrate the effectiveness of social attraction measures in helping to establish tern nesting colonies in San Francisco Bay. Social attraction measures similar to those used in this study, but targeting other colonial species such as Forster’s terns ( Sterna forsteri ) and American avocets ( Recurvirostra americana ), may help to establish waterbird breeding colonies at wetlands enhanced as part of the SBSP Restoration Project.