Eastern Idaho Research Articles

A Cost-Effective System for Measuring Microscale Habitat Use of Small Mammals with High Precision

Radiotelemetry provides an opportunity to measure animal behavior when other methods are not feasible, but triangulation errors limit the grain at which habitat relationships can be inferred. Additionally, inferred behavioral patterns often are biased toward times when organisms are accessible; often, for nocturnal organisms, when the organisms are resting. We developed an automated radiotelemetry system that is precise, temporally unbiased, and cost-effective. The system consisted of a sensor grid composed of radio receivers that detect the presence of a radiocollared animal within a measurable, adjustable area. The aerial extent of detection is testable, precise (mean error <0.5 m), and consistent. After the sensors are installed, data collection effort is minimal. We tested this system by collecting microscale habitat-use data on snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) in eastern Idaho, USA. This system will be useful in applications where extremely precise location data and representative sampling across time are important for assessing use patterns. It is most useful for smaller animals where the spatial constraints are not limiting and Global Positioning System collars are not currently an option.

Cenozoic topographic and climatic response to changing tectonic boundary conditions in Western North America

This study presents an oxygen isotopic record from the Paleocene to the Pliocene based on the analysis of predominantly paleosol carbonate from intermontane basins in southwestern Montana and eastern Idaho. δ 18O values of calcite decrease by 7 to 10‰ between ∼ 50 and 47 Ma in southwestern Montana and Idaho most likely as a result of an increase in elevation of 2.5 to 3.5 km. This rise in elevation is roughly contemporaneous with the emplacement of the nearby Challis Volcanics, and the formation of metamorphic core complexes in the hinterland of the Sevier thrust belt. Moreover, when compared to previous oxygen isotopic studies that show oxygen isotopic shifts of similar magnitude occurring later (in the late Eocene to early Oligocene in northeastern Nevada, and late Oligocene to Miocene in southern Nevada), the results of this study add to a growing body of evidence for a spatial and temporal migration of high surface elevations from north to south in the Great Basin of western United States. This surface uplift history supports tectonic models calling for north to south removal of the Farallon slab or delamination of the mantle lithosphere.

BRUCELLOSIS IN ELK OF EASTERN IDAHO

Brucellosis occurs in free-ranging elk (Cervus elaphus) and bison (Bison bison) in the Greater Yellowstone Area, which includes portions of Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. Brucella abortus was first detected in elk in Idaho in 1998, and from 1998 to 2002, serologic surveillance of hunter-killed elk was conducted in northeastern and southeastern Idaho. Prevalence of antibodies in these elk varied annually, but averaged between 2% and 3%. Elk were also trapped in northeastern Idaho from 1998-2002 and tested for brucellosis using serology and tissue culture. In areas where artificial feeding of elk was done, antibody prevalence ranged from 12% to 80% depending on site, age, and sex. At one feeding site (Rainey Creek), a decline in the prevalence of antibodies (from 56.8% in 1999 to 13.5% in 2002) was detected after the removal of seropositive elk over 4 yr. Seropositive elk removed from two artificial winter feeding sites (Rainey Creek and Conant Creek) were euthanized and sampled or held in captivity and allowed to calve prior to euthanasia and necropsy. At necropsy, B. abortus biovar 1 and B. abortus biovar 4 were isolated from both cows and calves; however, biovar 4 was predominant. A dual infection with both biovars was found in one calf born to a seropositive cow from which biovar 4 was isolated. Abortions (16%), stillbirths (8%), and weak calves (4%) were observed in these elk. These findings confirm the presence of brucellosis in elk in eastern Idaho and provide information on disease management options.

Reliability and longitudinal change of detrital-zircon age spectra in the Snake River system, Idaho and Wyoming: An example of reproducing the bumpy barcode

