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USGS2020

Planktic foraminiferal test size and weight response to the late Pliocene environment

Atmospheric carbon dioxide ( p CO 2 atm ) is impacting the ocean and marine organisms directly via changes in carbonate chemistry and indirectly via a range of changes in physical parameters most dominantly temperature. To assess potential impacts of climate change on carbonate production in the open ocean, we measured size and weight of planktic foraminifers during the late Pliocene at p CO 2 atm concentrations comparable to today and global temperatures 2 to 3 °C warmer. Size of all foraminifers was measured at Atlantic Ocean Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Site 610, Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 999, and Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site U1313. Test size was smaller during the Pliocene than in modern assemblages under the same environmental conditions. During the cold marine isotope stage (MIS) M2, size increased at Site 999, potentially linked to intensified stratification of the surface ocean in response to the closure of the Central American Seaway. At Site U1313, test size tracks the warming throughout the late Pliocene. Size-normalized weight (SNW) of Globigerina bulloides at Site U1313 decreased during warmer temperature intervals. SNW of Globigerinoides ruber (white) at Site 999 displays high-frequency variability not correlated to temperature. Yet during the glacial period within MIS M2, test weight was higher during higher temperatures. Our results support studies in the modern ocean, which challenge the view that carbonate chemistry is the primary driver for calcification. To better understand processes driving changes in SNW, computer tomography was used to quantify calcite to volume ratios. During interglacial periods, lower calcite volume but higher test volume suggests less suitable conditions for calcification. As this signal is not evident in SNW, subtle changes in calcification might not be observed by the weight-based method.

Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology↗

USGS2012

Climate downscaling effects on predictive ecological models: a case study for threatened and endangered vertebrates in the southeastern United States

High-resolution (downscaled) projections of future climate conditions are critical inputs to a wide variety of ecological and socioeconomic models and are created using numerous different approaches. Here, we conduct a sensitivity analysis of spatial predictions from climate envelope models for threatened and endangered vertebrates in the southeastern United States to determine whether two different downscaling approaches (with and without the use of a regional climate model) affect climate envelope model predictions when all other sources of variation are held constant. We found that prediction maps differed spatially between downscaling approaches and that the variation attributable to downscaling technique was comparable to variation between maps generated using different general circulation models (GCMs). Precipitation variables tended to show greater discrepancies between downscaling techniques than temperature variables, and for one GCM, there was evidence that more poorly resolved precipitation variables contributed relatively more to model uncertainty than more well-resolved variables. Our work suggests that ecological modelers requiring high-resolution climate projections should carefully consider the type of downscaling applied to the climate projections prior to their use in predictive ecological modeling. The uncertainty associated with alternative downscaling methods may rival that of other, more widely appreciated sources of variation, such as the general circulation model or emissions scenario with which future climate projections are created.

Alabama;Florida;Georgia;Mississippi;South Carolina↗

USGS2007

Chapel Hill bisphenol A expert panel consensus statement: Integration of mechanisms, effects in animals and potential to impact human health at current levels of exposure

This document is a summary statement of the outcome from the meeting: “ Bisphenol A: An Examination of the Relevance of Ecological, In vitro and Laboratory Animal Studies for Assessing Risks to Human Health ” sponsored by both the NIEHS and NIDCR at NIH/DHHS, as well as the US-EPA and Commonweal on the estrogenic environmental chemical bisphenol A (BPA, 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane; CAS# 80-05-7). The meeting was held in Chapel Hill, NC, 28–30 November 2006 due to concerns about the potential for a relationship between BPA and negative trends in human health that have occurred in recent decades. Examples include increases in abnormal penile/urethra development in males, early sexual maturation in females, an increase in neurobehavioral problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism, an increase in childhood and adult obesity and type 2 diabetes, a regional decrease in sperm count, and an increase in hormonally mediated cancers, such as prostate and breast cancers. Concern has been elevated by published studies reporting a relationship between treatment with “low doses” of BPA and many of theses negative health outcomes in experimental studies in laboratory animals as well as in vitro studies identifying plausible molecular mechanisms that could mediate such effects. Importantly, much evidence suggests that these adverse effects are occurring in animals within the range of exposure to BPA of the typical human living in a developed country, where virtually everyone has measurable blood, tissue and urine levels of BPA that exceed the levels produced by doses used in the “low dose” animal experiments.

