Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
Topics covered in the March activity report.
Richard Erickson (UMESC) was invited to be a guest lecturer for a Mathematical Biology course at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, April 10, 2017. Erickson discussed creating mathematical models to study the presence and movement of aquatic invasive species, using environmental DNA (eDNA) data. Richard Erickson is a Research Ecologist who develops mathematical and statistical models to understand the natural world, how we affect it, and how it affects us. Erickson’s current research focuses on developing models to monitor and understand invasive species, however he has also worked on projects ranging from studying the impacts of wind energy developments on wildlife to estimating long term trends of aquatic biota on the Mississippi River (Richard Erickson, rerickson@usgs.gov, Ecosystems).
Scientists from UMESC’s native mussel team participated in the Upper Mississippi River Mussel Coordination Team and Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee meetings, March 20-21, 2017, in Red Wing, MN. Presentations include (Teresa Newton, tnewton@usgs.gov, Ecosystems),
Staff from UMESC’s Long Term Resource Monitoring Branch met with Federal and state partners of the Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program’s Long Term Resource Monitoring element, March 28-29, 2017, in Muscatine, IA. The primary objectives of the meeting were to help maintain consistency in methods and procedures through time and across field stations, discuss new techniques, instruments, and any issues.
Larry Robinson, Jayme Stone, and Jenny Hanson (UMESC) participated in the Great Lakes Coastal Mapping Summit (GLCMS), April 3-7, 2017 in Chicago, IL. The meeting was put on by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as an opportunity for governmental partners, regional/local authorities, academia, and others interested in learning about data needs, and exploring opportunities for collaboration on coastal mapping data acquisitions and applications in the Great Lakes region. The event included presentations on shoreline processes, ecological habitat, coastal erosion, and navigational mapping. Scheduled discussions topics will include long-term mapping requirements, near-term acquisition plans, and coastal data (e.g. elevation, bathymetry, and imagery) collection strategies across the participating organizations and entities. Importantly, the meeting seeks to highlight overlapping and diverse research, planning, and mitigation needs, and to explore opportunities for multiple applications of map datasets across disciplines and user groups. Robinson, Stone, and Hanson used the summit as an opportunity to express data needs, maximize use of acquisition resources, and provide a voice for the prioritization of data collection and efforts (Jenny Hanson, jhanson@usgs.gov, Ecosystems).
Tom and Chris Custer (UMESC) presented results of their Great lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) work at the 2017 Great Lakes Areas of Concern Conference, March 29, 2017, in Grand Rapids, MI. The Custer's shared with State and Federal managers information on their 6-year Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) work which focuses on assessing whether there are still issues with bird deformities or reproductive impairment relating to contaminant exposure. Most recently their collaborative effort with Environmental Protection Agency (Duluth, MN) uses multi-state modelling to distinguish and quantify the effects of both environmental and chemical stressors on tree swallow reproduction at 69 US sites across the Laurentian Great Lakes. By controlling for sources of variation in egg and nestling survival, which includes female age, date within season, year, and location, a more robust assessment of the role of contaminants in reproductive success can be achieved (Christine Custer, ccuster@usgs.gov, Ecosystems).
Aaron Cupp and Kim Fredricks represented UMESC at a planning meeting for Mississippi River Lock and Dam 14 Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Demonstration Barrier, April 4, 2017, in Bettendorf, IA. If all goes as planned, the demonstration barrier will be installed in the auxiliary lock of Lock and Dam 14 during FY 2018. Meeting attendees included representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Illinois Water Science Center, and Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (Aaron Cupp, acupp@usgs.gov, Ecosystems).
Riley Buley (UMESC) published a paper evaluating the viability of utilizing dissolved ozone (O3) a as non-physical barrier to prevent the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species. A review of the current literature was conducted to summarize data regarding the effects of O3 on a range of aquatic taxa. In addition, the authors assessed the practicality of ozone applications and identified data gaps concerning the use of O3 as a nonphysical barrier in the field. The paper is available online at http://www.reabic.net/journals/mbi/2017/1/MBI_2017_Buley_etal.pdf.
