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At least 1,261 records · Page 70Linked to original sources

USGS2010

Long-term reductions in anthropogenic nutrients link to improvements in Chesapeake Bay habitat

Great effort continues to focus on ecosystem restoration and reduction of nutrient inputs thought to be responsible, in part, for declines in estuary habitats worldwide. The ability of environmental policy to address restoration is limited, in part, by uncertainty in the relationships between costly restoration and benefits. Here, we present results from an 18-y field investigation (1990-2007) of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) community dynamics and water quality in the Potomac River, a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. River and anthropogenic discharges lower water clarity by introducing nutrients that stimulate phytoplankton and epiphyte growth as well as suspended sediments. Efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay are often viewed as failing. Overall nutrient reduction and SAV restoration goals have not been met. In the Potomac River, however, reduced in situ nutrients, wastewater-treatment effluent nitrogen, and total suspended solids were significantly correlated to increased SAV abundance and diversity. Species composition and relative abundance also correlated with nutrient and water-quality conditions, indicating declining fitness of exotic species relative to native species during restoration. Our results suggest that environmental policies that reduce anthropogenic nutrient inputs do result in improved habitat quality, with increased diversity and native species abundances. The results also help elucidate why SAV cover has improved only in some areas of the Chesapeake Bay.

Chesapeake Bay↗

USGS2025

Keystone interdependence: Sea otter responses to a prey surplus following the collapse of a rocky intertidal predator

The sea star Pisaster ochraceus and sea otters ( Enhydra lutris ) are two predators capable of shaping rocky intertidal and kelp forest community structure and functioning. In 2013, a sea star wasting event decimated populations of Pisaster along the west coast of North America. The collapse of this species in the rocky intertidal revealed an unexpected relationship between two keystone predators. In this study, we show how the loss of Pisaster along the Monterey Peninsula, CA, USA led to an increase in mussel ( Mytilus californianus ) size and expansion into lower tidal zones. Before the sea star wasting event, the local sea otter population fluctuated around a near equilibrium. However, in the absence of Pisaster , sea otters increased their dietary intake on mussels, which contributed in part to a local population-level rise. These results demonstrate how the loss of a keystone predator in one ecosystem may impart population-level changes to another.

California↗

USGS2011

Infectious diseases in Yellowstone’s canid community

Each summer Yellowstone Wolf Project staff visit den sites to monitor the success of wolf reproduction and pup rearing behavior. For the purposes of wolf monitoring, Yellowstone National Park (YNP) is divided into two study areas, the northern range and the interior, each distinguished by their ecological and physiographical differences. The 1,000 square kilometer northern range, characterized by lower elevations (1,500–2,200 m), serves as prime winter habitat for ungulates and supports a higher density of wolves than the interior (20–99 wolves/1,000 km 2 versus 2–11 wolves/1,000 km 2 ). The interior of the park encompasses 7,991 square kilometers, is higher in elevation, receives higher annual snowfall, and generally supports lower densities of wolves and ungulates. During the Yellowstone Wolf Project’s 2005 observations on the northern range, researchers noticed that some wolf pups were disappearing and those that remained were unusually listless. The Slough Creek pups, at first numbering 18, dwindled to three survivors. Similar findings were mirrored at other den sites across the northern range. When annual den surveys were conducted in late July, all that remained were scattered piles of bones and fur. Coyotes suffered similar setbacks in 2005, with many of the survivors exhibiting neurological shakes and tremors. The park’s canids had been affected by something, but what? Prompted by what seemed to be a disease outbreak, the Yellowstone Wolf Project, the Yellowstone Ecological Research Center (YERC), and the University of Minnesota decided to take several collaborative approaches toward improving our understanding of the presence and role of infectious disease in Yellowstone’s canid community. Several serological studies have been conducted in the past among the park’s coyotes (Gese et al. 1997) and cougars (Biek 2006), providing a helpful foundation on which to build and compare. A serological survey was conducted, using serum samples collected during routine wolf and coyote captures over a period of 18 years (Almberg et al. 2009). Simulation models were used to explore the dynamics of canine distemper virus (Almberg et al. 2010)—one of the more prominent pathogens in terms of its effects on its hosts—and several long-term pathogen surveillance projects were initiated which are intended to someday provide a foundation for more advanced genetic-based analyses of pathogen dynamics. Since these initial efforts, the group has also expanded the research to include a study of sarcoptic mange, which began affecting wolves and coyotes in YNP in 2006 and 2007.

