California has a troubling array of noxious weeds that are increasing their range and degree of disruption of ecosystem processes. We contend that sustainable control of these species ultimately requires management actions that consider these weeds in the context of their ecological role in disturbed habitats. Increasingly it is apparent that eradication methods alone, while providing short-term gains, often do not result in sustainable control. The key to ecological based sustainable control is using natural successional processes to return the native flora that provides competitive inhibition of these disturbance-dependent species. We propose testing this theory by experimental study of potential management approaches to the control of Italian thistle (Carduus pycnocephalus L.) in Sequoia National Park. We propose a three year project in which we test the effect of a highly specific herbicide (with some short term proven success) applied on a localized basis coupled, with two restoration techniques, native grass and forb seed addition and planting of native perennial grass plugs.
[image pobsKeeley1.jpg] 
In Everglades National Park (ENP), at least 12 species of non-indigenous (NI) fishes are presently established, but little is known about their potential impact on native biota. We also know little about how interactions among the NI species may affect their relative invasiveness and impact. The jewel cichlid (Hemichromis letourneauxi) is a highly aggressive omnivore, whose relative abundance and invaded range continues to increase since its first appearance in ENP in 2002. Data collected in this study will be used to assess the potential effects of H. letourneauxi throughout the greater Everglades ecosystem, and determine whether these effects may be influenced by the presence of previously established NI fishes. Insights from this study may have broad implications for the management of aquatic habitats faced with repeated introductions of NI fishes. [image pobsLoftus.jpg] 
No information exists on the status of the Glacier National Park’s (GNP) black bear (Ursus americanus) population. Black bears were sampled in 2004 using noninvasive hair collection methods as part of a 7.8 million-acre study of the regional grizzly bear (U. arctos) population. Data from individual bears will be used in mark-recapture models to estimate black bear population size and to describe density patterns in GNP. Because the cost of all fieldwork and 50% of the genetic analysis has been covered by the grizzly bear project, a comprehensive snapshot of the GNP black bear population will be obtained for 12% of a stand-alone study. [image pobsKendall1.png] 
Island loggerhead shrikes are an endemic, genetically distinct subspecies of loggerhead shrike on California’s Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands - part of Channel Islands National Park - that are listed as a Species of Special Concern by the California Department of Fish and Game and a formal request has been submitted for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act. Statistically rigorous sampling methods will be used to survey shrikes on the islands, toward the goal of estimating abundance and determining locations of birds. [image pobsStanley.jpg] 
The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is the most endangered sea turtle in the Eastern Caribbean. The NPS` Buck Island Reef National Monument’s Sea Turtle Research and Monitoring Program has been conducting an intensive tagging program for sea turtles since 1988, focusing on the hawksbill since 1990. We will utilize capture histories of individual nesting females, both within and between years, to partition changes in numbers observed over time into component vital rates (survival, breeding probability, number of nests laid per female per year), and address hypotheses about changes in these parameters over time. Finally, we will use the saturation tagging data that has been collected at Buck Island Reef to assess the amount and type of effort needed for future monitoring of similar sea turtle populations, to achieve reasonable precision. [image pobsKendall.jpg] 
The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (SACN) has been the subject of previous nutrient and mussel investigations; however, additional information is needed to support current mussel preservation activities and nutrient management initiatives. The proposed work will provide essential information to aid in our understanding of interactions between food quality, health, and survival of native mussels and water quality in the SACN by (1) characterizing current status of food resources available to native mussels, (2) experimentally investigating survival and growth of caged juvenile mussels, and (3) providing novel information on the relationship between water column and benthic food quality critical for survival of this group of threatened organisms. [image pobsBartsch1.jpg] 