Reproductive Toxicology↗

USGS2024

The potential for species distribution models to distinguish source populations from sinks

1. While species distribution models (SDM) are frequently used to predict species occurrences to help inform conservation management, there is limited evidence evaluating whether habitat suitability can reliably predict intrinsic growth rates or distinguish source from sink populations. Filling this knowledge gap is critical for conservation science, as applications of SDMs for management purposes ultimately depend on these typically unobserved population or metapopulation dynamics. 2. Using regression, we associate previously published population level estimates of intrinsic growth and abundance derived from a Bayesian analysis of mark-recapture data for 17 bird species found in the contiguous United States with SDM habitat suitability estimates fitted here to opportunistic data for these same species. We then use AUC to measure how well SDMs can distinguish populations categorized as sources and sinks, depending on their intrinsic growth rates estimated from the mark-recapture data. We built SDMs using two different approaches, boosted regression trees (BRT) and Generalized Linear Models (GLM), and compared their predictive performance. Each SDM was built with presence points obtained from eBird and 10 environmental variables previously selected to model intrinsic growth rates and abundance for these species. 3. We show that SDMs built with opportunistic data are poor predictors of species demography in general; both BRT and GLM explained very little spatial variation of intrinsic growth rate and population abundance (median R2 across 17 species was close to 0.1 for both SDM methods). SDMs do, however, estimate higher suitability for source populations as compared to sinks. Out of 13 species which had both source and sink populations, both BRT and GLM had AUC values greater than 0.7 for 7 species when discriminating between sources and sinks. 4. Habitat suitability have the potential to be a useful measure to indicate a population’s ability to sustain itself as a source population, however more research on a diverse set of taxa is essential to fully explore this potential. This interpretation of habitat suitability can be particularly useful for conservation practice, and identification of explicit cases of when and how SDMs fail to match population demography can be informative for advancing ecological theory.

Journal of Animal Ecology↗

USGS2017

Putting flow-ecology relationships into practice: A decision-support system to assess fish community response to water-management scenarios

This paper presents a conceptual framework to operationalize flow–ecology relationships into decision-support systems of practical use to water-resource managers, who are commonly tasked with balancing multiple competing socioeconomic and environmental priorities. We illustrate this framework with a case study, whereby fish community responses to various water-management scenarios were predicted in a partially regulated river system at a local watershed scale. This case study simulates management scenarios based on interactive effects of dam operation protocols, withdrawals for municipal water supply, effluent discharges from wastewater treatment, and inter-basin water transfers. Modeled streamflow was integrated with flow–ecology relationships relating hydrologic departure from reference conditions to fish species richness, stratified by trophic, reproductive, and habitat characteristics. Adding a hypothetical new water-withdrawal site was predicted to increase the frequency of low-flow conditions with adverse effects for several fish groups. Imposition of new reservoir release requirements was predicted to enhance flow and fish species richness immediately downstream of the reservoir, but these effects were dissipated further downstream. The framework presented here can be used to translate flow–ecology relationships into evidence-based management by developing decision-support systems for conservation of riverine biodiversity while optimizing water availability for human use.

Water↗

USGS2012

Laboratory toxicity and benthic invertebrate field colonization of Upper Columbia River sediments: Finding adverse effects using multiple lines of evidence

