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Polaris: A 30-Meter Probabilistic Soil Series Map Of The Contiguous United States, Nathaniel W. Chaney, Eric F. Wood, Alexander B. Mcbratney, Jonathan W. Hempel, Travis W. Nauman, Colby W. Brungard, Nathan P. Odgers

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

A newcomplete map of soil series probabilities has been produced for the contiguous United States at a 30mspatial resolution. This innovative database, named POLARIS, is constructed using available high-resolution geospatial environmental data and a state-of-the-art machine learning algorithm (DSMART-HPC) to remap the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database. This 9 billion grid cell database is possible using available high performance computing resources. POLARIS provides a spatially continuous, internally consistent, quantitative prediction of soil series. It offers potential solutions to the primary weaknesses in SSURGO: 1) unmapped areas are gap-filled using survey data from the surrounding regions, 2) the artificial discontinuities at …

Paying The Pipers: Mitigating The Impact Of Anticoagulant Rodenticides On Predators And Scavengers, John E. Elliott, Barnett A. Rattner, Richard F. Shore, Nico W. Van Den Brink

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Anticoagulant rodenticides, mainly second-generation forms, or SGARs, dominate the global market for rodent control. Introduced in the 1970s to counter genetic resistance in rodent populations to first-generation compounds such as warfarin, SGARs are extremely toxic and highly effective killers. However, their tendency to persist and accumulate in the body has led to the widespread contamination of terrestrial predators and scavengers. Commercial chemicals that are classified by regulators as persistent, bio-accumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals and that are widely used with potential environmental release, such as dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), have been removed from commerce. However, despite consistently failing …

Chesapeake Bay Fish–Osprey (Pandion Haliaetus) Food Chain: Evaluation Of Contaminant Exposure And Genetic Damage, Rebecca S. Lazarus, Barnett A. Rattner, Peter C. Mcgowan, Robert C. Hale, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, Richard A. Erickson, Mary Ann Ottinger

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

From 2011 to 2013, a large-scale ecotoxicological study was conducted in several Chesapeake Bay (USA) tributaries (Susquehanna River and flats, the Back, Baltimore Harbor/Patapsco Rivers, Anacostia/ middle Potomac, Elizabeth and James Rivers) and Poplar Island as a mid-Bay reference site. Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) diet and the transfer of contaminants from fish to osprey eggs were evaluated. The most bioaccumulative compounds (biomagnification factor>5) included p,p’-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), total polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and bromodiphenyl ether (BDE) congeners 47, 99, 100, and 154. This analysis suggested that alternative brominated flame retardants and other compounds (methoxytriclosan) are not appreciably …

Immunoglobulin Detection Inwild Birds: Effectiveness Of Three Secondary Anti-Avian Igy Antibodies In Direct Elisas In 41 Avian Species, Carol A. Fassbinder-Orth, Travis E. Wilcoxen, Tiffany Tran, Raoul K. Boughton, Jeanne M. Fair, Erik K. Hofmeister, Jennifer L. Grindstaff, Jen C. Owen

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

1.Immunological reagents for wild, non-model species are limited or often non-existent for many species.

2. In this study, we compare the reactivity of a newanti-passerine IgY secondary antibody with existing secondary antibodies developed for use with birds. Samples from 41 species from the following six avian orders were analysed: Anseriformes (1 family, 1 species), Columbiformes (1 family, 2 species), Galliformes (1 family, 1 species), Passeriformes (16 families, 34 species), Piciformes (1 family, 2 species) and Suliformes (1 family, 1 species). Direct ELISAs were performed to detect total IgY using goat anti-passerine IgY, goat anti-chicken IgY or goat anti-bird IgY secondary …

Endangered Species Research In The Caribbean, James W. Wiley

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Although indigenous Amerindian populations adversely affected the biota of their island environments, it was not until the arrival of Europeans that populations of many plant and animal species in the Caribbean Islands declined dramatically (Snyder and others, 1987). Island species are particularly vulnerable to changes in the environment, which, in the extreme, can lead to their extinction. The small populations of many species that occupy islands have limited gene pools and typically show extremes of specialization, characteristics that place those species at high risk for decline and extinction with rapid environmental change. The most important factor in the decline of …

The Bird Banding Laboratory: Support For And Collaboration With Research At Patuxent, John Tautin

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Located at Patuxent Research Refuge (PRR) and functionally part of the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (Patuxent), Laurel, MD, the Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) is the service and administrative center for bird banding in the United States. Over the years, the BBL has been associated with both the PRR and Patuxent, which collectively are commonly referred to by the public (and in this chapter) as “Patuxent.” The BBL issues permits and bands; supplies banding software, instructional materials, and technical advice; coordinates the use of auxiliary markers such as neck collars and radio transmitters; serves as the repository for banding records and …

Endangered Species Research In Hawaii: The Early Years (1965–87), Michael J. Scott, Cameron B. Kepler

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Hawaii is an ecologically isolated archipelago 2,500 miles from the nearest continent. Its isolation resulted in a taxonomically unbalanced flora and fauna with remarkable examples of adaptive radiation among those groups of organisms that won the dispersal sweepstakes. It was one of the last oceanic island groups to be populated by humans, about 900 A.D. by Polynesian travelers and in 1778 by Europeans. Relatively recent colonization by humans did not save it, however, from the biodiversity losses suffered by other isolated archipelagos—it only delayed them (Scott and others, 1988; Pratt and others, 2009a).