Yellowstone National Park↗

USGS2023

One byte at a time: Gathering best practices, guidelines, and resources for data standards to support ocean exploration and characterization

Initiated through Presidential direction and now codified, the National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization (NOMEC) Council comprises leaders from U.S. federal agencies with a shared goal of mapping all waters of the United States and exploring and characterizing priority areas. The NOMEC Council’s two Interagency Working Groups, Ocean and Coastal Mapping (IWG-OCM) and Ocean Exploration and Characterization (IWG-OEC), both achieved major milestones recently with the 2023 release of the Draft Standard Ocean Mapping Protocols (SOMP) and the 2022 publication of the National Priorities for Ocean Exploration and Characterization. Building on this groundwork, the IWG-OEC is now looking to define and share best practices, guidelines, and resources for ocean exploration and characterization with the long-term goal of increasing community wide standardization to help achieve consistent common practices. First, the IWG-OEC plans to compile federal agency resources and share them in a newly developed online resource repository. The next phase is for the IWG-OEC to create opportunities for non-federal sectors to provide input on developing and populating this repository with additional content (existing standards and protocols, best practice and guidelines documents, etc.). After experts representing multiple sectors are identified, a series of results-oriented workshops are planned to provide input on all aspects of the data, products, and services from exploration and characterization. Finally, the IWG-OEC plans to widely share the online repository of best practices and standard operating procedures. A systematic, transparent, and collaborative process to share standards and protocols can help to enhance the interoperability of data and inform new lines of inquiry, discovery, research, and innovation.

Frontiers in Marine Science↗

USGS2013

Spatio-temporal variability in movement, age, and growth of mountain whitefish ( Prosopium williamsoni ) in a river network based upon PIT tagging and otolith chemistry

Connectivity of river networks and the movements among habitats can be critical for the life history of many fish species, and understanding of the patterns of movement is central to managing populations, communities, and the landscapes they use. We combined passive integrated transponder tagging over 4 years and strontium isotopes in otoliths to demonstrate that 25% of the mountain whitefish ( Prosopium williamsoni ) sampled moved between the Methow and Columbia rivers, Washington, USA. Seasonal migrations downstream from the Methow River to the Columbia River to overwinter occurred in autumn and upstream movements in the spring. We observed migration was common during the first year of life, with migrants being larger than nonmigrants. However, growth between migrants and nonmigrants was similar. Water temperature was positively related to the proportion of migrants and negatively related to the timing of migration, but neither was related to discharge. The broad spatio-temporal movements we observed suggest mountain whitefish, and likely other nonanadromous fish, require distant habitats and also suggests that management and conservation strategies to keep connectivity of large river networks are imperative.

Washington↗

USGS2025

Comparing contaminants of emerging concern and microbial signatures of wastewater treated by membrane bioreactor and oxidation ditch methods

Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are an attractive option for upgrades to aging wastewater treatment infrastructure across the United States (U.S.) because they have a relatively small footprint and can handle various wastewater loading conditions. However, little is known regarding the efficiency with which MBRs can reduce contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and microbial loads, or how they influence the microbiome of wastewater effluent. In 2022, we collected nine paired samples of primary treated effluent (PRI), secondary effluent treated by oxidation ditches (OXI), and secondary effluent treated by MBR from a facility in Minnesota, U.S. Samples were analyzed for CECs including 4 alkylphenol ethoxylates, 6 bisphenol analogues, 20 hormones, 110 pharmaceuticals, and 82 pesticides as well as heterotrophic bacteria counts (HPC) and microbiome communities. Except for pesticides, total sample concentrations of CEC classes in OXI and MBR effluents were similar and lower compared to PRI ( p < 0.01). Pesticide concentrations were similar among all treatments. HPC was lower in MBR, compared to OXI, in 67% of samples. Despite limited differences in CEC signatures, differences in the microbiome between the two secondary treatments were observed. OXI showed more distinct differences in bacterial operational taxonomic unit (OTU) presence from PRI, compared to MBR. Relations between some contaminant groups ( e.g. , pharmaceuticals, bisphenols) and effluent microbiomes were observed, though most correlated with PRI effluent. Results from our study indicate that MBR is as effective as OXI at producing high-quality effluent and offers a viable alternative to conventional secondary treatment methods. This full-scale study provides data that helps fill knowledge gaps related to MBR performance outside of lab or benchtop experiments and direct comparison to OXI treatment.

Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology↗

USGS2011

Biogeochemical processes on tree islands in the greater everglades: Initiating a new paradigm

Scientists’ understanding of the role of tree islands in the Everglades has evolved from a plant community of minor biogeochemical importance to a plant community recognized as the driving force for localized phosphorus accumulation within the landscape. Results from this review suggest that tree transpiration, nutrient infiltration from the soil surface, and groundwater flow create a soil zone of confluence where nutrients and salts accumulate under the head of a tree island during dry periods. Results also suggest accumulated salts and nutrients are flushed downstream by regional water flows during wet periods. That trees modulate their environment to create biogeochemical hot spots and strong nutrient gradients is a significant ecological paradigm shift in the understanding of the biogeochemical processes in the Everglades. In terms of island sustainability, this new paradigm suggests the need for distinct dry-wet cycles as well as a hydrologic regime that supports tree survival. Restoration of historic tree islands needs further investigation but the creation of functional tree islands is promising.

Florida↗

USGS2016

Effects of pulse and press drying disturbance on benthic stream communities

Natural disturbance is an integral component of most ecosystems and occurs in 3 different forms: pulse, press, and ramp. In lotic ecosystems, seasonal drought is a major form of disturbance, particularly in intermittent headwater streams, which often are reduced to pools that serve as refuges for biota. We used simulated intermittent stream pools to compare the effects of control, pulse, and press drying on growth and survival in 3 fish species ( Lepomis megalotis , Campostoma anomalum , and Etheostoma spectabile ) commonly found together in drought-prone streams in the Ozark Highlands, USA. We also compared effects on benthic community structure, including periphyton and chironomid density and sediment in deep (permanently watered) and shallow (intermittently dewatered) habitat. Only one species, L. megalotis , showed a significant reduction in length and mass growth in press drying compared with control treatments. Drying and type of drying had no effect on survival of any fish species. Drying and type of drying had strong overall effects on periphyton growth in shallow habitats, where ash-free dry mass decreased and the autotrophic index (the ratio of chlorophyll a to total biomass) increased significantly in drying relative to control and in press relative to pulse treatments. Drying negatively affected sediment accumulation in shallow habitat and chironomid density in deep habitat. Drying in intermittent streams has species-dependent effects on fish growth and benthic structure, and pulse and press drying differ in their effects on periphyton in these systems. These effects may have important consequences in seasonally drying streams as anthropogenic influence on stream drying increases.

Freshwater Science↗

USGS2009

Mesohaline submerged aquatic vegetation survey along the U.S. gulf of Mexico coast, 2001 and 2002: A salinity gradient approach

Distribution of marine submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV; i.e., seagrass) in the northern Gulf of Mexico coast has been documented, but there are nonmarine submersed or SAV species occurring in estuarine salinities that have not been extensively reported. We sampled 276 SAV beds along the gulf coast in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas in 2001 and 2002 in oligohaline to polyhaline (0 to 36 parts per thousand) waters to determine estuarine SAV species distribution and identify mesohaline SAV communities. A total of 20 SAV and algal species was identified and habitat characteristics such as salinity, water depth, pH, conductivity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and sediment composition were collected. Fourteen SAV species occurred two or more times in our samples. The most frequently occurring species was Ruppia maritima L. (n = 148), occurring in over half of SAV beds sampled. Eleocharis sp. (n = 47), characterized with an emergent rather than submerged growth form, was a common genus in the SAV beds sampled. A common marine species was Halodule wrightii Asch. (n = 36). Nonindigenous species Myriophyllum spicatum L. (n = 31) and Hydrilla verticillata (L. f.) Royle (n = 6) were present only in oligohaline water. Analyzing species occurrence and environmental characteristics using canonical correspondence and two-way indicator species analysis, we identify five species assemblages distinguished primarily by salinity and depth. Our survey increases awareness of nonmarine SAV as a natural resource in the gulf, and provides baseline data for future research.

Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas↗

USGS2016

Hydrothermal vents and methane seeps: Rethinking the sphere of influence

Although initially viewed as oases within a barren deep ocean, hydrothermal vent and methane seep communities are now recognized to interact with surrounding ecosystems on the sea floor and in the water column, and to affect global geochemical cycles. The importance of understanding these interactions is growing as the potential rises for disturbance from oil and gas extraction, seabed mining and bottom trawling. Here we synthesize current knowledge of the nature, extent and time and space scales of vent and seep interactions with background systems. We document an expanded footprint beyond the site of local venting or seepage with respect to elemental cycling and energy flux, habitat use, trophic interactions, and connectivity. Heat and energy are released, global biogeochemical and elemental cycles are modified, and particulates are transported widely in plumes. Hard and biotic substrates produced at vents and seeps are used by “benthic background” fauna for attachment substrata, shelter, and access to food via grazing or through position in the current, while particulates and fluid fluxes modify planktonic microbial communities. Chemosynthetic production provides nutrition to a host of benthic and planktonic heterotrophic background species through multiple horizontal and vertical transfer pathways assisted by flow, gamete release, animal movements, and succession, but these pathways remain poorly known. Shared species, genera and families indicate that ecological and evolutionary connectivity exists among vents, seeps, organic falls and background communities in the deep sea; the genetic linkages with inactive vents and seeps and background assemblages however, are practically unstudied. The waning of venting or seepage activity generates major transitions in space and time that create links to surrounding ecosystems, often with identifiable ecotones or successional stages. The nature of all these interactions is dependent on water depth, as well as regional oceanography and biodiversity. Many ecosystem services are associated with the interactions and transitions between chemosynthetic and background ecosystems, for example carbon cycling and sequestration, fisheries production, and a host of non-market and cultural services. The quantification of the sphere of influence of vents and seeps could be beneficial to better management of deep-sea environments in the face of growing industrialization.

Frontiers in Marine Science↗

USGS2024

Reduction of large vessel traffic improves water quality and alters fish habitat-use throughout a large river

Rivers are increasingly used as superhighways for the continental-scale transportation of freight goods, but the ecological impact of large vessel traffic on river ecosystems is difficult to study. Recently, the temporary maintenance closure of lock and dam systems on the Illinois Waterway (USA) brought commercial vessel traffic to a halt along the river's length, offering a rare opportunity to study the response of the ecosystem before, during, and after an extended pause of this persistent anthropogenic disturbance. We observed improvements in main- and side-channel water quality and a redistribution of fish habitat-use during a months-long, near-complete reduction of large vessel traffic. Over 3600 water quality and 1300 fish community samples indicate that large vessel traffic reduction coincided with a 33 % reduction in turbidity as well as increased use of sampling strata near vessel navigation corridors by sound-sensitive and rheophilic fishes. Gizzard shad ( Dorosoma cepedianum ), the most abundant species in the system, also expanded their use of these ‘impact’ areas. Though inland waterway transport is an economically- and climate-friendly alternative to trucking and rail for the shipment of freight, our data suggest that intense vessel traffic may have profound physical and biological impacts across a large river. Monitoring and mitigation of ecological impacts of the ongoing expansion of inland waterway transport around the world will be critical to balancing large rivers as both useful navigation corridors and functional ecosystems.

Illinois↗

USGS2017

Short-term response of Holcus lanatus L. (Common Velvetgrass) to chemical and manual control at Yosemite National Park, USA

One of the highest priority invasive species at both Yosemite and Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks is Holcus lanatus L. (common velvetgrass), a perennial bunchgrass that invades mid-elevation montane meadows. Despite velvetgrass being a high priority species, there is little information available on control techniques. The goal of this project was to evaluate the short-term response of a single application of common chemical and manual velvetgrass control techniques. The study was conducted at three montane sites in Yosemite National Park. Glyphosate spot-spray treatments were applied at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% concentrations, and compared with hand pulling to evaluate effects on cover of common velvetgrass, cover of other plant species, and community species richness. Posttreatment year 1 cover of common velvetgrass was 12.1% ± 1.6 in control plots, 6.3% ± 1.5 averaged over the four chemical treatments (all chemical treatments performed similarly), and 13.6% ± 1.7 for handpulled plots. This represents an approximately 50% reduction in common velvetgrass cover in chemically- treated plots recoded posttreatment year 1 and no statistically significant reduction in hand pulled plots compared with controls. However, there was no treatment effect in posttreatment year 2, and all herbicide application rates performed similarly. In addition, there were no significant treatment effects on nontarget species or species richness. These results suggest that for this level of infestation and habitat type, (1) one year of hand pulling is not an effective control method and (2) glyphosate provides some level of control in the short-term without impact to nontarget plant species, but the effect is temporary as a single year of glyphosate treatment is ineffective over a two-year period.

