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At least 523 records · Page 29Linked to original sources
USGS2002

June 2002 floods in the Red River of the North basin in northeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota

The Red River of the North is a complex river system in the north-central plains of the United States. The river continues to affect the people and property within its basin. During June of 2002, major flooding occurred for the third time in 5 years in the Red River of the North Basin, especially on tributaries in northwestern Minnesota. The worst damage occurred in Roseau, Minn., where about 95 percent of the town was inundated. Extensive damage to roads, bridges, and crops occurred throughout the flooded area in northwestern Minnesota and northeastern North Dakota. Roseau County, Minn., was designated a major disaster area on June 14, 2002, by President Bush and later twelve more counties were added to the disaster declaration. Unlike the 1997 floods, which were the result of record-high, region-wide snowpacks and a late spring blizzard, the June 2002 floods were the result of heavy rainfall that swept across the region on June 9-10 and again on June 22-24, 2002. Flooding in the Red River of the North Basin commonly is caused by spring snowmelt, and the severity of the flooding is affected by (1) substantial precipitation in the fall that produces high levels of soil moisture; (2) above-normal snowfall in the winter; (3) moist, frozen ground that prohibits infiltration of moisture; (4) a late spring thaw; (5) above-normal precipitation during spring thaw; and (6) ice jams (temporary dams of ice) on rivers and streams. Flooding during June 2002, however, was not caused by most factors usually associated with major flooding in the Red River Basin. In fact, precipitation had been below normal since late last summer and as of June 1, 2002, the flooded area was in a moderate drought based on the Palmer Drought Severity Index. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), one of the principal Federal agencies responsible for the collection and interpretation of water-resources data, works with other Federal, State, and local agencies to ensure that accurate and timely data are available for making decisions regarding the public's welfare (a listing of cooperators in the Red River Basin is given at the end of this report). This report presents preliminary meteorologic data provided by the National Weather Service, Grand Forks Office and water-resources 2002 flood data that were obtained from selected streamflow-gaging stations located in the Red River of the North Basin (fig. 1). Historical peak stages and peak discharges and the June 2002 peak stages, peak discharges, and recurrence intervals are shown in table 1. The streamflow-gaging stations are listed in downstream order by station number, and station locations are shown in figure 1. The June 2002 peak stages and peak discharges given in this preliminary report may be revised as site surveys are completed and additional field data are reviewed in the upcoming months. The peak discharges are used to determine the probability, often expressed in recurrence intervals, that a given discharge will be exceeded in the future. For example, a flood that has a 1-percent chance of exceedance in any given year would, on the long-term average, be expected to occur only about once a century; therefore, the flood would be termed a "100-year flood." However, the chance of such a flood occurring in any given year is 1 percent. Thus, a 100-year flood can occur in successive years at the same location. In some instances, recurrence interval estimates can be based on periods of regulated flow or made with historic adjustments when historic data are available.

Minnesota, North Dakota↗
USGS2016

An international borderland of concern: Conservation of biodiversity in the Lower Rio Grande Valley