Working To Ensure A Water And Food Secure World Annual Report Fy2016 (July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016), Robert B. Daugherty Water For Food Global Institute

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Administrative Materials

From rural Nebraska to rural Tanzania, the Water for Food Global Institute is working to achieve greater food security with less pressure on the planet’s scarce water resources, fueling change through conversations, collaborations and on-the-ground impacts. Leveraging Leadership, Partnerships and Resources for Global Impact The Water for Food Global Institute is a vehicle for collaboration, operating through a network of constituent parts that leverages the leadership, resources and rich history of experience and expertise at the University of Nebraska. In addition to our core group of staff, governed by a board of directors and with guidance from internal and external …

Drought And Health In The Context Of Public Engagement, Nicole Wall, Michael Hayes

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Droughts have profoundly affected societies around the world from the earliest beginnings. A recent estimate from the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) claims that more than 1 billion people have been affected by drought during the twenty-year period between 1994 and 2013. Because of the characteristics of drought, drought impacts are often difficult to identify and quantify, and this is especially true with public health-oriented drought consequences, including those resulting from low water quantities, poor water quality, mental health and stress, dust and windblown agents, and wildlife intrusion. However, when officials emphasize adopting a proactive risk …

Assessing Drought Vulnerability Using A Socioecological Framework, Joel R. Brown, Doug Kluck, Chad Mcnutt, Michael J. Hayes

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Drought is a persistent problem on rangelands and adjusting management to respond appropriately is critical to both preserving natural resources and to maintaining financial viability. • We explore the value of using a structured assessment approach to determining both social and ecological vulnerability. • This approach allows for the identification of vulnerable ecosystems and business operations at regional and local scales as a basis for developing effective policies and programs.

The Permian Period, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

The Permian Period was a time of great crisis in Earth's history. The Permian saw the final closure of the Iapetus Ocean that had formed following the breakup of the super­ continent of Rodinia in the late pre-Cambrian; the closure resulting in the formation of another super-continent, Pangea. It was during the Permian that two of Earth's major mountain chains, the Appalachians and the Urals, were created. The period was one of climatic extremes. By the end of the Permian, Earth had not only experienced its most widespread glaciation but also the formation of deserts the likes of which had …

The Cambrian Period, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

The Cambrian Period extends from 570 million years ago to 505 million years ago. Notwithstanding the discovery of the Ediacara fauna, the Cambrian Period of the Paleozoic Era has historically been taken as the beginning of historical time based on the first appearance of abundant fossil remains. It is interesting to note, however, that where first described, the lower Cambrian was not very fossiliferous.

The Geology Of West Virginia, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

This is not meant to be a geology textbook but rather a discussion that will help you understand what you see around you every day or if you take a trip around the State. For example, you're on your way to work or to class or you are going shopping. Most likely, you're driving down a wide valley surrounded by hills. What do the hills look like? Why does the topography change as you go from one part of the State to another? In my opinion, of all the states that make up Appalachia, West Virginia is the most interesting …

The Cenozoic Era, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

It has been said that the modem world unfolded during the Cenozoic Era. It is true that every feature of the modem landscape was formed during the Cenozoic Era. The Alps and the Himalaya have literally risen from the ocean floor. The Rocky mountains have been formed, worn away and re-uplifted to their present heights. The Appalachian Mountains that had formed at the close of the Paleozoic and worn away by the end of the Triassic, were uplifted and sculpted into their present form during the Cenozoic. All the other mountains of the world were also elevated and sculpted to …

Middle Preclassic Period Maya Greenstone "Triangulates": Forms, Contexts, And Geology Of A Unique Mesoamerican Groundstone Artifact Type, Terry G. Powis, Sherman Horn Iii, Gyles Iannone, Paul F. Healy, James F. Garber, Jaime J. Awe, Sheldon Skaggs, Linda A. Howie

Publications and Research

Over the past twenty years our understanding of the Middle Preclassic (900–300 BCE) period has become much clearer through archaeological investigations at a number of sites located in the Upper Belize River Valley region of the eastern Maya Lowlands. While the picture of Middle Preclassic Maya life, including their material culture, has sharpened, there are aspects that remain uninvestigated. One artifact type, identified as greenstone triangulates, has been found at several Belize Valley sites and in a variety of contexts. Although a number of these multifaceted, polished groundstone items have been recovered, little research has focused on their distribution and …