From 1930 to 1995, the Upper Columbia River (UCR) of northeast Washington State received approximately 12 million metric tons of smelter slag and associated effluents from a large smelter facility located in Trail, British Columbia, approximately 10 km north of the United States–Canadian border. Studies conducted during the past two decades have demonstrated the presence of toxic concentrations of heavy metals in slag-based sandy sediments, including cadmium, copper, zinc, and lead in the UCR area as well as the downstream reservoir portion of Lake Roosevelt. We conducted standardized whole-sediment toxicity tests with the amphipod Hyalella azteca (28-day) and the midge Chironomus dilutus (10-day) on 11 samples, including both UCR and study-specific reference sediments. Metal concentrations in sediments were modeled for potential toxicity using three approaches: (1) probable effects quotients (PEQs) based on total recoverable metals (TRMs) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEMs); (2) SEMs corrected for acid-volatile sulfides (AVS; i.e., ∑SEM − AVS); and (3) ∑SEM − AVS normalized to the fractional organic carbon (f oc ) (i.e., ∑SEM − AVS/f oc ). The most highly metal-contaminated sample (∑PEQ TRM = 132; ∑PEQ SEM = 54; ∑SEM − AVS = 323; and ∑SEM − AVS/ foc = 64,600 umol/g) from the UCR was dominated by weathered slag sediment particles and resulted in 80% mortality and 94% decrease in biomass of amphipods; in addition, this sample significantly decreased growth of midge by 10%. The traditional ∑AVS – SEM, uncorrected for organic carbon, was the most accurate approach for estimating the effects of metals in the UCR. Treatment of the toxic slag sediment with 20% Resinex SIR-300 metal-chelating resin significantly decreased the toxicity of the sample. Samples ∑SEM − AVS > 244 was not toxic to amphipods or midge in laboratory testing, indicating that this value may be an approximate threshold for effects in the UCR. In situ benthic invertebrate colonization studies in an experimental pond (8-week duration) indicated that two of the most metal-contaminated UCR sediments (dominated by high levels of sand-sized slag particles) exhibited decreased invertebrate colonization compared with sand-based reference sediments. Field-exposed SIR-300 resin samples also exhibited decreased invertebrate colonization numbers compared with reference materials, which may indicate behavioral avoidance of this material under field conditions. Multiple lines of evidence (analytical chemistry, laboratory toxicity, and field colonization results), along with findings from previous studies, indicate that high metal concentrations associated with slag-enriched sediments in the UCR are likely to adversely impact the growth and survival of native benthic invertebrate communities. Additional laboratory toxicity testing, refinement of the applications of sediment benchmarks for metal toxicity, and in situ benthic invertebrate studies will assist in better defining the spatial extent, temporal variations, and ecological impacts of metal-contaminated sediments in the UCR system.

Trail↗

USGS2022

Subspecies differentiation and range-wide genetic structure are driven by climate in the California gnatcatcher, a flagship species for coastal sage scrub conservation

Understanding genetic structure and diversity within species can uncover associations with environmental and geographic attributes that highlight adaptive potential and inform conservation and management. The California gnatcatcher, Polioptila californica , is a small songbird found in desert and coastal scrub habitats from the southern end of Baja California Sur to Ventura County, California. Lack of congruence among morphological subspecies hypotheses and lack of measurable genetic structure found in a few genetic markers led to questions about the validity of subspecies within P. californica and the listing status of the coastal California gnatcatcher, P. c. californica . As a U.S. federally threatened subspecies, P. c. californica is recognized as a flagship for coastal sage scrub conservation throughout southern California. We used restriction site-associated DNA sequencing to develop a genomic dataset for the California gnatcatcher. We sampled throughout the species' range, examined genetic structure, gene–environment associations, and demographic history, and tested for concordance between genetic structure and morphological subspecies groups. Our data support two distinct genetic groups with evidence of restricted movement and gene flow near the U.S.- Mexico international border. We found that climate-associated outlier loci were more strongly differentiated than climate neutral loci, suggesting that local climate adaptation may have helped to drive differentiation after Holocene range expansions. Patterns of habitat loss and fragmentation are also concordant with genetic substructure throughout the southern California portion of the range. Finally, our genetic data supported the morphologically defined P. c. californica as a distinct group, but there was little evidence of genetic differentiation among other previously hypothesized subspecies in Baja California. Our data suggest that retaining and restoring connectivity, and protecting populations, particularly at the northern range edge, could help preserve existing adaptive potential to allow for future range expansion and long-term persistence of the California gnatcatcher.

