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150 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
USGS2005

Observations of Interspecific amplexus between western North American ranid frogs and the introduced American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) and an hypothesis concerning breeding interference

Introduced American bullfrogs ( Rana catesbeiana ) come in contact with native amphibians on four continents and are well established in lowlands of western North America. To date, research on the effects of introduced bullfrogs on native frogs has focused on competition and predation, and is based largely on larval interactions. We present observations of interspecific amplexus between bullfrogs and two native ranid frogs ( R. aurora and R. pretiosa ) from six sites across the Pacific Northwest that imply that this interaction is more widespread than currently recognized. Our observations indicate that R. catesbeiana juveniles and subadults in this region are of appropriate size to elicit marked amplectic responses from males of both native species. Our literature review suggests that greater opportunity may exist for pairings between R. catesbeiana and native R. aurora or R. pretiosa than among syntopic native ranids in western North America. We hypothesize that interspecific amplexus with introduced R. catesbeiana could result in reproductive interference with negative demographic consequences in native ranid populations that have been reduced or altered by other stressors.

American Midland Naturalist↗
USGS1987

Breeding birds and vegetation structure in western North Dakota wooded draws

Populations and distribution of breeding birds occupying wooded draws were studied in a five-county region of western North Dakota during June 1982. Wooded draw vegetation was dominated by green ash, which occurred in 96% of the draws sampled. Chokecherry and juneberry were the most frequent shrub species. I recorded 49 bird species in the 30 draws censused. Rufous-sided towhee, brown-headed cowbird, house wren, and American goldfinch were the most numerous bird species present. Significant correlations were found between (1) the number of live trees and bird species evenness, (2) density of dead trees and bird species diversity and richness, (3) density of shrubs with bird species evenness, and (4) foliage volume in the high ground layer and bird species evenness.

Prairie Naturalist↗
USGS2006

The fifth International Geological Congress, Washington, 1891

The 5th International Geological Congress (IGC), the initial meeting in North America, was the first of the three IGCs that have been held in the United States of America (USA). Of the 538 registrants alive when the 5th IGC convened in Washington, 251 persons, representing fifteen countries, actually attended the meeting. These participants included 173 people from the USA, of whom forty-two represented the US Geological Survey (USGS). Fourteen of the US State geological surveys sent representatives to Washington. Eight participants came from other countries in the Western Hemisphere - Canada (3), Chile (1), Mexico (3), and Peru (1). The sixty-six European geologists and naturalists at the 5th IGC represented Austro-Hungary (3), Belgium (3), Britain (12), France (7), Germany (23), Norway (1), Romania (3), Russia (8), Sweden (4), and Switzerland (2). The USGS and the Columbian College (now the George Washington University) acted as the principal hosts. The American Association for the Advancement of Science and then the Geological Society of America (GSA) met in the Capital immediately before the Congress convened (26 August-1 September 1891). The 5th IGC's formal discussions treated the genetic classification of Pleistocene rocks, the chronological correlation of clastic rocks, and the international standardization of colors, symbols, and names used on geologic maps. The third of those topics continued key debates at the 1st through 4th IGCs. The GSA, the Korean Embassy, the Smithsonian Institution's US National Museum, the USGS, and one of the two Secretaries-General hosted evening receptions. Field excursions examined Paleozoic exposures in New York (18-25 August), Cretaceous-Pleistocene localities along the Potomac River south of Washington (30 August), and classic Precambrian-Pleistocene sequences and structures in the Great Plains, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountains, and Great Basin (2-26 September), with optional trips to the Grand Canyon (19-28 September) and Lake Superior (23 September-2 October). The single-volume report of the 5th IGC was published in Washington in 1893.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2026

Relative activity of three bat species Impacted by white-nose syndrome on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park

White-nose syndrome, a disease caused by the fungal-pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans , has caused drastic reductions in populations of several North American hibernating species of bats including Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown Bat), Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Bat), and Perimyotis subflavus (Tricolored Bat). Recent data indicate that populations of Little Brown Bats may be stabilizing and/or increasing in the northeastern region of the US, while others, such as Northern Long-eared Bats, continue to decline. Whether these trends extend to the mid-Atlantic region is currently unknown. To better understand population changes over time, habitat associations, and species dynamics, we developed models of relative activity from bat acoustic data collected on the National Park Service's Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park along the Potomac River Corridor in western Maryland between 2016 and 2022. Consistent with pre-disease habitat associations, Little Brown Bats and Tricolored Bats exhibited a positive correlation with proximity to water bodies. Notably, we found Little Brown Bat and Tricolored Bat populations potentially were increasing, whereas Northern Long-eared Bats showed no correlation with examined habitat covariates and had low detection levels, trends consistent with broader declines throughout their range.