Sandstones And Utah’S Canyon Country: Deposition, Diagenesis, Exhumation, And Landscape Evolution, David Loope, Richard Kettler, Kendra Murray, Joel Pederson, Peter Reiners

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

South-central Utah’s prominent sandstones and deeply dissected landscapes are the focus of this four-day trip, which begins and ends in Grand Junction, Colorado. Studies of the apatite grains in sandstones adjacent to igneous intrusions are revealing new information on the timing and rate of Cenozoic erosion. Iron-oxide-cemented concretions in other rocks record how reduced-iron carbonates and subsurface microbes interacted when near-surface, oxygenated waters started to flush the reducing, CO₂-rich waters from Colorado Plateau aquifers. New geochronologic techniques that are being applied to the plateau rocks have the potential to expand our knowledge of how diagenetic episodes relate to …

A Trace Metal Content Database Of Cave Sediments Of Midcontinent U.S.A., Matthew Dale Smith

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The midcontinent of the United States has thousands of documented caves. These caves contain cave sediments, which are the accumulation of biological, geological, and anthropological debris. At this time there is no known database for trace metals of cave sediments of the midcontinent United States. Considering that caves host a wide variety of life, it is important to create a database to examine potential effects of trace metals on cave systems. In order to develop this baseline, 14 caves were sampled from across the midcontinent. Caves were selected based on geologic and hydrologic attributes. The sediments were analyzed for the …

Effects Of Nutrient Supplementation On Host-Pathogen Dynamics Of The Amphibian Chytrid Fungus: A Community Approach, Julia C. Buck, Jason R. Rohr, Andrew R. Blaustein

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

1. Anthropogenic stressors may influence hosts and their pathogens directly or may alter host–pathogen dynamics indirectly through interactions with other species. For example, in aquatic ecosystems, eutrophication may be associated with increased or decreased disease risk. Conversely, pathogens can influence community structure and function and are increasingly recognised as important members of the ecological communities in which they exist.
2. In outdoor mesocosms, we experimentally manipulated nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and the presence of a fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), and examined the effects on Bd abundance on larval amphibian hosts (Pseudacris regilla: Hylidae), amphibian traits and community dynamics. We …

Documentation Of Extensive Root Systems Of Thalassia Seagrass Along The Banks Of Pigeon Creek, San Salvador Island, Bahamas, Bosiljka Glumac, H. Allen Curran

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

Reprinted from: Bosiljka Glumac & Michael Savarese (eds.), Proceedings of the 16th Symposium on the Geology of the Bahamas and Other Carbonate Regions: San Salvador, Gerace Research Center

A Geology Field Trip, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

oduction to Field Trip I had several objectives in mind when I prepared this field trip. I want to develop in you an interest, an understanding, and an appreciation of geology of the region. I want to show you differences between three of the basic physiographic provinces within Appalachia, the Low Plateau, the High Plateau, and the Appalachian Mountain Section of the Valley and Ridge Province. I also want to show you the role that the kinds and structures of the underlying rocks plays in the formation of the topography of a region in order to have you better understand …

Evaluating The Impact Of Natural And Agricultural Ecosystems On Soil Properties In Western Kentucky., Cody Masterson

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The importance and capabilities of soil are often overlooked. It has an exceedingly complex ecosystem that is still not fully understood, but looking into soil properties can provide a clearer picture of what goes on below the surface. Understanding the influence of land covers and soil management allow for better understanding of how the soil ecosystem works which in return provides insight into how to create a more sustainable form of agriculture. Different ecosystems greatly impact soil properties. Soil physical properties are considered sensitive indicators of perturbation due to soil management practices and land covers. The four ecosystems that were …

Land Cover Land Use Change And Soil Organic Carbon Under Climate Variability In The Semi-Arid West African Sahel (1960-2050), Amadou M. Dieye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Land Cover Land Use (LCLU) change affects land surface processes recognized to influence climate change at local, national and global levels. Soil organic carbon is a key component for the functioning of agro-ecosystems and has a direct effect on the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the soil. The capacity to model and project LCLU change is of considerable interest for mitigation and adaptation measures in response to climate change. A combination of remote sensing analyses, qualitative social survey techniques, and biogeochemical modeling was used to study the relationships between climate change, LCLU change and soil organic carbon in the …

Composting Swine Manure From High Rise Finishing Facilities, Edwin L. Ritchey, Kim Cook

Plant and Soil Sciences Research Report

Swine production has restructured considerably in recent years with increased production on fewer farms (Key et al., 2011). Most swine production facilities manage manure in liquid form either in deep pits underneath production facilities or in lagoons adjacent to the production facilities (Key et al., 2011). This management uses water to rinse manure from the facilities, which dilutes the nutrient concentration and value of the manure. The liquid forms are applied to land through irrigation systems or by liquid manure spreaders. Liquid manure management can have some operational constraints that composting eliminates (Bernal et al., 2009). The most common issue …

Soil Cores For Kentucky Science Education, Mark S. Coyne, Carol Hanley, Amber Harris

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Book Gallery

No abstract provided.