A unique opportunity exists in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado to develop a non-invasive population estimation technique for bighorn sheep in a population where herd size is already known. Developing a sampling and monitoring protocol at this time, right after an extensive mark-resight study has ended, will allow us to use the results of the previous study to test our own study results. We propose to use bighorn sheep feces, and mark-resight or "capture-recapture" population analysis to estimate the herd size on the east side of the park. Recent research by Dr. Gary White at Colorado State University has set the baseline for the herd, so we will know if our non-invasive technique will be a useful management tool for the National Park Service (NPS). Modeling results of the eastside bighorn sheep herd predicts that the herd will go extinct by 2016. Being able to monitor changes in this population is critical to bighorn management in the park. But the risk to this declining herd from capture-related mortality is also high. Non-invasive methods are a feasible alternative, especially when results can be tested against mark-resight population estimates. [image pobsSchoenecker.jpg] 
Many National Parks have free-roaming cats. The Parks are responsible for removing the cats to protect native species from predation, competition, and diseases. However, their cat control efforts are hindered by native mammals (e.g. foxes, skunks, raccoons, and opossums) attracted to the bait that is used to trap cats and therefore they end up being trapped instead of the cats. The native animals not only, in general, occur in greater densities in the Parks than cats but, unlike cats, they rely on olfactory cues that can detect the bait from greater distances. Therefore the native mammals are more likely to be caught in the traps than the target species. [image pobsVyas.jpg] 
While historic records indicate that sea run brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) were present in many streams within Acadia National Park, the current status of these populations is largely unknown. We propose to continue and improve a joint research project initiated in 2006 by USGS and NPS researchers to understand the range of movement strategies for coastal brook trout and the growth and survival consequences of those strategies. In addition, we will improve our ability to determine movements between fresh and salt water by installing a novel passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag detection antenna at the mouth of the river. Results from this study will provide the Park with critical information needed to devise management plans to protect this valuable resource. [image pobsLetcher1.JPG] 
We propose to provide the first comprehensive assessment of persistence and abundance of a new, emerging disease in the Lowland Leopard Frog, a declining ranid frog species that persists in Saguaro National Park (SAGU). Using field-based, real-time PCR methodology, we will investigate seasonal and within-park patterns of infection and morbidity associated with the disease-causing chytrid fungus pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in the Lowland Leopard Frog and two possible reservoir species, the American Bullfrog and Canyon Treefrog. The study will investigate whether the disease may be cleared from one or more species or populations, which is key for future management related to disease impacts. This is important because Bd, which has been identified as a major global factor in amphibian declines, has strongly affected the Lowland Leopard Frog in the U.S. Bd is also known in the American Bullfrog, which is less affected but is a suspected disease vector or reservoir. [image http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/images/SpeciesImages/JServoss/TN/TN_Lowland_Leopard_Frog.jpg] 
Along the northern Gulf Coast, managers have struggled to find ways to maintain coastal forests, which are becoming inundated. Some managers are exploring the use of dredge spoil to increase the elevation of these sinking forests. Salt marshes have been rehabilitated via the application of dredge material because the added sediments stimulate plant growth and increase elevation. Similarly, sinking baldcypress swamps may benefit from dredge spoil application, although the usage of dredge spoil application to rehabilitate baldcypress swamps has not been sufficiently studied. This study proposes to compare the functions of swamps, which have either been treated with dredge spoil or not (control), with respect to above and below-ground production, regeneration, elevation, and herbaceous vegetation composition. Baseline studies examined preconstruction conditions of these forests (December 2006), including elevation (using Surface Elevation Tables -- SETs), vegetation composition, and seed banks with the logistical, personnel and equipment support of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (JLNHP&Pr). As part of a maintenance dredging cycle, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) approved the use of dredge spoils being deposited to forests along Barataria and Bayou Segnette Waterway in December 2006 and January 2007. Ongoing studies of forest function of control plots have been conducted since Hurricane Katrina (November 2005) along Bayou de Familles. The proposed study will allow the monitoring of the forests with dredge spoil application versus control forests. Managers grapple with the problem of how to manage these degraded coastal forests, and this project will help to determine if dredge spoil application can help rehabilitate these forests, as it has in some salt marsh situations. The results of this study will be conveyed to park staff and the public via public presentations, and posters available for display at the JLNH&Pr Visitor and Education Centers. Results will be used by park managers to formulate restoration strategies and management actions. [image pobsMiddleton3.jpg] 