The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of southern Texas is located on the United States-Mexico borderland and represents a 240-kilometer (150-mile) linear stretch that ends at the Gulf of Mexico. The LRGV represents a unique transition between temperate and tropical conditions and, as such, sustains an exceptionally high diversity of plants and animals—some of them found in few, or no other, places in the United States. Examples include Leopardus pardalis albescens (northern ocelot) and Falco femoralis septentrionalis (northern aplomado falcon)—both endangered in the United States and emblematic of the LRGV. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) manages three national wildlife refuges (Santa Ana, Lower Rio Grande Valley, and Laguna Atascosa) that together make up the South Texas Refuge Complex, which actively conserves biodiversity in about 76,006 hectares (187,815.5 acres) of native riparian and upland habitats in the LRGV. These diminished habitats harbor many rare, threatened, and endangered species. This report updates the widely used 1988 USFWS biological report titled “Tamaulipan Brushland of the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas: Description, Human Impacts, and Management Options” by synthesizing nearly 400 peer-reviewed scientific publications that have resulted from biological and sociological research conducted specifically in the four Texas counties of the LRGV in the past nearly 30 years. This report has three goals: (1) synthesize scientific insights gained since 1988 related to the biology and management of the LRGV and its unique biota, focusing on flora and fauna of greatest conservation concern; (2) update ongoing challenges facing Federal and State agencies and organizations that focus on conservation or key natural resources in the LRGV; and (3) redefine conservation opportunities and land-acquisition strategies that are feasible and appropriate today, given the many new and expanding constraints that challenge conservation activities in the LRGV. The LRGV faces every contemporary conservation challenge of the 21st century, but ongoing human population growth and its associated demands, international border issues, and oil, gas, and alternative energy development dominate impacts that affect conservation in the LRGV. Continued careful syntheses of existing and future information collected in the LRGV are needed on many biological and sociological topics to guide conservation activities. Quick response will no doubt be necessary to face contemporary and difficult-to-predict challenges such as climate change, diminished water availability and quality, spread of invasive species, and habitat loss and fragmentation. Complexities of a guarded international borderland add pressure to small patches of native habitat that remain in many places of the LRGV, particularly along the Rio Grande. Large connected corridors of restored native habitat could be the best option to maintain, and even enhance, the exceptional biodiversity of the LRGV in the face of exceptional human demand.

Texas↗
USGS1973

A review of proposed ground-water assessment studies in states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Mysore, India

This report documents the findings and recommendations of the author, who was detailed for 30 days to USAID Mission to India to assist in preparing the scope of work for a USAID contract for consultant services for ground-water evaluation. The proposed study, Soil and Water Management Sub-project 368.6, covered three specific areas in four states in central and southern India (See TOAID A-653 of July 31, 1970, revised description of the sub-project). The study areas and principal cities are shown in figure 1.

Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mysore↗
USGS2008

Atlantic Flyway review: Region IV Piedmont-Coastal Plain, Fall 2007

Region IV welcomed another coastal station in 2007 with a report from Chris Snook at Charleston, South Carolina. The season was hot and dry throughout Region IV except in Florida where precipitation averaged above normal. Banders blamed their poor success on the lack of cold fronts in August, September, and the first half of October and on persistent strong east winds that blew the migrants farther inland. At Bill Baggs State Park in Miami no significant cold fronts were encountered until 25 Oct, and then on 29 Oct they banded over 100 Black-throated Blue Warblers that should have been on their West Indian wintering grounds by that date. Myrtle Warblers continued to be the most commonly banded species in Region IV, although numbers were down considerably from the previous autumn; their age ratios ranged from 25% hatching year (HY) at inland Tallahassee to 100% HY at coastal Chincoteague. Gray Catbird, which made the top ten list at all11 stations, was in second place, with percent of HYbirds ranging from 54% at Laurel to 95% at Chincoteague. Peak migration days ranged from 19 Sep in Laurel to 14 Nov at Kiptopeke, with five stations reporting their peak during 10-15 Oct. Thanks to the dedicated banders and assistants who contributed 61,825 net-hours in autumn 2007 to band 22,424 birds in Region IV. Thanks also to colleagues Deanna Dawson and John R. Sauer for their helpful comments.

North American Bird Bander↗
USGS1980

Atlantic Flyway review: Region V

Four of last year's Maryland stations were either discontinued or banded too few birds to report their results in 1978; these were Cloisters in Baltimore County, Cylburn in Baltimore City, tum Suden Sanctuary in Harford County, and Sandy Point State Park in Anne Arundel County. Banding was severely curtailed at Damsite, Maryland's last remaining Eastern Shore Station. Each of the other stations in Region V, however, showed an increase in net-hours over 1977, and two new stations were welcomed to the network: McDonogh School in Baltimore County, and Jekyll Island on the coast of Georgia. Station activities are summarized in Table 1. The total net-hours of effort by participating stations in 1978 (68,627) was 2% greater than the effort in 1977 (67,410), but the total number of birds banded dropped 24%, from 23,881 to 18,180. If we compare only the eight stations that were operated fairly consistently both years (Adventure, Sandy Spring, Laurel, Towson, Fort Howard, Kiptopeke, Long Beach, and Gulf Breeze}, new birds banded per 100 net-hours dropped 31%, from 37.8 in 1977 to 26.0 in 1978.

