Publications
Publications from USGS science centers throughout the Southeast Region.
Filter Total Items: 10006
Betrayal: radio-tagged Burmese pythons reveal locations of conspecifics in Everglades National Park
The “Judas” technique is based on the idea that a radio-tagged individual can be used to “betray” conspecifics during the course of its routine social behavior. The Burmese python (Python bivittatus) is an invasive constrictor in southern Florida, and few methods are available for its control. Pythons are normally solitary, but from December–April in southern Florida, they form breeding aggregatio
Authors
Brian J. Smith, Michael S. Cherkiss, Kristen M. Hart, Michael R. Rochford, Thomas H. Selby, Ray W Snow, Frank J. Mazzotti
Phosphorus in sediment in the Kent Park Lake watershed, Johnson County, Iowa, 2014–15
Phosphorus data were collected from the Kent Park Lake watershed in Johnson County, Iowa, in 2014 and 2015 to obtain information to assist in the management of the water quality in the lake. Phosphorus concentrations were measured for sediment from several ponds in the watershed and sediment deposited in the lake. The first set of samples was collected in 2014 to understand phosphorus in several p
Authors
Stephen J. Kalkhoff
Post-project geomorphic assessment of a large process-based river restoration project
This study describes channel changes following completion of the Provo River Restoration Project (PRRP), the largest stream restoration project in Utah and one of the largest projects in the United States in which a gravel-bed river was fully reconstructed. We summarize project objectives and the design process, and we analyze monitoring data collected during the first 7 years after project comple
Authors
Susannah O. Erwin, John C. Schmidt, Tyler M. Allred
Processes contributing to resilience of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise
The objectives of this study were to identify processes that contribute to resilience of coastal wetlands subject to rising sea levels and to determine whether the relative contribution of these processes varies across different wetland community types. We assessed the resilience of wetlands to sea-level rise along a transitional gradient from tidal freshwater forested wetland (TFFW) to marsh by m
Authors
Camille L. Stagg, Ken W. Krauss, Donald R. Cahoon, Nicole Cormier, William H. Conner, Christopher M. Swarzenski
Using Cape Sable seaside sparrow distribution data for water management decision support
The Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis; hereafter sparrow) is endemic to south Florida and a key indicator species of marl prairie, the most diverse freshwater community in the Florida Everglades. Marl prairie habitat is shaped by intermediate levels of disturbances such as flooding, drying, and fire, which maintain periphyton production (Gaiser et al. 2011), vegetation com
Authors
James M. Beerens, Stephanie S. Romañach
Adverse reproductive and developmental health outcomes following prenatal exposure to a 2 hydraulic fracturing chemical mixture in female C57Bl/6 mice
Unconventional oil and gas operations using hydraulic fracturing can contaminate surface and groundwater with endocrine-disrupting chemicals. We have previously shown that 23 of 24 commonly used hydraulic fracturing chemicals can activate or inhibit the estrogen, androgen, glucocorticoid, progesterone, and/or thyroid receptors in a human endometrial cancer cell reporter gene assay and that mixture
Authors
Christopher D. Kassotis, John J. Bromfield, Kara C. Klemp, Chun-Xia Meng, Andrew R. Wolfe, Thomas Zoeller, Victoria D. Balise, Chiamaka J. Isiguzo, Donald E. Tillitt, Susan C. Nagel
Predicting arsenic in drinking water wells of the Central Valley, California
Probabilities of arsenic in groundwater at depths used for domestic and public supply in the Central Valley of California are predicted using weak-learner ensemble models (boosted regression trees, BRT) and more traditional linear models (logistic regression, LR). Both methods captured major processes that affect arsenic concentrations, such as the chemical evolution of groundwater, redox differen
Authors
Joseph D. Ayotte, Bernard T. Nolan, JoAnn M. Gronberg
Using macroinvertebrate assemblages and multiple stressors to infer urban stream system condition: A case study in the central US
Characterizing the impacts of hydrologic alterations, pollutants, and habitat degradation on macroinvertebrate species assemblages is of critical value for managers wishing to categorize stream ecosystem condition. A combination of approaches including trait-based metrics and traditional bioassessments provides greater information, particularly in anthropogenic stream ecosystems where traditional
Authors
John W. Nichols, Jason A. Hubbart, Barry C. Poulton
Adjusting annual maximum peak discharges at selected stations in northeastern Illinois for changes in land-use conditions
The effects of urbanization on annual maximum peak discharges in northeastern Illinois and nearby areas from 1945 to 2009 were analyzed with a two-step longitudinal-quantile linear regression approach. The peak discharges were then adjusted to 2010 land-use conditions. The explanatory variables used were daily precipitation at the time of the peak discharge event and a housing density-based measur
Authors
Thomas M. Over, Riki J. Saito, David T. Soong
Saharan dust nutrients promote Vibrio bloom formation in marine surface waters
Vibrio is a ubiquitous genus of marine bacteria, typically comprising a small fraction of the total microbial community in surface waters, but capable of becoming a dominant taxon in response to poorly characterized factors. Iron (Fe), often restricted by limited bioavailability and low external supply, is an essential micronutrient that can limit Vibrio growth. Vibrio species have robust metaboli
Authors
Jason R. Westrich, Alina M. Ebling, William M. Landing, Jessica L. Joyner, Keri M. Kemp, Dale W. Griffin, Erin K. Lipp
Macroinvertebrate and diatom metrics as indicators of water-quality conditions in connected depression wetlands in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain
Methods for assessing wetland conditions must be established so wetlands can be monitored and ecological services can be protected. We evaluated biological indices compiled from macroinvertebrate and diatom metrics developed primarily for streams to assess their ability to indicate water quality in connected depression wetlands. We collected water-quality and biological samples at 24 connected dep
Authors
Billy Justus, David Burge, Jennifer Cobb, Travis Marsico, Jennifer Bouldin
Molecular detection of airborne Coccidioides in Tucson, Arizona
Environmental surveillance of the soil-dwelling fungus Coccidioides is essential for the prevention of Valley fever, a disease primarily caused by inhalation of the arthroconidia. Methods for collecting and detectingCoccidioides in soil samples are currently in use by several laboratories; however, a method utilizing current air sampling technologies has not been formally demonstrated for the capt
Authors
Nancy A. Chow, Dale W. Griffin, Bridget M. Barker, Vladimir N. Loparev, Anastasia P. Litvintseva