Identifying Priority Science Information Needs for Managing Public Lands.

Public lands worldwide provide diverse resources, uses, and values, ranging from wilderness to extractive uses. Decision-making on public lands is complex as a result and is required by law to be informed by science. However, public land managers may not always have the science they need.

Asymmetric impacts of climate change on thermal habitat suitability for inland lake fishes.

Climate change is altering the thermal habitats of freshwater fish species. We analyze modeled daily temperature profiles from 12,688 lakes in the US to track changes in thermal habitat of 60 lake fish species from different thermal guilds during 1980-2021. We quantify changes in each species' preferred days, defined as the number of days per year when a lake contains the species' preferred temperature.

Coyote use of prairie dog colonies is most frequent in areas used by American badgers.

The consequences of intraguild predation on vulnerable subordinate species are an important consideration in the recovery of endangered species. In prairie ecosystems, coyotes () are the primary predator of endangered black-footed ferrets (; hereafter, ferrets) and presumably compete for prairie dog ( spp.) prey.

Pasture and diurnal temperature are key predictors of regional Plains Spotted Skunk () distribution.

The Plains Spotted Skunk () is a small carnivore native to central North America that has experienced significant population reductions, and there is a lack of information about the species that could inform conservation. Our study aimed to address knowledge gaps about the distribution and habitat associations of the species in South Dakota using species distribution modeling. We used species location data collected from state natural resource managers, trappers, and members of online social media groups dedicated to hunting and wildlife conservation; environmental predictors; and 6 predictive modeling algorithms (i.

Exosomal Micro RNA Isolation in White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for Diagnostic Biomarker Discovery.

Molecular approaches are becoming more prevalent for the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases in human medicine and can be extended to diagnosis of wildlife diseases such as chronic wasting disease and other prion diseases. These diseases have been associated with exosome-bound molecular biomarkers of disease progression, such as proteins and micro RNA molecules (miRNA). We tested and optimized a method for exosomal miRNA isolation from minimally invasive, small-volume serum samples obtained from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus).

The Cost of Self-Defense: Browsing Effects in the Rare Plant Species .

Coevolution between plants and their animal predators has led to diverse defensive adaptations. Multiple theories of defense propose that there are resource allocation costs associated with producing chemical defenses. One leading hypothesis, optimal defense theory (ODT), suggests that natural selection will result in the allocation of resources to defenses that optimize the cost-to-benefit ratio between defense and other functional processes.

Declining ecological resilience and invasion resistance under climate change in the sagebrush region, United States.

In water-limited dryland ecosystems of the Western United States, climate change is intensifying the impacts of heat, drought, and wildfire. Disturbances often lead to increased abundance of invasive species, in part, because dryland restoration and rehabilitation are inhibited by limited moisture and infrequent plant recruitment events. Information on ecological resilience to disturbance (recovery potential) and resistance to invasive species can aid in addressing these challenges by informing long-term restoration and conservation planning.

Structurally Selective Ozonolysis of -Phenylenediamines and Toxicity in Coho Salmon and Rainbow Trout.

The tire-rubber-derived ozonation product of -(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-'-phenyl--phenylenediamine (6PPD), -(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-'-phenyl--phenylenediamine-quinone (6PPD-Q), was recently discovered to cause acute mortality in coho salmon (). -Phenylenediamines (PPDs) with variable side chains distinct from 6PPD have been identified as potential replacement antioxidants, but their toxicities remain unclear under environmentally relevant ozone conditions. We herein tested the multiphase gas-surface ozone reactivity of four select PPDs [6PPD, -isopropyl-'-phenyl--phenylenediamine (IPPD), ,'-diphenyl--phenylenediamine (DPPD), and -phenyl-'-cyclohexyl--phenylenediamine (CPPD)] and evaluated the toxicity of their reaction mixtures in coho salmon, rainbow trout (), and fathead minnow ().

Using stable oxygen isotope dual-inlet isotope-ratio mass spectrometry to elucidate uranium transport and mixed Th/U calcite formation ages at the seminal Devils Hole, Nevada, natural laboratory.

Rationale: Vein calcite in Devils Hole has been precipitating continuously in oxygen-isotope equilibrium at a constant temperature for over 500 000 years, providing an unmatched δO paleoclimate time series. A substantial issue is that coeval calcite (based on matching δO values) has uranium-series ages differing by 12 000 years.

Methods: An unparalleled high-accuracy δO chronology series from continuously submerged calcite was used to correct the published uranium-series ages of non-continuously formed calcite in two cores, cyclically exposed by water-table decline during glacial-interglacial transitions.