North American Bird Bander↗
USGS2022

Action plan for restoration of coral reef coastal protection services: Case study example and workbook

This report was prepared by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Office of Research and Development, as part of the Air, Climate and Energy (ACE) research program, with support from Tetra Tech, Inc., and in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Geological Survey, and The Nature Conservancy. The ACE research program provides scientific information and tools to support USEPA’s commitment to clean air, clean water and sustainable natural resources, even as environmental conditions change. A key component of this is the development of sound science to support adaptation. Adaptation involves preparing for and adjusting to the effects of climate change and its interactions with other global and local stressors. Because these effects are diverse, interactive, and difficult to predict, adapting management of natural resources in this context can be very challenging. Coral reefs—which provide valued ecosystem services such as fisheries, coastal protection, and tourism—are threatened by the effects of increased sea surface temperatures, sea level rise, and intensifying storms. These large-scale stressors are interacting with local stressors such as pollution, overfishing, and recreational misuse to drive ongoing and accelerating declines in coral reef ecosystems. Thus, there is a rising urgency to design and implement climate change adaptation measures that will enable reef resilience in the face of these changes. This includes accounting for, and adjusting to, the combined effects of climate change and local stressors in coral reef protection and restoration efforts. The action plan, example case study, and workbook found in this report demonstrate a structured process for integrating climate-smart design considerations into restoration planning using A Manager’s Guide to Coral Reef Restoration Planning and Design. The focus is a hypothetical coral reef restoration project that has a goal of recovering nature-based coastal protection services using restoration interventions. The intent is to provide readers with a completed example of how to use the Guide workbook to inform a draft action plan, centering on the topic of coastal protection as a burgeoning area of interest in coral reef science and management communities. The information in this hypothetical case study is not intended for direct use; rather, it provides a starting point for more detailed planning that would occur in specific places. And while a full review of the current literature on reef restoration methods is outside the scope of this report, readers are encouraged to use the examples herein as well as in the Guide as a jumping-off point for exploring the rapidly growing body of information on methods, techniques, successes, failures, monitoring challenges and future directions of coral reef restoration in a changing world. The workbook, together with the action plan, can serve as a valuable record of the planning thought process as well as a living document for adaptive management, to be updated through time as improved information becomes available.