Buley, R.P., Hasler, C.T., Tix, J.A., Suski, C.D., Hubert, T.D. 2017. Can ozone be used to control the spread of freshwater Aquatic Invasive Species? Management of Biological Invasions. Vol 8(1):13-24. DOI:10.3391/mbi.2017.8.1.02.
Nathan De Jager, Jason Rohweder, Timothy Fox (UMESC), and collaborators from the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and Penn State University recently published two papers focused on modelling interactions between ungulate populations and forest succession. The research was conducted to help the National Park Service (NPS) evaluate the effects of alternative scenarios of wolf management on moose population dynamics and forest succession, through the Natural Resources Preservation Program (NRPP). Results are being used by the NPS in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to address the presence of wolves at Isle Royale National Park (Nathan De Jager, ndejager@usgs.gov, Ecosystems).
De Jager, N.R., Drohan, P.J., Miranda, B.M., Sturtevant, B.R., Stout, S.L., Royo, A.A., Gustafson, E.J., Romanski, M.C. 2017. Simulating ungulate herbivory across forest landscapes: A browsing extension for LANDIS-II. Ecological Modelling. 350: 11-29. DOI:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2017.01.014.
De Jager, N.R., Rohweder, J.J., Miranda, B.M., Sturtevant, B.R., Fox, T.J., Romanski, M.C. In Press. Modelling moose-forest interactions under different predation scenarios at Isle Royale National Park, USA. Ecological Applications. DOI: 10.1002/eap.1526.
Wayne Thogmartin (UMESC) and colleagues from the Migratory Bird Center of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute published a climate change vulnerability assessment for 46 migratory bird species breeding in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region. This novel assessment considered the full annual cycle of these species, considering threats faced by species not only on their breeding grounds, where most assessments focus, but also on their wintering grounds and the migratory stops in between. The assessment integrated background risk, climate change exposure and climate sensitivity, adaptive capacity to climate change, and indirect effects of climate change. Information about migratory connectivity between breeding and stationary non-breeding areas was gleaned from U.S. Geological Survey banding and re-encounter data. Ten species were found to be highly vulnerable to climate change, whereas only two species were deemed low vulnerable. The remaining species exhibited moderate vulnerability. Projected drying is expected to have the greatest effect during the non-breeding season for species overwintering in Mexico and the Caribbean. Projected temperature increases will have the greatest effect during the breeding season in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region as well as during the non-breeding season for species overwintering in South America. The paper is available online at, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.1565/abstract (Wayne Thogmartin, wthogmartin@usgs.gov, Ecosystems).
Culp, L.A., Cohen, E.B., Scarpignato, A.L., Thogmartin, W.E., Marra, P.P. 2017. Full annual cycle climate change vulnerability assessment for migratory birds. Ecosphere. 8(3):e01565. DOI:10.1002/ecs2.1565.
Jenny Hanson and Jayme Stone (UMESC) participated in the Multibeams in Rivers Workshop 2017, March 15-17, 2017, in Baton Rouge, LA. The workshop brought together experts in multibeam sonars to discuss current projects and challenges faced. Additionally, individuals working with photogrammetry and structure from motion, terrestrial LiDAR, acoustic Doppler current profilers, and other remotely sensed data are also welcome. The workshop is hosted by Louisiana State University (LSU) Center for River Studies, LSU Coastal Studies Institute, and LSU Department of Geography and Anthropology (Jayme Stone, jmstone@usgs.gov, Ecosystems).
