Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Impacts Of Climate Change On Multiple Use Management Of Bureau Of Land Management Land In The Intermountain West, Usa, Elaine M. Brice, Brett A. Miller, Hongchao Zhang, Kirsten Goldstein, Scott N. Zimmer, Guenchik J. Grosklos, Patrick Belmont, Courtney G. Flint, Jennifer E. Givens, Peter B. Adler, Mark W. Brunson, Jordan W. Smith

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Although natural resource managers are concerned about climate change, many are unable to adequately incorporate climate change science into their adaptation strategies or management plans, and are not always aware of or do not employ the most current scientific knowledge. One of the most prominent natural resource management agencies in the United States is the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which is tasked with managing over 248 million acres (>1 million km²) of public lands for multiple, often conflicting, uses. Climate change will affect the sustainability of many of these land uses and could further increase conflicts …

Genetic Variation At The Species And Population Levels In The Rocky Mountain Ridged Mussel (Gonidea Angulata) – Supplementary Material, James A. Walton, Karen E. Mock, Steven F. R. Brownlee, Jon H. Mageroy, Greg Wilson, Ian R. Walker

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Freshwater mussels in western North America are threatened by water diversions, climate change, loss of required host fish, and other factors, and have experienced marked decline in the past several decades. All four of the primary lineages (potentially species) of freshwater mussels in the western U.S. and Canada are widespread and have somewhat generalist host fish requirements. Of these lineages, perhaps the most poorly understood and of greatest conservation concern is Gonidea angulata (Rocky Mountain ridged mussel). Gonidea is a monotypic genus occurring only in the western continental U.S. and southern Canada. Here we describe the patterns of genetic variation …

Technology Belmont Data, Christopher Monz, Vera Hausner, Jennifer Schmidt

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The data is based on semi-structured household interviews conducted in Noatak (n = 12), Noorvik (n = 11), and Brevig Mission (n = 12) in the March of 2017. Information gathered consists of individuals use of technology, perceptions about how technology has helped or hindered their ability to do subsistence and address the changing climate, and the role of technology in the community. Demographic information includes gender, race, education, household size, and employment status. Individuals who were particularly knowledgeable and amendable participated in a q-sort exercise to assess values and beliefs regarding technology in their community. Individual records are confidential …

Mapping The Immediate And Prolonged Impacts Of, And Adaptations To, Fire In The Kenai River Fishery, Jordan Smith

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Determining How Increasing Precipitation Intensity Will Impact Rangelands In Utah., Karen H. Beard, Andrew Kulmatiski

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As the atmosphere warms, precipitation events become larger, but less frequent. Yet, there is fundamental disagreement about how increased precipitation intensity will affect vegetation. Walter’s two-layer hypothesis and experiments testing it have demonstrated that precipitation intensity can increase woody plant growth. Observational studies have found the opposite pattern. Not only are the patterns contradictory, but inference is largely limited to grasslands and savannas. We tested the effects of increased precipitation intensity in a shrub-steppe ecosystem that receives >30% of its precipitation as snow. We used 11 (8 m x 8 m) shelters to collect and redeposit rain and snow as …

Sequenced-Based Paternity Analysis To Improve Breeding And Identify Self-Incompatibility Loci In Intermediate Wheatgrass (Thinopyrum Intermedium), Jared Crain, Steve Larson, Kevin Dorn, Traci Hagedorn, Lee Dehaan, Jesse Poland

Forage and Range Research Laboratory Publications

Key Message

Paternity assignment and genome-wide association analyses for fertility were applied to a Thinopyrum intermedium breeding program. A lack of progeny between combinations of parents was associated with loci near self-incompatibility genes.

Abstract

In outcrossing species such as intermediate wheatgrass (IWG, Thinopyrum intermedium), polycrossing is often used to generate novel recombinants through each cycle of selection, but it cannot track pollen-parent pedigrees and it is unknown how self-incompatibility (SI) genes may limit the number of unique crosses obtained. This study investigated the potential of using next-generation sequencing to assign paternity and identify putative SI loci in IWG. Using …

Collaborative Research: Network Cluster: Dust In The Critical Zone From The Great Basin To The Rocky Mountains, Janice Brahney

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Using Disaster Outcomes To Validate Components Of Social Vulnerability To Floods: Flood Deaths And Property Damage Across The Usa, Beth Tellman, Cody Schank, Bessie Schwarz, Peter D. Howe, Alex De Sherbinin