EPA Report↗
USGS2001

Green fluorescent protein is lighting up fungal biology

Prasher ( 42 ) cloned a cDNA for the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria in 1992. Shortly thereafter, to the amazement of many investigators, this gene or derivatives thereof were successfully expressed and conferred fluorescence to bacteria and Caenorhabditis elegans cells in culture ( 10 , 31 ), followed by yeast ( 24 , 39 ), mammals ( 40 ), Drosophila ( 66 ), Dictyostelium ( 23 , 30 ), plants ( 28 , 49 ), and filamentous fungi ( 54 ). The tremendous success of GFP as a reporter can be attributed to unique qualities of this 238-amino-acid, 27-kDa protein which absorbs light at maxima of 395 and 475 nm and emits light at a maximum of 508 nm. The fluorescence of GFP requires only UV or blue light and oxygen, and therefore, unlike the case with other reporters (β-glucuronidase, β-galacturonidase, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, and firefly luciferase) that rely on cofactors or substrates for activity, in vivo observation of gfp expression is possible with individual cells, with cell populations, or in whole organisms interacting with symbionts or environments in real time. Complications caused by destructive sampling, cell permeablization for substrates, or leakage of products do not occur. Furthermore, the GFP protein is extremely stable in vivo and has been fused to the C or N terminus of many cellular and extracellular proteins without a loss of activity, thereby permitting the tagging of proteins for gene regulation analysis, protein localization, or specific organelle labeling. The mature protein resists many proteases and is stable up to 65°C and at pH 5 to 11, in 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate or 6 M guanidinium chloride (reviewed in references 17 and 67 ), and in tissue fixed with formaldehyde, methanol, or glutaraldehyde. However, GFP loses fluorescence in methanol-acetic acid (3:1) and can be masked by autofluorescent aldehyde groups in tissue fixed with glutaraldehyde. Fluorescence is optimal at pH 7.2 to 8.0 ( 67 ). Limitations on GFP as a reporter for some applications are its low turnover rate, 2-h lag time for autoactivation of its chromophore, improper folding at high temperatures (37°C), which results in nonfluorescent and insoluble forms of the protein, and requirement for oxygen, which is not present in equal concentrations in all subcellular locations or cell types (reviewed in references 17 and 67 ). These characteristics of GFP, however, have not posed a problem for many applications, and mutant forms of GFP that have an ability to fold properly at high temperatures, increased solubility and fluorescence, reduced photobleaching ( 16 , 17 , 51 ), and reduced half-lives ( 1 ) have been developed. Coupled with fluorescence-activated cell sorting, confocal microscopy or quantitative image analysis techniques, GFP technology can be used to isolate transformed cells or specific cell types from populations of cells ( 14 ), to quantify gene expression of individual cells within whole organisms ( 8 ), or to assess the dispersal and biomass of organisms in complex environments, such as in animal or plant hosts ( 38 , 59 ), in biofilms ( 55 ), in fermentors ( 41 ), on leaf surfaces ( 53 , 61 ), or in soils ( 2 ). The vast majority of studies utilizing GFP expression in fungi have been with yeast (reviewed in reference 13 ). Ustilago maydis was the first filamentous fungus for which successful expression of gfp was reported ( 54 ), followed closely by Aspergillus nidulans ( 22 , 57 ) and Aureobasidium pullulans ( 61 ). Presently, gfp expression has been reported for 16 species comprising 12 genera of filamentous fungi, including Colletotrichum ( 21 , 44 ), Mycosphaerella ( 52 ), Magnaporthe ( 32 , 35 ), Cochliobolus ( 38 ), Trichoderma ( 2 , 70 ), Podospora ( 5 ), Sclerotinia ( 63 ), Schizophyllum ( 37 ), Aspergillus ( 20 , 47 , 50 ) and Phytophthora ( 7 , 62 ). In this review we draw on published reports, with the goal of providing an overview of GFP technology as it applies to the biology of filamentous fungi. These reports are not exhaustive of potential applications of GFP technology, as examples of genomic approaches to utilizing GFP in bacterial and yeast systems attest ( 4 , 46 , 60 , 65 ). Expression of gfp in filamentous fungi requires a gfp variant that is efficiently translated in fungi, a transformation system, and a fungal promoter that satisfies the requirements of a given experimental objective. Transformation of fungi has recently been reviewed by Gold et al. ( 26 ). Robinson and Sharon ( 44 ) suggest that GFP can actually be used to optimize transformation protocols. In addition to reporting the construction of a new fungal transformation vector that expresses SGFP under the control of the ToxA gene promoter from Pyrenophora tritici-repentis ( 12 ) and demonstrating its use in plant pathogens belonging to eight different genera of filamentous fungi ( Fusarium, Botrytis, Pyrenophora, Alternaria, Cochliobolus, Sclerotinia, Colletotrichum , and Verticillium ), in this review we also enumerate and describe a comprehensive list of vectors for expressing GFP in fungi.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology↗
USGS2017

Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator): Novel non-native prey

American Alligators are opportunistic predators and their food habits have been well studied (Elsey et al. 1992. Proc. Annu. Conf. Southeast. Assoc. Fish Wildl. Agencies 46:57–66, and references therein and below). Composition of A. mississippiensis diet often varies due to regional limitation in prey availability (Neill 1971. The Last of the Ruling Reptiles. Alligators, Crocodiles, and their Kin. Columbia University Press, New York. 486 pp.; Gabrey 2010. Herpetol. Conserv. Biol. 5:241–250). Additionally, differential digestion rates can lead to over-representation of materials resistant to digestion or under-representation of rapidly digested soft-bodied prey items (Jackson et al. 1974. J. Herpetol. 8:378–381; Garnett 1985. J. Herpetol. 19:303–304; Delany and Abercrombie 1986. J. Wildl. Manage. 50:348–353; Platt et al. 1990. Northeast. Gulf Sci. 11:123–130). We herein report on a novel prey item for A. mississippiensis, which to our knowledge has not previously been reported.

