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At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
USGS2021

A review of factors affecting PIT tag detection using mobile arrays and use of mobile antennas to detect PIT-tagged suckers in a wadeable Ozark stream

Advantages of passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags are their small size, longevity, and low-cost compared to other tags. PIT tags are often used in fisheries to study movement patterns, survival, or estimate population size. However, PIT tags are limited by their short detection distance. Mobile PIT antennas may increase the utility of PIT tags in fisheries. In this study, we synthesize the current detection efficiency literature on mobile PIT antennas, determine factors influencing PIT-tag detection probability and efficiency for a raft-mounted mobile antenna, and summarize techniques used to increase observations of PIT-tagged fishes with raft-mounted mobile antennas in a wadable stream. Our literature review indicated tag size and orientation were the most-important factors affecting detection probabilities; however, our antenna was primarily influenced by water depth of the tag and distance from the antenna. Detection efficiency was influenced by discharge, turbidity, and sample date. Tracking methods that include targeting key habitats (e.g., rootwads) and using natural features to congregated tagged fishes (e.g., riffles or pinch points) may increase detection efficiency in wadable streams. This is the first formal review of factors affecting mobile PIT antenna detection efficiency. The published literature, combined with our study results, indicate several factors need to be considered prior to mobile PIT antenna tracking.

Arkansas, Oklahomas↗
USGS2018

Non-native fishes of the central Indian River Lagoon

We provide a comprehensive review of the status of non-native fishes in the central Indian River Lagoon (from Cape Canaveral to Grant-Valkaria, east of I-95) through literature review and field surveys. Historical records exist for 17 taxa (15 species, one hybrid, one species complex). We found historical records for one additional species, and collected one species in our field survey that had never been recorded in the region before (and which we eradicated). Thus, we evaluate 19 total taxa herein. Of these, we documented range expansion of four salt-tolerant cichlid species, extirpation of six species that were previously recorded from the area and eradication of three species. There was no noticeable change in geographic range for one widespread species and the records for one species are doubtful and may be erroneous. Currently, there is not enough information to evaluate geographic ranges for four species although at least one of those is established.

Florida Scientist↗
USGS2019

User guide to the FireCLIME Vulnerability Assessment (VA) Tool: A rapid and flexible system for assessing ecosystem vulnerability to climate-fire interactions

Decisionmakers need better methods for identifying critical ecosystem vulnerabilities to changing climate and fire regimes. Climate-wildfire-vegetation interactions are complex and hinder classification and projection necessary for development of management strategies. One such vulnerability assessment (VA) is FireCLIME VA, which allows users to compare management strategies under various climate scenarios and gauge the potential effectiveness of those strategies for reducing undesirable impacts of climate on wildfire regimes and resulting impacts of wildfire on natural ecosystems. Developed as part of the SW FireCLIME science-management partnership, FireCLIME is meant to be quick, flexible, and amendable to a range of data inputs (literature review, expert, and modeling or monitoring activities), allowing users to easily compare various fire-climate outcomes for one or more ecosystems of interest. Users can use literature, hypothetical scenarios, or quantitative data to implement the FireCLIME VA tool. This tool, unlike other vulnerability assessment, is best used iteratively to explore a range of possible scenarios and management strategies.

Report↗
USGS2026

Seasons and seasonality in lakes: Synthesis amid global change

Seasonality in environmental conditions plays a fundamental role in shaping lake ecosystems. However, patterns of seasonality vary worldwide, and these patterns are shifting over time amid global change. Thus, it is increasingly important to evaluate how seasons and seasonality are represented in lake ecosystem research. Here, we used a literature review and global data analysis to synthesize approaches for conceptualizing seasons and seasonality in lakes. We found that a wide range of criteria are used to delineate discrete seasons in published literature, including fixed dates (e.g., months, solstice/equinox), environmental thresholds (e.g., temperature and precipitation cutoffs), and lake-specific indicators (e.g., ice cover, plankton phenology). Analyzing data from lakes worldwide, we found that using different criteria to define the same season resulted in divergent interpretations of ecosystem states. Based on our synthesis, we offer recommendations for how to incorporate seasonality into lake research and communications amid global change.