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Social vulnerability indicators seek to identify populations susceptible to hazards based on aggregated sociodemographic data. Vulnerability indices are rarely validated with disaster outcome data at broad spatial scales, making it difficult to develop effective national scale strategies to mitigate loss for vulnerable populations. This paper validates social vulnerability indicators using two flood outcomes: death and damage. Regression models identify sociodemographic factors associated with variation in outcomes from 11,629 non-coastal flood events in the USA (2008–2012), controlling for flood intensity using stream gauge data. We compare models with (i) socioeconomic variables, (ii) the composite social vulnerability index (SoVI), and (iii) flood …

Coqui Frog Predator Avoidance And Recognition, Karen H. Beard

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The purpose of this study was to determine whether coqui frogs from their non-native range responded to native predators the same way as frogs from their native range. Frogs were collected from two sites in Puerto Rico (El Yunque and Rio Abajo) in May 2006 and one site in Hawaii (Hilo) in June 2006. At each site, frogs were collected from a high (> 700 m) and low (< 300 m) elevation population. Of the total number of frogs collected, 100 males were randomly selected to be used in this study (45 and 55 from Hawaii and Puerto Rico, respectively). Three tailless whipscorpions (Phrynus longipes) and three tarantulas (Avicularia laeta) were also collected in Puerto Rico in field sites where frogs were collected and shipped back to a laboratory.

A Low-Cost, Open Source Monitoring System For Collecting High Temporal Resolution Water Use Data On Magnetically Driven Residential Water Meters, Camilo J. Bastidas Pacheco, Jeffery S. Horsburgh, Robb J. Tracy

Publications

We present a low-cost (≈$150) monitoring system for collecting high temporal resolution residential water use data without disrupting the operation of commonly available water meters. This system was designed for installation on top of analog, magnetically driven, positive displacement, residential water meters and can collect data at a variable time resolution interval. The system couples an Arduino Pro microcontroller board, a datalogging shield customized for this specific application, and a magnetometer sensor. The system was developed and calibrated at the Utah Water Research Laboratory and was deployed for testing on five single family residences in Logan and Providence, Utah, for …

Effects Of Pyric Herbivory On Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus Spp) Habitat, Heath D. Starns, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf, Robert D. Elmore, Dirac Twidwell, Eric T. Thacker, Torre J. Hovick, Barney Luttbeg

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The reduction and simplification of grasslands has led to the decline of numerous species of grassland fauna, particularly grassland-obligate birds. Prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus spp.) are an example of obligate grassland birds that have declined throughout most of their distribution and are species of conservation concern. Pyric herbivory has been suggested as a land management strategy for enhancing prairie-chicken habitat and stabilizing declining population trends. We assessed differences in vegetation structure created by pyric herbivory compared to fire-only treatments to determine whether pyric herbivory increased habitat heterogeneity for prairie-chickens, spatially or temporally. Our study was performed at four sites in the …

Measuring Channel Planform Change From Image Time Series: A Generalizable, Spatially Distributed, Probabilistic Method For Quantifying Uncertainty, Christina M. Leonard, Carl J. Legleiter, Devin M. Lea, John C. Schmidt

Watershed Sciences Student Research

Abstract

Channels change in response to natural or anthropogenic fluctuations in streamflow and/or sediment supply and measurements of channel change are critical to many river management applications. Whereas repeated field surveys are costly and time‐consuming, remote sensing can be used to detect channel change at multiple temporal and spatial scales. Repeat images have been widely used to measure long‐term channel change, but these measurements are only significant if the magnitude of change exceeds the uncertainty. Existing methods for characterizing uncertainty have two important limitations. First, while the use of a spatially variable image co‐registration error avoids the assumption that errors …

Plastic Rain In Protected Areas Of The United States, Janice Brahney, Margaret Hallerud, Eric Heim, Maura Hahnenberger, Suja Sukumaran

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Eleven billion metric tons of plastic are projected to accumulate in the environment by 2025. Because plastics are persistent, they fragment into pieces that are susceptible to wind entrainment. Using high-resolution spatial and temporal data, we tested whether plastics deposited in wet versus dry conditions have distinct atmospheric life histories. Further, we report on the rates and sources of deposition to remote U.S. conservation areas. We show that urban centers and resuspension from soils or water are principal sources for wet-deposited plastics. By contrast, plastics deposited under dry conditions were smaller in size, and the rates of deposition were related …

Developing And Implementing A 100% Renewable Electricity Resolution: A Research-Based Framework, Emily E. Skill, Roslynn Brain Mccann, Sarah C. Klain

All Current Publications

While it may seem that the efforts of local governments have only a marginal impact on the global issue of climate change, local action can spread to generate large-scale change. Local action can inspire other communities to adopt policies, creating the potential to expand and form regional action on climate change. Furthermore, local policies can influence state and federal policies. This guide will walk you through a five-step framework that was developed from the results of a qualitative research study that explored how three Utah cities, Salt Lake City, Park City, and Moab, successfully adopted 100% renewable electricity resolutions.