Herpetological Review↗
USGS2021

Galliform exclusion from the Migratory Bird Treaty Act has produced an alternate conservation path, but no evidence for differences in population status

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) is critical to avian conservation in the United States, both through its protection of migratory birds and as a catalyst for a century of coordinated avian conservation. While more than 1,000 species are protected by MBTA, of extant bird species native to the continental U.S., only 20 species belonging to the order Galliformes are explicitly excluded. Management of galliforms has occurred largely without direct federal oversight, placing this group on a fundamentally different conservation path during the century following MBTA passage. In this paper, we review the historical context and biological justification for exclusion of galliforms from MBTA and synthesize how their present-day conservation differs from that of migratory birds. We find the most prominent difference between the two groups involves the scope of coordination among stakeholders. The U.S. government, primarily via the Department of Interior, acts as de facto coordinating body for migratory bird conservation and plays the central role in oversight, funding, and administration of management in the United States. In contrast, galliform management falls primarily to individual state wildlife agencies, and coordinated conservation efforts have been more ad hoc and unevenly spread across species. Migratory birds benefit from an almost universally greater scope of research and monitoring, scale of habitat conservation, and sophistication of harvest management compared with galliforms. Galliform harvest management plans, in particular, are less likely to use measurable objectives, reporting of uncertainty in population parameters, and explanation of harvest management techniques. Based on a review of species status lists (e.g., the U.S. Endangered Species Act), we found no evidence that galliforms were more frequently listed than migratory species. Regional trend estimates from the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) were more likely to be negative for galliforms over the period 1966–2015, but this was primarily driven by Northern Bobwhite ( Colinus virginianus ). Data to assess galliform population status are generally poor, which complicates assessment for roughly half of galliform species. Increased support for coordination among state agencies and other stakeholders, similar to that applied to migratory birds, could help to ensure that galliform conservation is poised to tackle forthcoming challenges associated with global change.

North America↗
USGS2000

Guidelines and standard procedures for continuous water-quality monitors: Site selection, field operation, calibration, record computation, and reporting

The U.S. Geological Survey uses continuous water-quality monitors to assess variations in the quality of the Nation's surface water. A common system configuration for data collection is the four-parameter water-quality monitoring system, which collects temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH data, although systems can be configured to measure other properties such as turbidity or chlorophyll. The sensors that are used to measure these water properties require careful field observation, cleaning, and calibration procedures, as well as thorough procedures for the computation and publication of final records. Data from sensors can be used in conjunction with collected samples and chemical analyses to estimate chemical loads. This report provides guidelines for site-selection considerations, sensor test methods, field procedures, error correction, data computation, and review and publication processes. These procedures have evolved over the past three decades, and the process continues to evolve with newer technologies.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2021

Critical review of mercury methylation and methylmercury demethylation rate constants in aquatic sediments for biogeochemical modeling