California↗

USGS2017

Ecological regime shift drives declining growth rates of sea turtles throughout the West Atlantic

Somatic growth is an integrated, individual-based response to environmental conditions, especially in ectotherms. Growth dynamics of large, mobile animals are particularly useful as bio-indicators of environmental change at regional scales. We assembled growth rate data from throughout the West Atlantic for green turtles, Chelonia mydas , which are long-lived, highly migratory, primarily herbivorous mega-consumers that may migrate over hundreds to thousands of kilometers. Our dataset, the largest ever compiled for sea turtles, has 9690 growth increments from 30 sites from Bermuda to Uruguay from 1973 to 2015. Using generalized additive mixed models, we evaluated covariates that could affect growth rates; body size, diet, and year have significant effects on growth. Growth increases in early years until 1999, then declines by 26% to 2015. The temporal (year) effect is of particular interest because two carnivorous species of sea turtles – hawksbills, Eretmochelys imbricata, and loggerheads, Caretta caretta – exhibited similar significant declines in growth rates starting in 1997 in the West Atlantic, based on previous studies. These synchronous declines in productivity among three sea turtle species across a trophic spectrum provide strong evidence that an ecological regime shift (ERS) in the Atlantic is driving growth dynamics. The ERS resulted from a synergy of the 1997/1998 El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) – the strongest on record – combined with an unprecedented warming rate over the last two to three decades. Further support is provided by the strong correlations between annualized mean growth rates of green turtles and both sea surface temperatures (SST) in the West Atlantic for years of declining growth rates ( r = -0.94) and the Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI) for all years ( r = 0.74). Granger-causality analysis also supports the latter finding. We discuss multiple stressors that could reinforce and prolong the effect of the ERS. This study demonstrates the importance of region-wide collaborations.

Global Change Biology↗

USGS2004

Flow cytometry used to assess genetic damage in frogs from farm ponds

Flow cytometry (FC) is a laboratory method used to detect genetic damage induced by environmental contaminants and other stressors in animals, including amphibians. We tested FC methods on three species of ranid frogs collected from farm ponds and natural wetlands in southeastern Minnesota. We compared FC metrics for Rana clamitans between ponds with direct exposure to agricultural contaminants and reference (unexposed) ponds. Concentrations of atrazine in water from our farm ponds ranged from 0.04 to 0.55 ppb. We found that R. clamitans from exposed ponds had DNA content similar to frogs from unexposed ponds. Pond-averaged C-values (a measure of DNA content) ranged from 6.53 to 7.08 for R. pipiens (n . 13), 6.55 to 6.60 for R. clamitans (n . 40) and 6.74 for R. palustris (n . 5). Among all species, the mean sample CVs ranged from 1.91 (R. palustris) to 6.31 (R. pipiens). Deformities were observed in only 2 of 796 individuals among all species and occurred in both reference and exposed ponds. Although we did not detect evidence of DNA damage associated with agriculture in our study, we demonstrated the potential of FC for screening amphibian populations for genetic damage. Metrics from a variety of amphibian species and locations as well as laboratory studies are needed to further assess the value of FC for monitoring amphibian genetic integrity in contaminated sites.

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science↗

USGS2025

Ice Age biogeography corresponds with current climate vulnerability of freshwater fishes

1. Both local environmental factors and historical biogeography shape ecological communities, but determining which historical biogeographical patterns correspond with contemporary climate vulnerability is an underused conservation method. The historical colonization patterns of freshwater fishes following the Pleistocene (“Ice Age”) glaciations offers an ideal model for comparing historical biogeography and climate-change vulnerability. 2. We used current thermal niches and future stream-temperature projections to estimate the climate vulnerability of 29 Great Plains and Rocky Mountain fishes that we classified as either early or late colonists of the region in the wake of glacial retreat (~19,000 years ago). 3. Ninety-three percent of the most vulnerable species were amongst the earliest colonists of the region and we consider them “postglacial-pioneer species”. Median predicted site loss (number of historically occupied sites predicted to become too warm by end-of-century) was 0% for late colonizing species and 33% for early colonizing species. 4. We provide empirical evidence that postglacial-pioneer fishes are uniquely vulnerable to climate change, and we suggest this may apply to many taxa from formerly glaciated regions. More broadly, we demonstrate that evaluating the relationship between current species-environment patterns and historical biogeography may be a fruitful avenue for future climate change and conservation research.