Limnology and Oceanography Letters↗
USGS2015

Biological responses to climate impacts with a focus on Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need (RSGCN)

This chapter reviews the responses to climate change on the 367 Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need (RSGCN) identified by the Northeast Fish and Wildlife Diversity Technical Committee (NEFWDTC), technical experts from states’ natural resource agencies (Appendix 3.1). These species were chosen based on their conservation status, listing in SWAPs, and the percentage of their range that occurs in the Northeast. The objectives of this chapter are to: summarize how regional biodiversity has already responded and is expected to respond to climate change; summarize information on specific RSGCN species responses to climate change to date and anticipated under future scenarios; characterize the greatest uncertainties about how biodiversity and RSGCN species will respond to climate change in the future; and highlight where other factors are expected to exacerbate the effects of climate change. This information was obtained through a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature, primarily using the ISI Web of Knowledge to search for papers on each species related to “climate”, “temperature”, or “precipitation”. Although we undoubtedly missed some sources, the following allows us to review some of the ways climate change will affect regional species of conservation concern

Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Ma↗
USGS1974

A review of the literature on the use of Bayluscide in fisheries

In the United States Bayluscide has had multiple uses. The 70% wettable powder has been used in Puerto Rico for snail control and the 5% granular formulation has been tested in Michigan and Wisconsin against freshwater snails serving as inter mediate hosts of the trematode causing swimmers' itch. Bayluscide has also been used in field trials as a fish toxicant. Its most important use in North America, however, has been to control sea lampreys, Petromyzon marinus, in the Great Lakes, a necessary prerequisite for the restoration of Great Lakes sport and commercial fisheries. Since 1966 the 5% granular formulation has been used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Department of Environment as a toxicant to survey populations of larval sea lampreys in Great Lakes estuaries and deepwater tributaries. The Canadian Government also uses Bayluscide to control sea lampreys, but in the United States the present registration restricts use to population surveys only. Literature on the mixtures of Bayluscide and the selective lamprey toxicant, TFM, used since 1964 by both the U.S. and Canadian agencies to control larval sea lampreys in the Great Lakes, has been reviewed elsewhere and is not included in this review.

Literature Review↗
USGS2018

Pitfall traps: A review of methods for estimating arthropod abundance

Pitfall traps are commonly used in diet studies for insectivorous and omnivorous wildlife. Pitfall trap methodologies and designs vary tremendously among studies and investigators, and this variation and lack of standardization limits scientists’ abilities to compare their results to others. We conducted a literature review to identify the most common methods used by past investigators who placed pitfall traps for the purpose of quantifying indices of arthropod abundances, and we used this information to guide our proposal for standardized pitfall trapping methods. We documented the pitfall trap methods of 257 studies published between Jan 1994 and Mar 2016 in 107 scientific journals. Pitfall trap methods varied greatly across the time period we investigated. We found only minor differences in the pitfall trapping methods most commonly used in different vegetative communities (e.g., preservative use was less frequent for pitfall trap studies in grasslands). Studies published in wildlife journals tended to use pitfall traps of larger diameters than studies published in other disciplines, and they had worse rates of methodological reporting than those in entomology journals. We did not detect a decline in negligent reporting over time; >1 key methodological detail was missing from >50% of studies regardless of the decade published.

Wildlife Society Bulletin↗
USGS2015

A review of infectious agents in polar bears ( Ursus maritimus ) and their long-term ecological relevance

Disease was a listing criterion for the polar bear ( Ursus maritimus ) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2008; it is therefore important to evaluate the current state of knowledge and identify any information gaps pertaining to diseases in polar bears. We conducted a systematic literature review focused on infectious agents and associated health impacts identified in polar bears. Overall, the majority of reports in free-ranging bears concerned serosurveys or fecal examinations with little to no information on associated health effects. In contrast, most reports documenting illness or pathology referenced captive animals and diseases caused by etiologic agents not representative of exposure opportunities in wild bears. As such, most of the available infectious disease literature has limited utility as a basis for development of future health assessment and management plans. Given that ecological change is a considerable risk facing polar bear populations, future work should focus on cumulative effects of multiple stressors that could impact polar bear population dynamics.

EcoHealth↗
USGS2017

The migratory bird treaty and a century of waterfowl conservation

In the final decades of the nineteenth century, concern was building about the status of migratory bird populations in North America. In this literature review, we describe how that concern led to a landmark conservation agreement in 1916, between the United States and Great Britain (on behalf of Canada) to conserve migratory birds shared by Canada and the United States. Drawing on published literature and our personal experience, we describe how subsequent enabling acts in both countries gave rise to efforts to better estimate population sizes and distributions, assess harvest rates and demographic impacts, design and fund landscape-level habitat conservation initiatives, and organize necessary political and regulatory processes. Executing these steps required large-scale thinking, unprecedented regional and international cooperation, ingenuity, and a commitment to scientific rigor and adaptive management. We applaud the conservation efforts begun 100 years ago with the Migratory Bird Treaty Convention. The agreement helped build the field of wildlife ecology and conservation in the twentieth century but only partially prepares us for the ecological and social challenges ahead.