Mercury is a toxin that causes neurological impairments in adults, is particularly harmful for fetuses and children, and is deadly in severe cases, making it a worldwide health concern. Methylmercury (MeHg) is the environmentally relevant form of mercury (Hg) because it biomagnifies along the food chain. Methylmercury is mainly produced in aquatic sediments via methylation of inorganic Hg (Hg(II)) and transformed back via demethylation. Because transformation rates determine MeHg concentrations, quantification of methylation and demethylation rates is needed to inform management of MeHg. Published rate constants for Hg(II) methylation ( 𝑘 𝑚 ) and MeHg demethylation ( 𝑘 𝑑 ) vary greatly, stemming partly from differences in experimental methods. We conducted a comprehensive review of rate laws, evaluated published rate constants, and performed biogeochemical simulations to assess variability in reported 𝑘 𝑚 and 𝑘 𝑑 . Based on selected studies employing the same pseudo-first-order rate law and similar experimental methods, we found that 𝑘 𝑚 = 0.04 ± 0.03 d −1 is a reasonable range for wetland sediments. Over a number of environments, maximum 𝑘 𝑑 was smaller at sites without Hg source ( 𝑘 𝑑 = 0.5 d −1 ) than at sites with identified Hg source ( 𝑘 𝑑 = 1.8 d −1 ). Larger variability and higher uncertainty in 𝑘 𝑑 compared to 𝑘 𝑚 highlight the need for more research on MeHg demethylation rates. This critical review: (a) aids the design of future experimental studies of 𝑘 𝑚 and 𝑘 𝑑 ; (b) provides guidance for comparing rate constants from different studies; (c) presents a biogeochemical reaction model to assess rate constants; and (d) informs selection of 𝑘 𝑚 and 𝑘 𝑑 values from the literature for use in model simulations.

Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Tech↗
USGS1950

Fifth special report of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory of the Hawaiian Volcano Research Association and the U.S. Geological Survey: Abrasion hardness

After reviewing the work of sclerometry, this paper shows that yielding and relative softness are the mechanical basis of what should be called malacometry. The experiments have been made with diamond drills, ring cuts, end millers and grinding wheels. Auerbach's "limited scope of the Mohs list" is quantitatively confirmed. The wear of diamonds is examined. A program is carried out, for rotary or annular abrasion by diamond under three applications of energy, each progressively slower. A selected commercial talc is the control substance of softness value 100. The instruments used are synchronous motors, drill presses, wheel grinders, and watchmaker lathes. Some 200 minerals, woods, metals, glasses and plastics were originally measured. Hardness tables and curves are shown for comparison with volumetric abradability. For a Mohs succession the softer substances abrade relatively more under higher energy of contact friction, and any one substance shows higher relative values under lower energy of attrition; in other words, under slower scratching. An artificially cut diamond octahedron gives more consistent results than a natural crystal, under light pressures. Standard successions of relative abradability measurements do not hold good under different energies of attack. Functions of plasticity, brittleness, cleavage, powder lubricity, ductility and the like introduce various anomalies, and constancy of pressure varies with variable yielding. The supposition that rhythmic instrumental abrading will hold its mechanical constants, while the substance attacked yields in accord with its own surface molecular mobility relative to a control substance, is only approximately true. At low energies the approximation is better than at high, but at high speeds the wear of tool is less. Hence the advantage of using with slow speed a replaceable tool. Substances of different categories such as steels and woods, differ in behavior from minerals. The Mohs System has the great advantage of extending the controls from mineral to mineral up through the whole scale, and is purely qualitative. It is not numerically quantitative at all in terms of equal units. A principal result of this investigation is that 80 per cent of the Mohs Scale, Numbers 3 to 10, are by common consent within 1 per cent of a malacometric scale numbered 1 to 100. The scientists who determined this relation were the sclerometry investigators of the nineteenth century, who mistakenly thought that the wide intervals of sclerometry are between the hard minerals. They used the reciprocals of the measures of yielding. The simple scratch tester finally arrived at is quite different from the instruments of Parts II and III. It eliminates diamond drilling, retains the Mohs controls and utilizes a dental grinding wheel and a modern low speed motor. The object of this research has been to design a simple instrument for many uses, especially for the mechanic's shop. It is planned for manufacture at an early date. The author is indebted to Dr. Earl Ingerson, Chief, Geochemistry and Petrology Branch, for critical correction and approval of this paper, by authority of the Director, U. S. Geological Survey.