North America↗

USGS2008

Sulfide oxidation and distribution of metals near abandoned copper mines in coastal environments, Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA

The oxidation of sulfide-rich rocks, mostly leftover debris from Cu mining in the early 20th century, is contributing to metal contamination of local coastal environments in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Analyses of sulfide, water, sediment, precipitate and biological samples from the Beatson, Ellamar, and Threeman mine sites show that acidic surface waters generated from sulfide weathering are pathways for redistribution of environmentally important elements into and beyond the intertidal zone at each site. Volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits composed of pyrrhotite and (or) pyrite + chalcopyrite + sphalerite with subordinate galena, arsenopyrite, and cobaltite represent potent sources of Cu, Zn, Pb, As, Co, Cd, and Hg. The resistance to oxidation among the major sulfides increases in the order pyrrhotite ??? sphalerite < chalcopyrite ??? pyrite; thus, pyrrhotite-rich rocks are typically more oxidized than those dominated by pyrite. The pervasive alteration of pyrrhotite begins with rim replacement by marcasite followed by replacement of the core by sulfur, Fe sulfate, and Fe-Al sulfate. The oxidation of chalcopyrite and pyrite involves an encroachment by colloform Fe oxyhydroxides at grain margins and along crosscutting cracks that gradually consumes the entire grain. The complete oxidation of sulfide-rich samples results in a porous aggregate of goethite, lepidocrocite and amorphous Fe-oxyhydroxide enclosing hydrothermal and sedimentary silicates. An inverse correlation between pH and metal concentrations is evident in water data from all three sites. Among all waters sampled, pore waters from Ellamar beach gravels have the lowest pH (???3) and highest concentrations of base metals (to ???25,000 ??g/L), which result from oxidation of abundant sulfide-rich debris in the sediment. High levels of dissolved Hg (to 4100 ng/L) in the pore waters probably result from oxidation of sphalerite-rich rocks. The low-pH and high concentrations of dissolved Fe, Al, and SO4 are conducive to precipitation of interstitial jarosite in the intertidal gravels. Although pore waters from the intertidal zone at the Threeman mine site have circumneutral pH values, small amounts of dissolved Fe2+ in the pore waters are oxidized during mixing with seawater, resulting in precipitation of Fe-oxyhydroxide flocs along the beach-seawater interface. At the Beatson site, surface waters funneled through the underground mine workings and discharged across the waste dumps have near-neutral pH (6.7-7.3) and a relatively small base-metal load; however, these streams probably play a role in the physical transport of metalliferous particulates into intertidal and offshore areas during storm events. Somewhat more acidic fluids, to pH 5.3, occur in stagnant seeps and small streams emerging from the Beatson waste dumps. Amorphous Fe precipitates in stagnant waters at Beatson have high Cu (5.2 wt%) and Zn (2.3 wt%) concentrations that probably reflect adsorption onto the extremely high surface area of colloidal particles. Conversely, crystalline precipitates composed of ferrihydrite and schwertmannite that formed in the active flow of small streams have lower metal contents, which are attributed to their smaller surface area and, therefore, fewer reactive sorption sites. Seeps containing precipitates with high metal contents may contribute contaminants to the marine environment during storm-induced periods of high runoff. Preliminary chemical data for mussels (Mytilus edulis) collected from Beatson, Ellamar, and Threeman indicate that bioaccumulation of base metals is occurring in the marine environment at all three sites.

Applied Geochemistry↗

USGS2019

Toxicokinetics of imidacloprid-coated wheat seeds in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) and an evaluation of hazard

Birds are potentially exposed to neonicotinoid insecticides by ingestion of coated seeds during crop planting. Adult male Japanese quail were orally dosed with wheat seeds coated with an imidacloprid (IMI) formulation at either 0.9 mg/kg body weight (BW) or 2.7 mg/kg BW (~3 and 9% of IMI LD50 for Japanese quail, respectively) for 1 or 10 days. Quail were euthanized between 1 and 24 h post-exposure to assess toxicokinetics. Analysis revealed rapid absorption (1 h) into blood, and distribution to brain, muscle, kidney and liver. Clearance to below detection limits occurred at both dose levels and exposure durations in all tissues within 24 h. Metabolism was extensive, with 5-OH-IMI and IMI-olefin detected at greater concentrations than IMI in tissues and fecal samples. There was no lethality or overt signs of toxicity at either dose level. Furthermore, no evidence of enhanced expression of mRNA genes associated with hepatic xenobiotic metabolism, oxidative DNA damage or alterations in concentrations of corticosterone and thyroid hormones was observed. Application of the toxicokinetic data was used to predict IMI residue levels in liver with reasonable results for some field exposure and avian mortality events. It would appear that some affected species are either consuming larger quantities of seeds or exhibit differences in ADME or sensitivity than predicted by read-across from these data.