Journal of Wildlife Management↗
USGS2024

Lead poisoning of raptors: State of the science and cross-discipline mitigation options for a global problem

Lead poisoning is an important global conservation problem for many species of wildlife, especially raptors. Despite the increasing number of individual studies and regional reviews of lead poisoning of raptors, it has been over a decade since this information has been compiled into a comprehensive global review. Here, we summarize the state of knowledge of lead poisoning of raptors, we review developments in manufacturing of non-lead ammunition, the use of which can reduce the most pervasive source of lead these birds encounter, and we compile data on voluntary and regulatory mitigation options and their associated sociological context. We support our literature review with case studies of mitigation actions, largely provided by the conservation practitioners who study or manage these efforts. Our review illustrates the growing awareness and understanding of lead exposure of raptors, and it shows that the science underpinning this understanding has expanded considerably in recent years. We also show that the political and social appetite for managing lead ammunition appears to vary substantially across administrative regions, countries, and continents. Improved understanding of the drivers of this variation could support more effective mitigation of lead exposure of wildlife. This review also shows that mitigation strategies are likely to be most effective when they are outcome driven, consider behavioural theory, local cultures, and environmental conditions, effectively monitor participation, compliance, and levels of raptor exposure, and support both environmental and human health.

Biological Reviews↗
USGS2004

Occurrence of human pharmaceuticals in water resources of the United States: A review

The widespread environmental presence of some pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater compounds has been documented globally (e.g. Buser et al. 1998; Ternes 1998; Stumpf et al.1999; Heberer et al. 2001; Kümmerer 2001; Ternes et al. 2001; Scheytt et al. 2001; Golet et al. 2002; Kolpin et al. 2002; Boyd et al. 2003; Metcalf et al. 2003). Recently, there have been several literature reviews and summary studies of the occurrence, fate, transport, and treatment of targeted human pharmaceuticals in wastewater effluent and associated environmental waters across the globe (e.g. Daughton and Ternes 1999; Sedlak et al. 2000; Suter and Giger 2000; Daughton and Jones-Lepp 2001; Jones et al. 2001; Heberer 2002; and Drewes et al. 2002). The occurrence of pharmaceutical compounds in water resources is explained by their ubiquitous use, excretion of large percentages of the mass consumed, and incomplete removal during wastewater treatment (Stumpf et al.1999). The recent increase in detection of trace concentrations (typically less than a part per billion) of pharmaceuticals in water resources across the globe reflects improvements in laboratory analytical methods (Sedlak et al. 2000) and the associated increases in field surveys. The detection of pharmaceutical compounds in large rivers in Europe and in the North Sea (Buser et al. 1998; Ternes 1998; Stumpf et al. 1999) highlighted the fact that highly soluble, trace organic compounds, such as pharmaceuticals, may escape removal in wastewater treatment, and the mixing and concentration of wastewaters through conventional wastewater treatment processes could provide a means of delivering these chemicals to environmental waters in a manner that would contaminate water resources on a large scale at trace levels (Richardson and Bowron 1985). In the United States, some of the first detections of a limited number of pharmaceutically active compounds or their transformation products were found in waters associated with landfill leachates or sewage effluent (Tabak and Bunch 1970; Garrison et al. 1976; Hignite and Azarnoff 1977; Bouwer et al. 1982; Eckel et al. 1991) decades ago. At the time of these studies, other industrial contaminants were the focus of regulatory and scientific interest; therefore, further studies on the environmental occurrence and transport of pharmaceutical compounds were rare.

Book chapter↗
USGS2019

Mapping research on hydropower and sustainability in the Brazilian Amazon: Advances, gaps in knowledge and future directions

In the last twenty years, multiple large and small hydroelectric dams have begun to transform the Amazonian region, spawning a growing volume of academic research across diverse disciplinary and interdisciplinary fields. In this article, we offer a critical review of recent research related to hydropower and sustainability with a focus on the Brazilian Amazon. We revisit the sustainability concept to include the contribution of various knowledge fields and perspectives for understanding, managing and making decisions about social-ecological systems transformed by dams. We conducted a literature review in Web of Science of academic publications centered in the past 5 years (2014–2019), on diverse aspects of hydropower planning, construction, operation and monitoring in the Brazilian Amazon. We present results of a co-occurrence network analysis of publications, highlighting bridging fields, network disconnections, and opportunities for interdisciplinary research. Finally, we report recent advances in the understanding and management of social-ecological systems in Amazonian watersheds, including biophysical, socio-economic, governance and development processes linked to hydropower planning and implementation. This review identifies knowledge gaps and future research directions, highlighting opportunities for improved communication among scientists, practitioners, decision-makers, indigenous peoples and local communities.