Everglades National Park contains a variety of coastal habitats used by a variety of fish species, making it a popular area for recreational fishing. It has been suggested that juvenile fish data could be used to improve stock assessments and management decisions. The project will quantitatively and systematically sample Tarpon Bay for juvenile snook and other sportfishes (gray snapper, red drum, mullet, etc). Data will be used to determine geomorphological and hydrological characteristics of critical nursery habitats, as well as snook abundance estimates, growth rates, and stock of origin. Protocols and findings from Tarpon Bay could serve as a template or a preliminary working model for a larger project that would be expanded to other embayments and low-salinity backwaters that characterize much of southwest coastal Everglades. [image pobsMcIvor1.jpg] 
The frequency and abundance of marine diseases are growing (Harvell et al. 1999, Ward and Lafferty et al. 2004). While the establishment of a true baseline for historical comparison is elusive, published observations of disease normalized to overall publication rates confirm that increases in disease are real and significant for a variety of marine species, including corals (Ward and Lafferty 2004). Harvell et al. (1999) suggest that diseases may be increasing due to a combination of local and global stressors including long term trends in sea surface warming, extreme El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events and local human activities. Together these factors have modified marine environments and communities such that microbes that were once innocuous have become pathogenic (Harvell et al. 1999). This Dry Tortugas National Park-centered proposal considers the broad question: are coral pathogens endemic (and hence opportunistic in a stressed host [coral] or are they invasive pathogens introduced by anthropogenic activities. [image pobsGriffin2.png] 
The fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which causes the skin disease chytridiomycosis, has been linked to amphibian population declines and extinctions worldwide. The effect of Bd on amphibians, however, varies both across species and among populations within species, including among boreal toads (Bufo boreas) native to Grand Teton (WY) and Rocky Mountain (CO) National Parks. The pathogen is widespread in toad breeding populations in both regions yet recent, severe declines have been documented only in CO toads We will conduct a cross-infection study with Bd and toads from both regions in a range of microenvironments. This project will take significant steps towards identifying, and ruling out, evolutionary and ecological factors that favor the expression of chytridiomycosis in CO. By quantifying toad habitat use and infection status in regions with and without decline, our study may be vital for park managers targeting amphibians affected by this disease. [image pobsCorn3.png] 
The Cuyahoga River within Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) is often unacceptable for recreational use due to the high concentrations of Escherichia coli (E. coli), a fecal-indicator bacterium. Park management would like to encourage use of the river when the water quality is within acceptable limits. A predictive tool, such as a regression model, would be a welcome addition to the park management’s toolbox to provide current information on the quality of the water. In previous studies the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Park Service developed regression models that predicted E. coli concentrations based on turbidity and rainfall measurements. In 2006, these models correctly predicted recreational water quality (above or below the E. coli single-sample maximum for primary-contact recreation) 62 percent of the time at a site near the upstream end of the park and 87 percent of the time at a centrally-located site within the park. The next step is to implement the models by providing park staff and the public with model predictions. Predictive models will be used to estimate current-day water-quality conditions. Predictions will be posted to a public Web page (Ohio Nowcast; www.ohionowcast.info) and recorded as a telephone message that will be available toll-free. Models will be refined as needed each year. The USGS staff will transfer this technology to the CVNP staff, so that by the conclusion of the study, the CVNP staff will be able to run the models and maintain the Web page. Further, to increase awareness of model implementation, a fact sheet will be created and published for dissemination to the public. [image pobsBrady1.png] 
Body condition may be the most important correlate of survival and reproduction for ungulates in general. We propose to develop and evaluate a ‘hands-off’ approach to assess body condition of 2 ecotypes of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in 4 herds that occur in Alaska’s National Parks and Preserves. This technique employs stable isotopes in nitrogen metabolites from snow urine and feces collected in late winter to estimate the body condition relative to protein stores of individuals. We will examine the effects of demographic and environmental parameters on the protein status of caribou in late winter. This research will provide a non-invasive technique that will allow for evaluation of trends in nutritional status of northern ungulates and resilience of these populations to climate change. [image pobsGriffin.jpg] 