Environmental Science & Technology↗

USGS2020

Mixotrophic iron-oxidizing Thiomonas isolates from an acid mine drainage-affected creek

Natural attenuation of heavy metals occurs via coupled microbial iron cycling and metal precipitation in creeks impacted by acid mine drainage (AMD). Here, we describe the isolation, characterization, and genomic sequencing of two iron-oxidizing bacteria (FeOB) species: Thiomonas ferrovorans FB-6 and Thiomonas metallidurans FB-Cd, isolated from slightly acidic (pH 6.3), Fe-rich, AMD-impacted creek sediments. These strains precipitated amorphous iron oxides, lepidocrocite, goethite, and magnetite or maghemite and grew at a pH optimum of 5.5. While Thiomonas spp. are known as mixotrophic sulfur oxidizers and As oxidizers, the FB strains oxidized Fe, which suggests they can efficiently remove Fe and other metals via coprecipitation. Previous evidence for Thiomonas sp. Fe oxidation is largely ambiguous, possibly because of difficulty demonstrating Fe oxidation in heterotrophic/mixotrophic organisms. Therefore, we also conducted a genomic analysis to identify genetic mechanisms of Fe oxidation, other metal transformations, and additional adaptations, comparing the two FB strain genomes with 12 other Thiomonas genomes. The FB strains fall within a relatively novel group of Thiomonas strains that includes another strain (b6) with solid evidence of Fe oxidation. Most Thiomonas isolates, including the FB strains, have the putative iron oxidation gene cyc2 , but only the two FB strains possess the putative Fe oxidase genes mtoAB . The two FB strain genomes contain the highest numbers of strain-specific gene clusters, greatly increasing the known Thiomonas genetic potential. Our results revealed that the FB strains are two distinct novel species of Thiomonas with the genetic potential for bioremediation of AMD via iron oxidation.

Thuringia↗

USGS2014

Data worth and prediction uncertainty for pesticide transport and fate models in Nebraska and Maryland, United States

BACKGROUND Complex environmental models are frequently extrapolated to overcome data limitations in space and time, but quantifying data worth to such models is rarely attempted. The authors determined which field observations most informed the parameters of agricultural system models applied to field sites in Nebraska (NE) and Maryland (MD), and identified parameters and observations that most influenced prediction uncertainty. RESULTS The standard error of regression of the calibrated models was about the same at both NE (0.59) and MD (0.58), and overall reductions in prediction uncertainties of metolachlor and metolachlor ethane sulfonic acid concentrations were 98.0 and 98.6% respectively. Observation data groups reduced the prediction uncertainty by 55–90% at NE and by 28–96% at MD. Soil hydraulic parameters were well informed by the observed data at both sites, but pesticide and macropore properties had comparatively larger contributions after model calibration. CONCLUSIONS Although the observed data were sparse, they substantially reduced prediction uncertainty in unsampled regions of pesticide breakthrough curves. Nitrate evidently functioned as a surrogate for soil hydraulic data in well-drained loam soils conducive to conservative transport of nitrogen. Pesticide properties and macropore parameters could most benefit from improved characterization further to reduce model misfit and prediction uncertainty. RESULTS: The standard error of regression of the calibrated models was about the same at both NE (0.59) and MD (0.58), and overall reductions in prediction uncertainties of metolachlor and metolachlor ethane sulfonic acid concentrations were 98.0 and 98.6% respectively. Observation data groups reduced the prediction uncertainty by 55–90% at NE and by 28–96% at MD. Soil hydraulic parameters were well informed by the observed data at both sites, but pesticide and macropore properties had comparatively larger contributions after model calibration. CONCLUSIONS: Although the observed data were sparse, they substantially reduced prediction uncertainty in unsampled regions of pesticide breakthrough curves. Nitrate evidently functioned as a surrogate for soil hydraulic data in well-drained loam soils conducive to conservative transport of nitrogen. Pesticide properties and macropore parameters could most benefit from improved characterization further to reduce model misfit and prediction uncertainty.