A conceptual framework to inform conservation status assessments of non-charismatic species.

The conservation of at-risk species is rooted in the ability of natural resource agencies to recognize when a species is imperiled and in need of regulatory action, which can be a difficult task due to incomplete information. Freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae), are a highly imperiled group of aquatic organisms and conservation tools such as the NatureServe Conservation Methodology provide a framework to determine whether a species is in decline and in need of potential management. For data deficient species like mussels this method relies heavily on expert opinion, which can lead to biased estimates of conservation status that may not reflect the true nature of their conservation need.

Amphibian richness, rarity, threats, and conservation prospects across the U.S. National Park System.

We assessed amphibian diversity, rarity, and threats across the National Park System (U.S.A.

Comparing microbiological and molecular diagnostic tools for the surveillance of anthrax.

The diagnosis of anthrax, a zoonotic disease caused by Bacillus anthracis can be complicated by detection of closely related species. Conventional diagnosis of anthrax involves microscopy, culture identification of bacterial colonies and molecular detection. Genetic markers used are often virulence gene targets such as B.

Economic losses to inland recreational fisheries from harmful algal blooms.

This paper presents research on the recreational impacts of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and other water quality changes in the U.S. heartland.

A novel in-silico model explores LanM homologs among Hyphomicrobium spp.

Investigating microorganisms in metal-enriched environments holds the potential to revolutionize the sustainable recovery of critical metals such as lanthanides (Ln). We observe Hyphomicrobium spp. as part of a Fe/Mn-oxidizing consortia native to the ferruginous bottom waters of a Ln-enriched lake in Czechia.

A 'how-to' guide for estimating animal diel activity using hierarchical models.

Animal diel activity patterns can aid understanding of (a) how species behaviourally adapt to anthropogenic and natural disturbances, (b) mechanisms of species co-existence through temporal partitioning, and (c) community or ecosystem effects of diel activity shifts. Activity patterns often vary spatially, a feature ignored by the kernel density estimators (KDEs) currently used for estimating diel activity. Ignoring this source of heterogeneity may lead to biased estimates of uncertainty and misleading conclusions regarding the drivers of diel activity.

Increasing phosphorus loss despite widespread concentration decline in US rivers.

The loss of phosphorous (P) from the land to aquatic systems has polluted waters and threatened food production worldwide. Systematic trend analysis of P, a nonrenewable resource, has been challenging, primarily due to sparse and inconsistent historical data. Here, we leveraged intensive hydrometeorological data and the recent renaissance of deep learning approaches to fill data gaps and reconstruct temporal trends.

A global fairtrade partnership needed to address injustices in the supply chains of clean energy technology materials.

Abstract: Renewable sources produced close to one-third of the world's electricity in 2023. However, a limited but growing body of research suggests rapid renewable energy development is leading to conflict and resource exploitation in energy-transitioning communities. Such injustices are attributable to the extractivist nature of renewable energy development, where raw materials, also known as Clean Energy Technology Materials (CETMs), are in limited quantities and often concentrated in resource-constrained zones in the Global South.

Genome sequences of toxigenic cyanobacteria from a bloom in Lake Mattamuskeet, North Carolina (United States).

Lake Mattamuskeet, the largest lake in North Carolina, USA, has undergone decades-long eutrophication causing reduced water quality and promoting cyanobacterial blooms that may produce toxins. It is therefore necessary to evaluate the cyanobacterial diversity of the lake and their toxigenic potential. We present draft genomes of Microcystis, Pelatocladus, Raphidiopsis, and Umezakia strains isolated from Lake Mattamuskeet.

Temporal concentrations of Quaternary ammonium compounds in wastewater treatment effluents during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020-2021.

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC) are high production chemicals used in many commercial and household disinfection products. During the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, QACs were included on lists of COVID-19 disinfectants. Increased QAC use could lead to higher levels of QACs in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents, which could subsequently be released into the environment.

Secondary contact erodes Pleistocene diversification in a wide-ranging freshwater mussel (Quadrula).

The isolated river drainages of eastern North America serve as a natural laboratory to investigate the roles of allopatry and secondary contact in the evolutionary trajectories of recently diverged lineages. Drainage divides facilitate allopatric speciation, but due to their sensitivity to climatic and geomorphological changes, neighboring rivers frequently coalesce, creating recurrent opportunities of isolation and contact throughout the history of aquatic lineages. The freshwater mussel Quadrula quadrula is widely distributed across isolated rivers of eastern North America and possesses high phenotypic and molecular variation across its range.