Amazon↗
USGS2014

Lesser prairie-chicken nest site selection, microclimate, and nest survival in association with vegetation response to a grassland restoration program

Climate models predict that the region of the Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative (GPLCC) will experience increased maximum and minimum temperatures, reduced frequency but greater intensity of precipitation events, and earlier springs. These climate changes along with different landscape management techniques may influence the persistence of the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act and a priority species under the GPLCC, in positive or negative ways. The objectives of this study were to conduct (1) a literature review of lesser prairie-chicken nesting phenology and ecology, (2) an analysis of thermal aspects of lesser prairie-chicken nest microclimate data, and (3) an analysis of nest site selection, nest survival, and vegetation response to 10 years of tebuthiuron and/or grazing treatments. We found few reports in the literature containing useful data on the nesting phenology of lesser prairie-chickens; therefore, managers must rely on short-term observations and measurements of parameters that provide some predictive insight into climate impacts on nesting ecology. Our field studies showed that prairie-chickens on nests were able to maintain relatively consistent average nest temperature of 31 °C and nest humidities of 56.8 percent whereas average external temperatures (20.3–35.0 °C) and humidities (35.2–74.9 percent) varied widely throughout the 24 hour (hr) cycle. Grazing and herbicide treatments within our experimental areas were designed to be less intensive than in common practice. We determined nest locations by radio-tagging hen lesser prairie-chickens captured at leks, which are display grounds at which male lesser prairie-chickens aggregate and attempt to attract a female for mating. Because nest locations selected by hen lesser prairie-chicken are strongly associated with the lek at which they were captured, we assessed nesting habitat use on the basis of hens captured at individual leks, and then for all leks pooled. There was no clear pattern of selection for treatment type for nest placement among hens associated with individual leks; however, when hens from all leks were pooled, we found nesting lesser prairie-chickens selected control plots for nesting over plots that were grazed, treated with tebuthiuron, or were both grazed and treated with tebuthiuron. Overall, the probability of a nest surviving the incubation period was 0.57 for this study and did not vary significantly among treatment types. In contrast to nesting preference for untreated habitats, lek use exhibited no noticeable selection of treatment type. Over the 10 years of the habitat management study, there was 91 percent less sand shinnery oak (Quercus havardii) in treated areas than untreated areas. The removal of sand shinnery oak made environmental soil moisture more available for grasses and forbs to germinate and grow. Grasses increased by 149 percent and forbs increased by 257 percent in treated areas as compared to untreated areas throughout the study period. Our combined results, including our habitat selection analysis at the individual lek level, indicated that reduced rates of herbicide and short-duration grazing treatments were not detrimental to nesting lesser prairie-chickens and that populations of lesser prairie-chickens in shrub-dominated ecosystems may benefit from reduced rates of herbicide application and short duration of grazing that results in increased habitat heterogeneity.

New Mexico;Texas↗
USGS2009

Pingos on Earth and Mars

Pingos are massive ice-cored mounds that develop through pressurized groundwater flow mechanisms. Pingos and their collapsed forms are found in periglacial and paleoperiglacial terrains on Earth, and have been hypothesized for a wide variety of locations on Mars. This literature review of pingos on Earth and Mars first summarizes the morphology of terrestrial pingos and their geologic contexts. That information is then used to asses hypothesized pingos on Mars. Pingo-like forms (PLFs) in Utopia Planitia are the most viable candidates for pingos or collapsed pingos. Other PLFs hypothesized in the literature to be pingos may be better explained with other mechanisms than those associated with terrestrial-style pingos. ?? 2008 Elsevier Ltd.