Maryl;Nebraska↗

USGS2015

Observations of net soil exchange of CO 2 in a dryland show experimental warming increases carbon losses in biocrust soils

Many arid and semiarid ecosystems have soils covered with well-developed biological soil crust communities (biocrusts) made up of mosses, lichens, cyanobacteria, and heterotrophs living at the soil surface. These communities are a fundamental component of dryland ecosystems, and are critical to dryland carbon (C) cycling. To examine the effects of warming temperatures on soil C balance in a dryland ecosystem, we used infrared heaters to warm biocrust-dominated soils to 2 °C above control conditions at a field site on the Colorado Plateau, USA. We monitored net soil exchange (NSE) of CO 2 every hour for 21 months using automated flux chambers (5 control and 5 warmed chambers), which included the CO 2 fluxes of the biocrusts and the soil beneath them. We observed measurable photosynthesis in biocrust soils on 12 % of measurement days, which correlated well with precipitation events and soil wet-up. These days included several snow events, providing what we believe to be the first evidence of substantial photosynthesis underneath snow by biocrust organisms in drylands. Overall, biocrust soils in both control and warmed plots were net CO 2 sources to the atmosphere, with control plots losing 62 ± 8 g C m −2 (mean ± SE) over the first year of measurement and warmed plots losing 74 ± 9 g C m −2 . Between control and warmed plots, the difference in soil C loss was uncertain over the course of the entire year due to large and variable rates in spring, but on days during which soils were wet and crusts were actively photosynthesizing, biocrusts that were warmed by 2 °C had a substantially more negative C balance (i.e., biocrust soils took up less C and/or lost more C in warmed plots). Taken together, our data suggest a substantial risk of increased C loss from biocrust soils with higher future temperatures, and highlight a robust capacity to predict CO 2 exchange in biocrust soils using easily measured environmental parameters.

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah↗

USGS2021

Terrestrial ecological risk analysis via dietary exposure at uranium mine sites in the Grand Canyon watershed (Arizona, USA)

The U.S. Department of the Interior recently included uranium (U) on a list of mineral commodities that are considered critical to economic and national security. The uses of U for commercial and residential energy production, defense applications, medical device technologies, and energy generation for space vehicles and satellites are known, but the environmental impacts of uranium extraction are not always well quantified. We conducted a screening-level ecological risk analysis based on exposure to mining-related elements via diets and incidental soil ingestion for terrestrial biota to provide context to chemical characterization and exposures at breccia pipe U mines in northern Arizona. Relative risks, calculated as hazard quotients (HQs), were generally low for all biological receptor models. Our models screened for risk to omnivores and insectivores (HQs>1) but not herbivores and carnivores. Uranium was not the driver of ecological risk; arsenic, cadmium, copper, and zinc were of concern for biota consuming ground-dwelling invertebrates. Invertebrate species composition should be considered when applying these models to other mining locations or future sampling at the breccia pipe mine sites. Dietary concentration thresholds (DCTs) were also calculated to understand food concentrations that may lead to ecological risk. The DCTs indicated that critical concentrations were not approached in our model scenarios, as evident in the very low HQs for most models. The DCTs may be used by natural resource and land managers as well as mine operators to screen or monitor for potential risk to terrestrial receptors as mine sites are developed and remediated in the future.