Simulation-Optimization For Conjunctive Water Resources Management And Optimal Crop Planning In Kushabhadra-Bhargavi River Delta Of Eastern India, Madan K. Jha, Richard C. Peralta, Sasmita Sahoo

Publications

Water resources sustainability is a worldwide concern because of climate variability, growing population, and excessive groundwater exploitation in order to meet freshwater demand. Addressing these conflicting challenges sometimes can be aided by using both simulation and mathematical optimization tools. This study combines a groundwater-flow simulation model and two optimization models to develop optimal reconnaissance-level water management strategies. For a given set of hydrologic and management constraints, both of the optimization models are applied to part of the Mahanadi River basin groundwater system, which is an important source of water supply in Odisha State, India. The first optimization model employs a …

Modelling Eurasian Beaver Foraging Habitat And Dam Suitability, For Predicting The Location And Number Of Dams Throughout Catchments In Great Britain, Hugh A. Graham, Alan Puttock, William W. Macfarlane, Joseph Michael Wheaton, Jordan T. Gilbert, Róisín Campbell-Palmer, Mark Elliott, Martin J. Gaywood, Karen Anderson, Richard E. Brazier

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) populations are expanding across Europe. Depending on location, beaver dams bring multiple benefits and/or require management. Using nationally available data, we developed: a Beaver Forage Index (BFI), identifying beaver foraging habitat, and a Beaver Dam Capacity (BDC) model, classifying suitability of river reaches for dam construction, to estimate location and number of dams at catchment scales. Models were executed across three catchments, in Great Britain (GB), containing beaver. An area of 6747 km² was analysed for BFI and 16,739 km of stream for BDC. Field surveys identified 258 km of channel containing beaver …

A New Sampler For The Collection And Retrieval Of Dry Dust Deposition, Janice Brahney, Gregory Wetherbee, Graham A. Sexstone, C. Youngbull, P. Strong, Ruth C. Heindel

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Atmospheric dust can influence biogeochemical cycles, accelerate snowmelt, and affect air, water quality, and human health. Yet, the bulk of atmospherically transported material remains poorly quantified in terms of total mass fluxes and composition. This lack of information stems in part from the challenges associated with measuring dust deposition. Here we report on the design and efficacy of a new dry deposition sampler (Dry Deposition Sampling Unit (DSU)) and method that quantifies the gravitational flux of dust particles. The sampler can be used alone or within existing networks such as those employed by the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP). Because …

Assessing The Potential For Industrial Activities To Disturb Polar Bears Denning On The Arctic Coastal Plain, Patricia A. Terletzky-Gese

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Predicting The Influence Of Climate On Grassland Area Burned In Xilingol, China With Dynamic Simulations Of Autoregressive Distributed Lag Models, Ali Hassan Shabbir, Jiquan Zhang, James D. Johnston, Samuel Asumadu Sarkodie, James A. Lutz, Xingpeng Liu

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The influence of climate change on wildland fire has received considerable attention, but few studies have examined the potential effects of climate variability on grassland area burned within the extensive steppe land of Eurasia. We used a novel statistical approach borrowed from the social science literature—dynamic simulations of autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) models—to explore the relationship between temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, wind speed, sunlight, and carbon emissions on grassland area burned in Xilingol, a large grassland-dominated landscape of Inner Mongolia in northern China. We used an ARDL model to describe the influence of these variables on observed area burned between …

Understanding The Effects Of Above- And Belowground Linkages On Carbon Cycling In A High Latitude, Coastal Wetland, Trisha Atwood

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Fire-Environment Analysis: An Example Of Army Garrison Camp Williams, Utah, Scott M. Frost, Martin E. Alexander, R. Justin Derose, Michael J. Jenkins

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The planning of fuel treatments for ecological or societal purposes requires an in-depth understanding of the conditions associated with the occurrence of free-burning fire behavior for the area of concern. Detailed fire-environment analysis for Army Garrison Camp Williams (AGCW) in north-central Utah was completed as a prerequisite for fuel treatment planning, using a procedure that could be generally applied. Vegetation and fuels data, topographic and terrain features, and weather and climate data, were assessed and integrated into predictive fuel models to aid planning. A fire behavior fuel model map was developed from biophysical variables, vegetation type, and plot survey data …

Potential For Managed Aquifer Recharge To Enhance Fish Habitat In A Regulated River, Robert W. Van Kirk, Bryce A. Contor, Christina N. Morrisett, Sarah E. Null, Ashly S. Loibman