The current population status of the federally Threatened Haleakala silversword is unclear, with compelling but inconclusive evidence suggesting that its population may be on the decline after decades of recovery. We propose to develop and conduct an accurate baseline map and census of silversword subpopulations in Haleakala National Park, and develop a monitoring protocol for tracking annual population trends. We also propose to research the spatial dynamics and effects of the invasive Argentine ant on insect pollinators and rates of seed set in the Haleakala silversword. [image pobsLoope.jpg] 
Removal of two high-head dams on the Elwha River in Olympic National Park, WA will expose 276 ha of barren soil in the de-watered reservoirs. Preventing the establishment of invasive exotic plants is the highest management priority for the reservoirs. We propose to facilitate achieving this goal by updating a past survey for exotic plants then spatially modeling the spread from known sources and identifying unexplored potential sources of priority species using gravity models. [image pobsWoodward.gif] 
The NPS Northeast Coastal and Barrier and Northeast Temperate Networks have identified seagrass condition indicators as a critical component of Vital Signs monitoring. Seagrass condition assessment requires expertise in the ecology of seagrass species and sampling techniques. This project will provide USGS technical assistance for assessing the condition of seagrass beds at three north Atlantic coastal parks (FIIS, ASIS, and ACAD), developing a data management system for NPS seagrass data, and linking NPS data to broader regional and international information systems. [image pobsNeckles.JPG] 
The South Florida pine rocklands are a globally endangered ecosystem and only less than ten percent of the original habitat remains. Controlling exotic plants, especially Schinus and reestablishing pine trees are critical for restoring pine rocklands. The proposed research will determine effects of pine trees (natives and replanted) and exotic plants on changes of soil properties. [image pobsSnyder.jpg] 
Managers at CHIS require a sampling protocol to track population abundance as numbers of both deer and elk approach zero as mandated by a court-sanctioned settlement agreement. We propose to stratify Santa Rosa Island on the basis of vegetative features likely to influence the detectability of deer and elk and to identify sampling units (SUs) within each stratum covering the entire island. We will conduct aerial counts from a helicopter and road-based line-transect counts of each species within each count unit in December 2007 and 2008. [image pobsGogan2.png] 
A recent increase in the number of riparian birds exhibiting deformities at Tumacacori NHP has raised concerns about the quality of the water in the Santa Cruz River, the potential for infectious avian diseases within the Park, and the overall health of the riparian bird community. We propose to study this potentially serious problem by 1) monitoring breeding bird populations in riparian woodlands at Tumacacori NHP (and at a nearby control study site), 2) documenting the prevalence of deformities within these populations, and 3) identifying the underlying causes of the observed deformities. Results from this exploratory research project will benefit Tumacacori NHP by providing important information with which to better manage and conserve the riparian bird community within the Park. [image pobsConway2.jpg] 
The federally endangered Nene (Branta sandvicensis), or Hawaiian Goose, once present on most of the Hawaiian Islands, was found only on Hawai’i Island by 1900. Nene have been restored to a few places like Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park (HAVO). As their slow recovery has progressed, Nene have begun to reestablish some natural movement patterns and routes that connect their isolated small subpopulations on Hawai’i Island. The objectives of this research are to understand long distance movements of HAVO Nene that travel between distant populations on Hawai’I Island and to determine habitat use patterns of Nene in the Kahuku Unit. [image pobsHess.jpg] 
In 1999 and 2005, the newly restored Yellowstone wolf population experienced significantly reduced pup recruitment suggestive of a disease outbreak. This exploratory research will use new molecular techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to assess viral content of scats as an indicator of temporal and spatial distribution of these pathogens. In addressing these issues, we hope to provide information on how disease may affect the YNP wolf population and the long-term wolf management goals of the Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho wolf recovery area [image pobsMech.jpg]
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL:
http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/POBS1.cfm
Page Contact Information: Paul_Geissler@usgs.gov