Arizona↗

USGS2023

Evidence of a load-lightening helper effect in Florida Scrub-Jays: Implications for translocation

The Florida Scrub-Jay ( Aphelocoma coerulescens ) is an imperiled cooperatively breeding species endemic to Florida scrub habitats. Translocation of non-reproductive helpers has been proposed as a conservation tool to increase population size and connectivity. However, the potential consequences of helper removal on the source population remain unclear because the benefits provided by helpers are complex and not consistently observed. We used nest monitoring and nest camera data to examine the effects of helpers on provisioning rates, nestling mass, nest survival, and productivity for 111 family groups at Ocala National Forest, which supports the largest remaining population of Florida Scrub-Jays. In groups with helpers, male breeders and helpers provisioned nestlings at higher rates than did female breeders. In contrast, provisioning rate of female breeders was reduced by half in groups with helpers compared to groups without helpers, revealing a load-lightening helper effect in this population. The compensatory benefit of helpers on maternal provisioning rates in this study may have easily been overlooked without the use of nest cameras. Helpers provisioned less and nestling mass was lower in 2019 than 2018. Helpers did not influence nestling mass, nest survival, or nest productivity, suggesting that the effect of helpers on these metrics is either minimal or masked by other environmental factors. Future study is needed to understand how indirect helper benefits may affect female breeder survival and future productivity. In the meantime, the load-lightening effect of helpers on maternal provisioning and its potential effect on the donor population should be acknowledged when evaluating the net benefits of future translocation projects proposing the removal of helpers.

Florida↗

USGS2011

Partially melted granodiorite and related rocks ejected from Crater Lake caldera, Oregon

Blocks of medium-grained granodiorite to 4 m, and minor diabase, quartz diorite, granite, aplite and granophyre, are common in ejecta of the ∼6,900 yrBP calderaforming eruption of Mount Mazama. The blocks show degrees of melting from 0–50 vol%. Because very few have adhering juvenile magma, it is thought that the blocks are fragments of the Holocene magma chamber's walls. Primary crystallisation of granodiorite produced phenocrystic pl + hyp + aug + mt + il + ap + zc, followed by qz + hb + bt + alkali feldspar (af). Presence of fluid inclusions in all samples implies complete crystallisation before melting. Subsolidus exchange with meteoric hydrothermal fluids before melting is evident in δ 18 O values of −3·4+4·9‰ for quartz and plagioclase in partially melted granodiorites (fresh lavas from the region have δ 18 O values of +5·8−+7·0‰); δ 18 O values of unmelted granodiorites from preclimatic eruptive units suggest hydrothermal exchange began between ∼70 and 24 ka. Before eruption, the granitic rocks equilibrated at temperatures, estimated from Fe-Ti oxide compositions, of up to ∼1000°C for c. 10 2 –10 4 years at a minimum pressure of 100-180 MPa. Heating caused progressive breakdown or dissolution of hb, af, bt, and qz, so that samples with the highest melt fractions have residual pl + qz and new or re-equilibrated af + hyp + aug + mt + il in high-silica rhyolitic glass (75-77% SiO 2 ). Mineral compositions vary systematically with increasing temperature. Hornblende is absent in rocks with Fe-Ti oxide temperatures >870°C, and bt above 970°C. Oxygen isotope fractionation between qz, pl, and glass in partially fused granodiorite also is consistent with equilibration at T≥900°C (Δ 18 O qz.pl = +0·7 ± 0·5‰). Element partitioning between glass and crystals reflects the large fraction of refractory pl, re-equilibration of af and isolation or incomplete dissolution of accessory phases. Ba and REE contents of analysed glass separates can be successfully modelled by observed degrees of partial melting of granodiorite, but Rb, Sr and Sc concentrations cannot. Several samples have veins of microlite-free glass 1–5 mm thick that are compositionally and physically continuous with intergranular melt and which apparently formed after the climactic eruption began. Whole-rock H 2 O content, microprobe glass analysis sums near 100% and evidence for high temperature suggest liquids in the hotter samples were nearly anhydrous. The occurrence of similar granodiorite blocks at all azimuths around the 8 × 10 km caldera implies derivation from one pluton. Compositional similarity between granodiorite and pre-Mazama rhyodacites suggests that the pluton may have crystallised as recently as 0·4 Ma; compositional data preclude crystallisation from the Holocene chamber. The history of crystallisation, hydrothermal alteration, and remelting of the granitic rocks may be characteristic of shallow igneous systems in which the balance between hydrothermal cooling and magmatic input changes repeatedly over intervals of 10 4 -10 6 years.

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