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is typically used to enhance the agricultural water supply but may also be promising to maintain summer streamflows and temperatures for cold-water fish. An existing aquifer model, water temperature data, and analysis of water administration were used to assess potential benefits of MAR to cold-water fisheries in Idaho’s Snake River. This highly-regulated river supports irrigated agriculture worth US $10 billion and recreational trout fisheries worth $100 million. The assessment focused on the Henry’s Fork Snake River, which receives groundwater from recharge incidental to irrigation and from MAR operations 8 km from the river, addressing (1) the …

Machine Learning Predicts Reach-Scale Channel Types From Coarse-Scale Geospatial Data In A Large River Basin, Hervé Guillon, Colin F. Byrne, Belize A. Lane, Samuel Sandoval Solis, Gregory B. Pasternack

Publications

Hydrologic and geomorphic classifications have gained traction in response to the increasing need for basin-wide water resources management. Regardless of the selected classification scheme, an open scientific challenge is how to extend information from limited field sites to classify tens of thousands to millions of channel reaches across a basin. To address this spatial scaling challenge, this study leverages machine learning to predict reach-scale geomorphic channel types using publicly available geospatial data. A bottom-up machine learning approach selects the most accurate and stable model among∼20,000 combinations of 287 coarse geospatial predictors, preprocessing methods, and algorithms in a three-tiered framework to …

Projected Increase Of The East Asian Summer Monsoon (Meiyu) In Taiwan By Climate Models With Variable Performance, Yu-Shiang Tung, Shih-Yu (Simon) Wang, Jung-Lien Chu, Chi-Hua Wu, Yung-Ming Chen, Chao-Tzuen Cheng, Lee-Yaw Lin

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

The active phase of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) in Taiwan during May and June, known as Meiyu, produces substantial precipitation for water uses in all sectors of society. Following a companion study that analysed the historical increase in the Meiyu precipitation, the present study conducted model evaluation and diagnosis based on the EASM lifecycle over Taiwan. Higher and lower skill groups were identified from 17 Couple Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) models, with five models in each group. Despite the difference in model performance, both groups projected a substantial increase in the Meiyu precipitation over Taiwan. …

Collaborative Research: A General Approach To Partitioning Contributions From Multiple Drivers Affecting Individuals, Populations, And Communities, Peter B. Adler

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Glaciers In The Canadian Columbia Basin, Technical Report, Brian Menounos, Ben M. Pelto, Sean W. Fleming, R. Dan Moore, Frank Weber, Dave Hutchinson, Janice Brahney

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

The cryosphere - all forms of frozen water on Earth- plays a fundamental role in its climate system. Seasonal snow, mountain glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice reflect much of the incoming shortwave radiation at high latitudes and in mountainous terrain back to space, helping to regulate the surface temperature of the planet. Accelerating concentrations of greenhouse gases (Solomon et al. 2009) are responsible for late twentieth and early twenty-first century tropospheric warming; this warming in turn drives large-scale changes in the cryosphere, with global implications that include changes in hemispheric circulation (Francis and Vavrus 2012), sea level rise (Gardner …

Consequences Of Didymo Blooms In The Transnational Kootenay River Basin, Niall G. Clancy, Janice Brahney, Jeff Curtis, Phaedra E. Budy

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Stream habitat changes that affect primary consumers often indirectly impact secondary consumers such as fishes. Blooms of the benthic algae Didymosphenia geminata (Didymo) represent one such habitat change known to affect stream macroinvertebrates. However, the potential indirect trophic impacts on fish consumers via modifications to their diet are poorly understood. The overall goal of this project was to determine if Didymo blooms in streams of the Kootenay River basin of British Columbia and Montana affect the condition and growth of fishes, and to see whether trophic mechanisms were responsible for any observed changes. We therefore quantified the diet, condition, and …

Cooperative Extension And Sustainability Outreach: Programmatic Successes, Administrative Support, And Areas For Improvement, Roslynn Brain Mccann, Mark Apel, Clark Dove, Ramona Madhosingh-Hector, Jennison Kipp Searcy, David Kay

Extension Research

According to the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, without urgent global changes, climate catastrophe caused by warming of greater than 1.5°C will occur by 2030, endangering the planet's capacity to sustain human populations and livelihoods. The National Network for Sustainable Living Education administered a national survey in January 2017 to assess how well-positioned Extension is to address sustainability in the communities the organization serves. Educators from 40 states responded, and 1,395 usable surveys were received. Survey results will help Extension employees discover opportunities for innovation and relevancy in their programming.