Report of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory↗
USGS2013

A natural resource condition assessment for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks: Appendix 11a: giant sequoias

For natural resource managers in the southern Sierra Nevada, giant sequoia requires very little introduction. It receives great attention as an icon of western forests and as a common namesake with the areas where it occurs. While it is a single component of a very complex system, its attention in this assessment and in general is well deserved. Giant sequoia is one of the few "destination species" that attracts a wide swath of the public by nature of it simply being present. It draws people, who otherwise may not travel, to a natural environment. The result is an expansion of the public’s sense of natural resource stewardship. Because park managers could not achieve their mission without public support, this fostering role of giant sequoia is critical for park natural resources and is important for natural resources in general. Despite its social relevance and physical size, we re-emphasize here that the giant sequoia resource is a relatively small component of the ecosystems of the southern Sierra Nevada. As is the case with all of the resources assessed in the NRCA, we focus on giant sequoia with the understanding that other resources will be considered simultaneously when evaluating management decisions that impact giant sequoia. While we attempt to explicitly address the interaction of giant sequoia with other resources and stressors, we also realize that ultimately managers will integrate much more information than is presented here when making decisions that influence giant sequoia. The autecology and management issues surrounding giant sequoia have been thoroughly reviewed elsewhere (Harvey et al. 1980, Aune 1994, Stephenson 1996). Stephenson (1996), in particular, should be reviewed when considering any management decisions that potentially impact giant sequoia. For those who may not be familiar with giant sequoia ecology, a summary of basic information is provided in a table below. In some parts of this assessment, we reproduce text from Stephenson’s review because it is still relatively current for addressing some of the stressors. Numerous recent studies reported since 1996 have confirmed and expanded the understanding of giant sequoia, especially in areas related to ecophysiology and the effectiveness of restoration treatments. These recent studies are integrated into this assessment. Additionally, much unpublished work has been done that is useful for establishing baselines and evaluating trends. This work is presented in detail in order to expand upon previous work and to inform the final assessments. Instead of providing an introductory description of giant sequoia distribution and the various landowners who manage groves, we refer readers to the more recent descriptions provided by Stephenson (1996) and Willard (2000). Some of the relevant points from these descriptions with respect to giant sequoia within SEKI and Giant Sequoia National Monument (GSNM) include: - Of the native giant sequoia grove area in SEKI and GSNM approximately 38% is within SEKI and 62% is within GSNM. - 35 of the groves that make up the entire population are all or partially managed by SEKI and 33 are managed by GSNM. - As we have done above, reviewers addressing giant sequoia widely recognize its transcendence beyond an ecologically important species to one with considerable added cultural value.

California↗
USGS2014

Quality-assurance and data management plan for groundwater activities by the U.S. Geological Survey in Kansas, 2014

As the Nation’s principle earth-science information agency, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is depended on to collect data of the highest quality. This document is a quality-assurance plan for groundwater activities (GWQAP) of the Kansas Water Science Center. The purpose of this GWQAP is to establish a minimum set of guidelines and practices to be used by the Kansas Water Science Center to ensure quality in groundwater activities. Included within these practices are the assignment of responsibilities for implementing quality-assurance activities in the Kansas Water Science Center and establishment of review procedures needed to ensure the technical quality and reliability of the groundwater products. In addition, this GWQAP is intended to complement quality-assurance plans for surface-water and water-quality activities and similar plans for the Kansas Water Science Center and general project activities throughout the USGS. This document provides the framework for collecting, analyzing, and reporting groundwater data that are quality assured and quality controlled. This GWQAP presents policies directing the collection, processing, analysis, storage, review, and publication of groundwater data. In addition, policies related to organizational responsibilities, training, project planning, and safety are presented. These policies and practices pertain to all groundwater activities conducted by the Kansas Water Science Center, including data-collection programs, interpretive and research projects. This report also includes the data management plan that describes the progression of data management from data collection to archiving and publication.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1980

Seismic-reflection data on the eastern U.S. continental shelf acquired by M. V. L'OLONNOIS as part of the Atlantic Margin Coring Project (AMCOR) of the U.S. Geological Survey, July-September 1976