Maryland↗
USGS2016

Spatial variation in biofouling of a unionid mussel ( Lampsilis siliquoidea ) across the western basin of Lake Erie

Invasion of North American waters by nonnative Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis bugensis has resulted in declines of the Unionidae family of native North American mussels. Dreissenid mussels biofoul unionid mussels in large numbers and interfere with unionid movement, their acquisition of food, and the native mussels' ability to open and close their shells. Initial expectations for the Great Lakes included extirpation of unionids where they co-occurred with dreissenids, but recently adult and juvenile unionids have been found alive in several apparent refugia. These unionid populations may persist due to reduced dreissenid biofouling in these areas, and/or due to processes that remove biofoulers. For example locations inaccessible to dreissenid veligers may reduce biofouling and habitats with soft substrates may allow unionids to burrow and thus remove dreissenids. We deployed caged unionid mussels ( Lampsilis siliquoidea ) at 36 sites across the western basin of Lake Erie to assess spatial variation in biofouling and to identify other areas that might promote the persistence or recovery of native unionid mussels. Biofouling ranged from 0.03 – 26.33 g per mussel, reached a maximum in the immediate vicinity of the mouth of the Maumee River, and appeared to primarily consist of dreissenid mussels. A known mussel refugium in the vicinity of a power plant near the mouth of the Maumee actually exhibited very high biofouling rates, suggesting that low dreissenid colonization did not adequately explain unionid survival in this refugium. In contrast, the southern nearshore area of Lake Erie, near another refugium, had very low biofouling. A large stretch of the western basin appeared to have low biofouling rates and muddy substrates, raising the possibility that these open water areas could support remnant and returning populations of unionid mussels. Previous observations of unionid refugia and the occurrence of low biofouling rates in large areas of the western basin of Lake Erie raise the possibility that unionid and dreissenid coexistence may be possible here and elsewhere.

Michigan, Ohio↗
USGS1994

Emperor goose (Chen canagica)

Early naturalists exploring western Alaska were intrigued to find a stocky, blue-gray species of coastal goose unique to that area and nearby Russia. As E. W. Nelson (1887) wrote, "Among the various species of birds more or less peculiar to Alaska this goose is perhaps the most noteworthy." The Emperor Goose nests in the extensive coastal salt marsh habitats of arctic and sub-arctic Alaska and Russia and winters primarily on coastal beaches along ice-free areas of the Aleutian Islands and the Alaska Peninsula. Locally known as the "Beach Goose" from its habit of roosting and feeding near the waters' edge, the diet of this species consists largely of clams, mussels, and algae when wintering and staging in marine and estuarine habitats. When nesting in terrestrial habitats, it eats mostly roots, bulbs, and shoots of vegetation. Although the breeding biology and habitat requirements of this goose have been examined in detail, mostly on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (Y-K Delta) of Alaska, there have been no intensive studies of its wintering or staging biology. Recent studies of migration have confirmed pathways and timing between the Y-K Delta and staging areas on the Alaska Peninsula and wintering areas largely on the Aleutian Islands (Hupp et al. 2007). Observations of substantial molt migrations to the Chukotka Peninsula in eastern Russia (Hupp et al. 2007) suggest a possible change in distribution, or at least a clarification, and raise the possibility of harvest mortality on both continents. Alaska's Emperor Goose population declined precipitously from 139,000 in 1964 to 42,000 in 1986, although its numbers have recovered slightly since then (Fischer et al. 2008). The factors responsible for this quick decline and slow recovery remain poorly known. Hunting, especially subsistence hunting by Native Americans, is probably a factor (Hupp et al. 2008b); coastal oil pollution could also be reducing the survival of overwintering individuals (Byrd et al. 1995); and interspecific competition among brood rearing geese may limit recovery through recruitment (Schmutz and Laing 2002, Lake et al. 2008).

Birds of North America↗