Planetary and Space Science↗
USGS2023

A review of lethal thermal tolerance among freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionida) within the North American faunal region

Freshwater mussels of the order Unionida are currently one of the most imperiled groups of organisms in the North American faunal region. Accurate risk assessments and development of effective management strategies for remaining populations require knowledge of thermal limits in the face of increasing surface water temperature due to climate change and various anthropogenic factors. We conducted a systematic literature review of unionid mussels (order Unionida, families Margaritiferidae and Unionidae) in the North American faunal region to (1) summarize lethal thermal tolerance data by life stage and taxonomy, (2) discuss ecological and climate change implications of existing lethal tolerance data, and (3) identify needs for future research. We identified lethal tolerance estimates for only 28 of 302 species in the families Unionidae and Margaritiferidae. The mean acute median lethal temperatures were 32.8 °C for glochidia (19 species), 35.0 °C for juveniles (13 species), and 36.3 °C for adults (4 species). Generally, glochidia were less tolerant than juveniles or adults of the same species—but there were several exceptions. Generally, Amblemini had the highest acute and chronic thermal tolerance of all tribes followed by Anodontini, Pleurobemini, Lampsilini, and Quadrilini. Acclimation temperature affected lethal tolerance endpoints in less than half (52 of 145) of comparisons within species. Lethal tolerance data for additional species, combined with a comprehensive database of in situ surface water temperatures, would be useful for modeling the frequency and duration of lethal limit exceedance in North America and identifying populations currently living at or near their upper lethal limits.

Environmental Reviews↗
USGS2019

What nutrient sources support anomalous growth and the recent sargassum mass stranding on Caribbean beaches? A review

Since 2011, tropical beaches from Africa to Brazil, Central America, and the Caribbean have been inundated by tons of sargassum seaweed from a new equatorial source of pelagic sargassum in the Atlantic. In recent years the extraordinary accumulations of sargassum make this a nuisance algal bloom for tropical coasts. In 2018 satellite data indicated floating mats of sargassum that extended throughout the Caribbean to the northeast coast of Brazil with the highest percent coverage over the water yet recorded. A literature review suggests that Atlantic equatorial recirculation of seaweed mats combined with nutrients from several possible sources may be stimulating the growth and accumulations of sargassum. In the western equatorial recirculation area, new nutrient sources may include Amazon River floods and hurricanes; in the eastern equatorial recirculation area, nutrient sources that could sustain the sargassum blooms include coastal upwelling and Congo River freshwater and nutrients.

Marine Pollution Bulletin↗
USGS2009

Animal species endangerment: The role of environmental pollution

Multiple factors contribute to the decline of species. Habitat destruction is the primary factor that threatens species. affecting 73 % of endangered species. The second major factor causing species decline is the introduction of nonnative species. affecting 68% of endangered species. Pollution and overharvesting were identified as impacting, respectively, 38 and 15% of endangered species. Other factors affecting species decline include hybridization, competition, disease, and other interspecific interactions. Once a species is reduced to a remnant of its former population size and distribution, its vulnerability to catastrophic pollution events increases, frequently exceeding or replacing the factors responsible for the initial decline. Small, isolated populations are particularly vulnerable to catastrophic loss by an acute event. such as a chemical spill or pesticide application. However, when it comes to surviving a single disaster, widespread subpopulations of a species are far more resilient and ensure genetic survival. Hypothesizing theoretical concerns of potential factors that could affect an endangered species could predispose the scientific and political communities to jeopardizing threats. The user of recovery plans as a data source must be aware of the bias within the data set. These data should be used with the caveat that the source of information in recovery plans is not always based on scientific research and rigorous data collection. Over 58% of the information identifying species threats is based on estimates or personal communication. while only 42% is based on peer reviewed literature, academic research. or government reports. Many recovery plans were written when a species was initially listed in the 1970s or 1980s. Politics, human disturbance, and habitat demand issues evolve over a 20- to 30-year period. leaving much of the threats facing endangered species outdated and inadequate. These data are most valuable when used to facilitate reviews of Section 7 consultations and environmental impact statements, review permit applications, conduct environmental risk assessments, prioritize research needs. and identify limiting factors affecting species health. These data are also useful in identifying potential threats to species' health. Without properly identifying threats to endangered species based on sound. scientific research. there is little hope to successfully recover an endangered species.

Book chapter↗
USGS1982

Habitat Suitability Index Models: Bluegill

A literature review encompassing habitat and species characteristics of the bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) is followed by a discussion of the relationship of habitat variables and life requisites of this species. These data re then incorporated into Habitat Suitability Index models for the bluegill. This is one in a series of publications describing habitat requirements of selected fish and wildlife species. Numerous literature sources have been consulted in an effort to consolidate scientific data on species habitat relationships. These data have subsequently been synthesized into Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) models. the models are based on suitability indices formulated for variables found to affect the life cycle and survival of the species. The models are designed to be modified to evaluate specific habitat alterations using the HSI model building techniques presented in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Habitat Evaluation Procedures.

FWS/OBS↗