Scientists from UMESC’s native mussel team participated in the 10th International Symposium of the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society to be convened in Cleveland, OH, March 26-30, 2017. Presentations included (Teresa Newton, tnewton@usgs.gov, Ecosystems),
Tom and Chris Custer (UMESC) presented results of their Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) work at the Midwest Regional Society of Environmental Toxicology (SETAC) meeting in Minneapolis, MN, March 21-22, 2017. This collaborative effort with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Duluth, MN) uses multi-state modelling to distinguish and quantify the effects of both environmental and chemical stressors on tree swallow reproduction at 69 sites across the US. By controlling for sources of variation in egg and nestling survival (which includes female age, date within season, year, and location), a more robust assessment of the role of contaminants in reproductive success can be achieved. For more information contact Chris Custer (ccuster@usgs.gov, Ecosystems).
Kim Fredricks (UMESC) participated in the 33rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Quality Assurance, March 28-30, 2017, in National Harbor, MA. The meeting was an opportunity to learn about the latest updates and technologies related to the topics of data quality and integrity, Good Laboratory and Good Clinical Practices, and quality assurance.
Stephanie Sattler (UMESC) participated in the George Wright Society Conference on Parks, Protected Areas, and Cultural Sites, April 2-6, 2017, in Norfolk, VA. The conference focuses on sharing breakthrough research, latest management practices and building connections between the National Park Service (NPS) and other organizations to promote the conservation of all lands. Sattler will reach out to UMESC’s NPS partners and cooperators to understand their mapping needs and capacities, review on-going park mapping projects and their progress, and network with other vegetation mapping programs to investigate potential opportunities for collaboration (Stephanie Sattler, ssattler@usgs.gov, Ecosystems).
Scientists from the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center gave the following presentations at this year’s Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee conference, March 21-23, 2017, in Red Wing, MN (Randy Hines, rkhines@usgs.gov, Ecosystems).
Nate De Jager and Molly Van Appledorn (UMESC) organized the special symposium, “Floodplain Landscape Ecology: Patterns, Processes and Management Implications,” at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the US-International Association for Landscape Ecology (IALE), April 9-13, 2016, in Baltimore, MD. The symposium was created to discuss challenges and advances in characterizing floodplain ecosystem patterns and processes, and how such research can address the grand management challenge of maintaining biophysical interactions that sustain essential natural resources while reducing flood-related damage to property and loss of life (Molly Van Appledorn, mvanappledorn@usgs.gov, Ecosystems). Within this symposium De Jager and Van Appledorn presented,
Larry Robinson (UMESC) participated in the 2017 Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Workshop at NASA in Ames, CA, March 28-30, 2017. The workshop focused on the applications of UAS technology for resource monitoring, but also include topics on; 1) Alignment of Federal efforts where advantageous and promoting partnerships; 2) Discussions on new and emerging capabilities (e.g., payloads, platforms, communications, onboard processing, data processing and integration, data management); 3) Sharing current experiences, lessons learned, and future plans; and 4) Exploration of science opportunities with emerging new tools such as High Altitude Long Endurance and Payload Directed Flight. This workshop is a follow-up to the 2015 UAS Workshop where over 130 participants from 15 federal agencies and 10 universities were in attendance (Larry Robinson, lrobinson@usgs.gov, Ecosystems).
Kristen Bouska (UMESC) participated in the Center for Resilient Communities' (University of Idaho) Social Ecological Systems Training and Education Program (SESTEP), April 3-7, 2017, in Moscow, ID. The SESTEP training, which consists of both in-person and virtual modules, provides a framework for understanding the complex social and ecological interactions that affect and shape natural resource use and management (Kristen Bouska, kbouska@usgs.gov, Ecosystems).
CO2 – Carbon Dioxide
eDNA – environmental DNA
EIS – Environmental Impact Statement
GLCMS – Great Lakes Coastal Mapping Summit
GLRI – Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
IALE – International Association for Landscape Ecology
LiDAR – Light Detection and Ranging
LSU – Louisiana State University
NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NPS – National Park Service
NRPP – Natural Resources Preservation Program
O3 – Ozone
SESTEP – Social Ecological Systems Training and Education Program
SETAC – Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
UMESC – Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
UAS – Unmanned Aerial Systems
WSC – Water Science Center