California↗

USGS2015

Desertification, salinization, and biotic homogenization in a dryland river ecosystem

This study determined long-term changes in fish assemblages, river discharge, salinity, and local precipitation, and examined hydrological drivers of biotic homogenization in a dryland river ecosystem, the Trans-Pecos region of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte (USA/Mexico). Historical (1977-1989) and current (2010-2011) fish assemblages were analyzed by rarefaction analysis (species richness), nonmetric multidimensional scaling (composition/variability), multiresponse permutation procedures (composition), and paired t-test (variability). Trends in hydrological conditions (1970s-2010s) were examined by Kendall tau and quantile regression, and associations between streamfiow and specific conductance (salinity) by generalized linear models. Since the 1970s, species richness and variability of fish assemblages decreased in the Rio Grande below the confluence with the Rio Conchos (Mexico), a major tributary, but not above it. There was increased representation of lower-flow/higher-salinity tolerant species, thus making fish communities below the confluence taxonomically and functionally more homogeneous to those above it. Unlike findings elsewhere, this biotic homogenization was due primarily to changes in the relative abundances of native species. While Rio Conchos discharge was > 2-fold higher than Rio Grande discharge above their confluence, Rio Conchos discharge decreased during the study period causing Rio Grande discharge below the confluence to also decrease. Rio Conchos salinity is lower than Rio Grande salinity above their confluence and, as Rio Conchos discharge decreased, it caused Rio Grande salinity below the confluence to increase (reduced dilution). Trends in discharge did not correspond to trends in precipitation except at extreme-high (90th quantile) levels. In conclusion, decreasing discharge from the Rio Conchos has led to decreasing flow and increasing salinity in the Rio Grande below the confluence. This spatially uneven desertification and salinization of the Rio Grande has in turn led to a region-wide homogenization of hydrological conditions and of taxonomic and functional attributes of fish assemblages.

Science of the Total Environment↗

USGS2014

A multispecies statistical age-structured model to assess predator-prey balance: application to an intensively managed Lake Michigan pelagic fish community

Using a Bayesian model fitting approach, we developed a multispecies statistical catch-at-age model to assess trade-offs between predatory demands and prey productivities, focusing on the Lake Michigan pelagic fish community. We assessed these trade-offs in terms of predation mortalities and productivities of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) and functional responses of salmonines. Our predation mortality estimates suggest that salmonine consumption has been a major driver of historical fluctuations in prey abundance, with sharp declines in alewife abundance in the 1980s and 2000s coinciding with estimated increases in predation mortalities. While Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) were food limited during periods of low alewife abundance, other salmonines appeared to maintain a (near) maximum per-predator consumption across all observed prey densities, suggesting that feedback mechanisms are unlikely to help maintain a balance between predator consumption and prey productivity in Lake Michigan. This study demonstrates that a multispecies modeling approach that combines stock assessment methods with explicit consideration of predator–prey interactions could provide the basis for tactical decision-making from a broader ecosystem perspective.

Lake Michigan↗

USGS2016

Nutrient dynamics of the Delta: Effects on primary producers

Increasing clarity of Delta waters, the emergence of harmful algal blooms, the proliferation of aquatic water weeds, and the altered food web of the Delta have brought nutrient dynamics to the forefront. This paper focuses on the sources of nutrients, the transformation and uptake of nutrients, and the links of nutrients to primary producers. The largest loads of nutrients to the Delta come from the Sacramento River with the San Joaquin River seasonally important, especially in the summer. Nutrient concentrations reflect riverine inputs in winter and internal biological processes during periods of lower flow with internal nitrogen losses within the Delta estimated at approximately 30% annually. Light regime, grazing pressure, and nutrient availability influence rates of primary production at different times and locations within the Delta. The roles of the chemical form of dissolved inorganic nitrogen in growth rates of primary producers in the Delta and the structure of the open-water algal community are currently topics of much interest and considerable debate. Harmful algal blooms have been noted since the late 1990s, and the extent of invasive aquatic macrophytes (both submerged and free-floating forms) has increased especially during years of drought. Elevated nutrient loads must be considered in terms of their ability to support this excess biomass. Modern sensor technology and networks are now deployed that make high-frequency measurements of nitrate, ammonium, and phosphate. Data from such instruments allow a much more detailed assessment of the spatial and temporal dynamics of nutrients. Four fruitful directions for future research include utilizing continuous sensor data to estimate rates of primary production and ecosystem respiration, linking hydrodynamic models of the Delta with the transport and fate of dissolved nutrients, studying nutrient dynamics in various habitat types, and exploring the use of stable isotopes to trace the movement and fate of effluent-derived nutrients.

