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22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
USGS1972

Palynological investigations in the Pennsylvanian of Kentucky - VII

This is the seventh open-file report concerned primarily with palynological analyses of Pennsylvanian coals, shales, and underclays. It is part of the cooperative mapping project between Kentucky and the U. S. Geological Survey. This report contains palynological analyses of samples from Wise, Norton, Appalachia, and Keokee quadrangles in Virginia as well as from Roxana, Benham, Pennington Gap, Louellen, Williamsburg, and Saxton quadrangles of eastern Kentucky. Two sets of samples were examined from localities in the Jellico West quadrangle of Tennessee, and four sets-of samples were examined from South Hill and Cromwell quadrangles of western Kentucky. A total of 138 samples have been run and more than 13,250 specimens identified and counted. All analyses completed since the release of Open-file Report VI are included in this report. Other reports will be placed in open-file when they are completed and released for general use.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2026

The Appalbees menu: A multiyear, multilocus metagenetic assessment of pollen foraging by Appalachian Bombus affinis workers

Background Detailed studies of foraging behavior are needed for scientific management of the endangered rusty-patched bumblebee ( Bombus affinis ) in the disjunct and ecologically differentiated habitats it presently occupies. Current knowledge gaps hinder recovery planning but are challenging to redress through direct observation of rare interactions in the field. Methods We used genetic metabarcoding to characterize the taxonomic composition of pollen collected by B. affinis workers in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia and West Virginia from 2021–2023. We developed a custom sequence database of the regional flora and compared results for two independent genetic loci, internal transcribed spacer 1 and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS1 and ITS2). Results While ITS2 consistently detected more plant diversity, results from the two loci were broadly concordant with a few notable exceptions. The plant genera Hydrangea , Actaea , Rhododendron , Tilia , and (unexpectedly) Laportea were prominent in midsummer samples, with Rubus a consistent contributor in late spring and early summer. Pea flowers (family Fabaceae) were relatively infrequent but the genera Securigera and Trifolium were detected before the Hydrangea bloom and again in late summer afterwards. The diversity of forage plants was highest in late summer, driven primarily by various genera of Asteraceae. Comparing the current data with previous work indicates regional differentiation in forage plants between Appalachia and the upper Midwest, but also allows ‘consensus’ forage sources that are supported by multiple lines of evidence and shared between regions to be tabulated. These results should help managers focus survey efforts for this endangered species and plan habitat enhancements.

Illinois, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin↗
USGS1999

Coal-fired power generaion, new air quality regulations, and future U.S. coal production

Tighter new regulation of stack gas emissions and competition in power generation are driving electrical utilities to demand cleaner, lower sulfur coal. Historical data on sulfur content of produced coals shows little variability in coal quality for individual mines and individual coal-producing counties over relatively long periods of time. If coal-using power generators follow the compliance patterns established in Phase I of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, then the industry's response to the tighter Phase II emissions standards will result in large amounts of coal production shifting from higher sulfur areas to areas with lower cost low sulfur coal. One reason this shift will likely occur is that currently only 30% of U.S. coal-fired electrical generating capacity is equipped with flue-gas scrubbers. In 1995, coal mines in the higher sulfur areas of the Illinois Basin and Northern and Central Appalachia employed 78% of all coal miners (>70,000 miners). A substantial geographical redistribution of the nation's coal supplies will likely lead to economic dislocations that will reach beyond local coal-producing areas.

Environmental Geosciences↗