Petrography, Mineralogy, And Geochemistry Of Greenish- And Reddish-Gray Siltstones Straddling The Vertebrate-Defined Permian–Triassic Boundary In South Africa, Jiawen Li

Honors Theses

The Permian–Triassic Mass Extinction (PTME) is considered the largest in Earth’s history, yet the terrestrial response is not well understood. The Karoo Basin, South Africa, hosts abundant exposures of terrestrial deposits that span the Permian– Triassic Boundary (PTB). The terrestrial PTB is defined by a turnover in vertebrate assemblage zones and has been associated with a transition from greenish-gray to reddish-gray siltstone. The current PTME model states that the siltstone color change is a reflection of aridification and eolian deposition, which is believed to represent rapid climate change directly linked with the event. Greenish- and reddish-gray siltstones were collected from …

Egg On Hegranes: Geophysical Prospection, Coring, & Test Excavations—Report 2016, John M. Steinberg, Brian N. Damiata, Rita S. Shepard, Kathryn Anne Catlin, John W. Schoenfelder

Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research Publications

This report describes the 2016 archaeological work at the farm of Egg is in the southernmost part of Hegranes, North Iceland.

Soil Properties Affect Establishment Of Invasive Species, Celastrus Orbiculatus, In A Lower Hudson River Riparian Ecosystem, Shabana Hoosein Hoosein

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The Hudson River Estuary has been colonized by numerous terrestrial invasive plant species, due in part to its history of anthropogenic and natural disturbance riparian dynamics. This study investigates the spatial patterns of a widespread invasion by Oriental (or Asiatic) bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb.) in Schodack Island State Park, Rensselaer and Columbia Counties. The Park is home to rare species and communities, several of which are threatened by the encroachment of bittersweet. Bittersweet populations were mapped and surveyed on a fixed grid throughout the island, to determine distribution patterns. Stem densities were approximately 50% higher in sites with dredged material …

A Small-Scale Water Budget Approach And Water Quality Assessment: A Case Study For Calderas Lake, Guatemala, Edrick Ramos

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Increases in water demand and urban development in Calderas community over the past decade have led to questions about the hydrology, water quality, quantity and sustainable management of Calderas Lake micro-basin. However, studies on baseline hydrology are limited for rural communities located inside volcanic origin watersheds of Guatemala. The scope of this study was to characterize the hydrology and establish a method to: 1) quantify a water budget, and 2) qualify the water quality of a lacustrine system that supply water for about 17,000 inhabitants on the state limits or rural Guatemala City. Mean annual rainfall and temperature at the …

Facies Evolution And Depositional Model Of An Arid Microtidal Coast: Example From The Coastal Plain At The Mouth Of Wadi Al-Hamd, Red Sea, Saudi Arabia, Ibrahim Mohamed Ghandour, Hamad A. Al-Washmi, Rabea A. Haredy, Aaid G. Al-Zubieri

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

This study describes the subsurface sedimentary facies of a modern Red Sea coastal plain at the mouth of Wadi Al-Hamd, northern Saudi Arabia, in an attempt to infer the influence of aridity and limited tidal range on facies characteristics. The study provides criteria to delineate the fluviomarine transition in a setting where tidal signatures and other marine influences are weak. Six manually collected cores (1.4 to 1.75 m long) from the channels at the wadi mouth, beach ridge, intertidal flat, strandplain, and supratidal flat enabled the identification of 23 sedimentary facies. The sediments displayed rapid and tremendous variability in facies …

Gross And Microscopic Lesions In Corals From Micronesia, T. M. Work, G. S. Aeby, K. A. Hughen

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The authors documented gross and microscopic morphology of lesions in corals on 7 islands spanning western, southern, and eastern Micronesia, sampling 76 colonies comprising 30 species of corals among 18 genera, with Acropora, Porites, and Montipora dominating. Tissue loss comprised the majority of gross lesions sampled (41%), followed by discoloration (30%) and growth anomaly (29%). Of 31 cases of tissue loss, most lesions were subacute (48%), followed by acute and chronic (26% each). Of 23 samples with discoloration, most were dark discoloration (40%), with bleaching and other discoloration each constituting 30%. Of 22 growth anomalies, umbonate growth anomalies composed …