In 1976 the U.S. Geological Survey undertook a program to sample the eastern United States Shelf for stratigraphic information by drilling a set of core holes. Results of this Atlantic Margin Coring Program (AMCOR) have been reported by Hathaway and others. Sites were chosen from seismic-reflection data and were reviewed by a safety panel to minimize the risk of penetrating any hydrocarbon accumulation which might lead to environmental contamination. The M-V-L'OLONNOIS, the service ship for the drilling operation, was fitted with seismic-reflection profiling equipment (listed below), to run seismic-reflection profiles before drilling began on each hole. This provided additional assurance that no closed structures would be penetrated and allowed minor adjustment with the site selection. A total of 491 km of high-resolution seismic profiles was collected on 22 sites. Equipment used (specifics for each site noted on records): Bolt Air Guns 1-40 cubic inch chambers EPC Recorder Teledyne Minisparker (last two sites) Navigation used two Internav 101 Loran-C receivers.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1915

Springs of California

In 1903 the United States Geological Survey began an investigation of the underground water of California, generally with financial cooperation on the part of the State. Since that year ten papers on the underground water of the State have been issued by the Survey, each representing an investigation that has been completed. The field work which is to serve as the basis for two additional papers has also been done and the reports are in preparation. Investigations have been begun in two other areas in the State and their results will eventually be assembled and published. Since a period soon after the inception of the California work those responsible for its conduct have realized the desirability of a special study of the springs, particularly those which yield mineral waters and which are utilized to a greater or less extent by citizens of the State and by tourists as recreation and health resorts. It did not become practicable to begin this work until the summer of 1908, when Mr. G. A. Waring, who had assisted in some of the earlier California studies and had investigated for the Survey certain areas in southern Oregon and Washington, was assigned to the task of collecting and assembling the necessary data. California, with an area of 158,000 square miles, is the second largest State in the Union. It exhibits wide geographic diversity, since it includes the lowest area in the United States Death Valley, 276 feet below sea level and the highest Mount Whitney, 14,501 feet above the sea; and accompanying this geographic diversity there is a corresponding range in scenic effects, climate, and vegetation. The records obtained at meteorological stations in the Salton Sink indicate a maximum temperature of 130° in the shade, the highest of record within the continental United States. It is probable that minimum temperatures on the higher peaks, like Mount Whitney and Mount Shasta, approach the minimum within our boundaries. Rainfall records in the most arid sections of the southern deserts of the State represent the extreme of aridity in the United States, with averages of less than 3 inches per annum and periods of 12 months or more with only traces of rain, whereas the precipitation in northwestern California is very heavy, an annual average of close to 100 inches being recorded at a few stations in Mendocino and Del Norte counties. The immensity of the area of the State has made the collection of the field data required for the report a task of considerable magnitude, though its diversity has added greatly to the interest of the work. In the original plan it was estimated that two years of field studies would prove sufficient. Mr. Waring succeeded in visiting the more important localities during this period, although some of his examinations were, of necessity, rather cursory. In midsummer, 1910, after the completion of the field work and the assembling of the greater portion of his data in manuscript form he was called by the Government of Brazil to take charge of general water supply investigations in the northeastern arid portion of that South American republic. The task of reviewing, editing, and supplementing in some respects, the results of his studies was thus unavoidably left to others. This task was rendered light by the systematic form in which Mr. Waring's material was left. It was a matter of regret to Mr. Waring, as it has been to those associated with him, that the financial limitations which controlled his work made it impracticable to procure the large number of new analyses which are particularly important in a paper of this type, in which waters of unusual chemical characteristics are discussed. Such analyses as are available have been assembled from all possible sources and combined with those which were prepared especially in connection with this investigation. The result, although it is in some respects unsatisfactory, furnishes a basis for a general view of the characteristics of the spring waters and serves to permit, their classification in a general way. Mr. Herman Stabler has reviewed the chemical data and rearranged and interpreted the available analyses. It is hoped that the report, setting forth as it does the results of impartial observations upon one of the important present and more important prospective resources of the State, will prove of value to its citizens as well as to its visitors, and that the assembled material will not be without interest to physicians, chemists, geologists, and teachers who may have especial need for the information contained in the volume.

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