California↗

USGS2016

Technical Note: Harmonizing met-ocean model data via standard web services within small research groups

Work over the last decade has resulted in standardised web services and tools that can significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of working with meteorological and ocean model data. While many operational modelling centres have enabled query and access to data via common web services, most small research groups have not. The penetration of this approach into the research community, where IT resources are limited, can be dramatically improved by (1) making it simple for providers to enable web service access to existing output files; (2) using free technologies that are easy to deploy and configure; and (3) providing standardised, service-based tools that work in existing research environments. We present a simple, local brokering approach that lets modellers continue to use their existing files and tools, while serving virtual data sets that can be used with standardised tools. The goal of this paper is to convince modellers that a standardised framework is not only useful but can be implemented with modest effort using free software components. We use NetCDF Markup language for data aggregation and standardisation, the THREDDS Data Server for data delivery, pycsw for data search, NCTOOLBOX (MATLAB®) and Iris (Python) for data access, and Open Geospatial Consortium Web Map Service for data preview. We illustrate the effectiveness of this approach with two use cases involving small research modelling groups at NATO and USGS.

Ocean science and engineering↗

USGS2025

Analysis of trends in terrestrial vegetation at Mediterranean Coast Network Parks: Channel Islands National Park

The five islands comprising Channel Islands National Park (CHIS) experience natural gradients in temperature and moisture driven by ocean currents. Additionally, the islands were used as ranchlands and military land before becoming a national park, resulting in widespread erosion and vegetation change. As a result, CHIS spans gradients in climate as well as ranching duration and time since animal removal. Vegetation monitoring was initiated in 1984 on three islands (Anacapa, Santa Barbara, San Miguel), in 1990 on Santa Rosa Island, and in 1998 on Santa Cruz Island, with the goal of documenting the long-term response of island vegetation to ranch animal removal and climate fluctuations. Since that time, monitoring has documented the range of natural fluctuation in island environments over decades and provided insights into vegetation change in ecosystems unencumbered by ongoing development. Long-term vegetation monitoring at CHIS is therefore a rare example of an ecosystem experiment that demonstrates the results of management actions and serves as a baseline for land managers and scientists worldwide. Terrestrial vegetation data collected between 1984 and 2018 were modeled to estimate trends over time and to characterize relationships with covariates related to site characteristics, nonnative mammal removal programs, and water balance metrics. Data were analyzed for trends in vegetation cover, woody plant density, and plant community diversity grouped by life form and nativity across all islands and within individual islands, as well as for several individual species that dominate plant communities or present challenges to native plant recovery. In all, a total of 162 trend and covariate models were tested in this study, the details of which are provided in this report. Briefly, results reflect a decline in nonnative annual disturbance-thriving species with the reduction in animal grazing and trampling. Increasing trends were observed in native shrub density and native shrub recruitment density, as well as native shrub cover across all islands averaged together and on Santa Cruz Island. However, opposite trends were seen on the smaller islands of Santa Barbara and Anacapa, where increasing seabird activity may be damaging vegetation. Further results indicate the importance of soil moisture, relative humidity, fog, precipitation, site exposure, and solar radiation for vegetation patterns and trends. In many instances, there are apparent interacting effects of environmental variables with trends related to nonnative mammal removal and site location. Vegetation patterns in space and time emerge in the dataset as nuanced responses to interacting drivers.

Calfornia↗

USGS2016

Hydrologic controls on nitrogen cycling processes and functional gene abundance in sediments of a groundwater flow-through lake

The fate and transport of inorganic nitrogen (N) is a critically important issue for human and aquatic ecosystem health because discharging N-contaminated groundwater can foul drinking water and cause algal blooms. Factors controlling N-processing were examined in sediments at three sites with contrasting hydrologic regimes at a lake on Cape Cod, MA. These factors included water chemistry, seepage rates and direction of groundwater flow, and the abundance and potential rates of activity of N-cycling microbial communities. Genes coding for denitrification, anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), and nitrification were identified at all sites regardless of flow direction or groundwater dissolved oxygen concentrations. Flow direction was, however, a controlling factor in the potential for N-attenuation via denitrification in the sediments. Potential rates of denitrification varied from 6 to 4500 pmol N/g/h from the inflow to the outflow side of the lake, owing to fundamental differences in the supply of labile organic matter. The results of laboratory incubations suggested that when anoxia and limiting labile organic matter prevailed, the potential existed for concomitant anammox and denitrification. Where oxic lake water was downwelling, potential rates of nitrification at shallow depths were substantial (1640 pmol N/g/h). Rates of anammox, denitrification, and nitrification may be linked to rates of organic N-mineralization, serving to increase N-mobility and transport downgradient.

Massachusetts↗