Detrital-zircon age-spectra effectively define provenance in Holocene and Neogene fluvial sands from the Snake River system of the northern Rockies, U.S.A. SHRIMP U–Pb dates have been measured for forty-six samples (about 2700 zircon grains) of fluvial and aeolian sediment. The detrital-zircon age distributions are repeatable and demonstrate predictable longitudinal variation. By lumping multiple samples to attain populations of several hundred grains, we recognize distinctive, provenance-defining zircon-age distributions or “barcodes,” for fluvial sedimentary systems of several scales, within the upper and middle Snake River system. Our detrital-zircon studies effectively define the geochronology of the northern Rocky Mountains. The composite detrital-zircon grain distribution of the middle Snake River consists of major populations of Neogene, Eocene, and Cretaceous magmatic grains plus intermediate and small grain populations of multiply recycled Grenville (∼950 to 1300 Ma) grains and Yavapai–Mazatzal province grains (∼1600 to 1800 Ma) recycled through the upper Belt Supergroup and Cretaceous sandstones. A wide range of older Paleoproterozoic and Archean grains are also present. The best-case scenario for using detrital-zircon populations to isolate provenance is when there is a point-source pluton with known age, that is only found in one location or drainage. We find three such zircon age-populations in fluvial sediments downstream from the point-source plutons: Ordovician in the southern Beaverhead Mountains, Jurassic in northern Nevada, and Oligocene in the Albion Mountains core complex of southern Idaho. Large detrital-zircon age-populations derived from regionally well-defined, magmatic or recycled sedimentary, sources also serve to delimit the provenance of Neogene fluvial systems. In the Snake River system, defining populations include those derived from Cretaceous Atlanta lobe of the Idaho batholith (80 to 100 Ma), Eocene Challis Volcanic Group and associated plutons (∼45 to 52 Ma), and Neogene rhyolitic Yellowstone–Snake River Plain volcanics (∼0 to 17 Ma). For first-order drainage basins containing these zircon-rich source terranes, or containing a point-source pluton, a 60-grain random sample is sufficient to define the dominant provenance. The most difficult age-distributions to analyze are those that contain multiple small zircon age-populations and no defining large populations. Examples of these include streams draining the Proterozoic and Paleozoic Cordilleran miogeocline in eastern Idaho and Pleistocene loess on the Snake River Plain. For such systems, large sample bases of hundreds of grains, plus the use of statistical methods, may be necessary to distinguish detrital-zircon age-spectra.

Intraspecific Phylogeography of Red Squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) in the Central Rocky Mountain Region of North America

We used variation in a portion of the mitochondrial DNA control region to examine phylogeography of Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, a boreal-adapted small mammal in the central Rocky Mountain region. AMOVA revealed that 65.66% of genetic diversity was attributable to variation within populations, 16.93% to variation among populations on different mountain ranges, and 17.41% to variation among populations within mountain ranges. Nested clade analysis revealed two major clades that likely diverged in allopatry during the Pleistocene: a southern clade from southern Colorado and a northern clade comprising northern Colorado, Wyoming, eastern Utah, and eastern Idaho. Historically restricted gene flow as a result of geographic barriers was indicated between populations on opposite sides of the Green River and Wyoming Basin and among populations in eastern Wyoming. In some instances genetic structure indicated isolation by distance.

River regulation, decline of ecological resources, and potential for restoration in a semi-arid lands river in the western USA

Societal needs for power generation, water management/use, and land uses (e.g., urban and agricultural) have often resulted in a significant departure from the natural processes of hydrologic regimes and material transport and deposition throughout most of the rivers flowing through arid and semi-arid landscapes of the western USA. We examine the compromised ecosystem integrity of one such river, the upper Snake River in eastern Idaho, below a large irrigation and power dam that has altered hydrologic regimes and reduced channel sediment supply. We review the ecological structure and function of gravel-bed rivers as they vary across a hierarchy of landscape scales with different spatial and temporal dimensions. Major linkages within the large, alluvial river systems of the western USA include exchange of water and materials along longitudinal connections from streams to rivers, lateral connections between river and floodplain systems, and vertical surface and subsurface (hyporheic) water exchanges. Longitudinal linkages dominate confined (canyon) river reaches while unconfined (floodplain) reaches show strong affinities for lateral and vertical exchange. Hydrogeomorphic processes, driven by river power and cut and fill alluviation, produce a dynamic landscape in floodplain reaches, which we refer to as a Shifting Habitat Mosaic (SHM). The SHM fosters high physical and ecological diversity of habitats, biotic communities, and ecosystem complexity. In this case study, we examine the dynamics of a series of floodplains along a 90 km river landscape, employing an airborne spectrophotometer, producing georeferenced hyperspectral imagery, coupled with ground truth measures of river hydraulics, river depth, riparian vegetation and other surface characteristics. From these data we derived estimates of the hydraulics and hydrographic regimes necessary to mobilize channel and riparian sediments, thus reestablishing the dynamics of the river SHM. We also evaluated subsequent variation in aquatic and riparian habitat characteristics. Evaluation of these factors, which affect interactions between the river channel and the surrounding river–riparian corridor, permitted us to develop a restoration strategy focused on normative variation among the various physical and biotic processes contributing to ecosystem integrity.

Impact of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children on the Healthy Eating Behaviors of Preschool Children in Eastern Idaho

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) on the eating behaviors of preschool children. Children were selected from 7 health clinics in southeastern Idaho. Socioeconomic and dietary information was collected and analyzed from the childrens' initial and 6-month certification data. The US Department of Agriculture's Healthy Eating Index was used to evaluate eating behavior. After 6 months on the WIC Program, the mean overall Healthy Eating Index score and component scores for vegetables, fruits, and meats increased significantly.

04/02593 Trace elements and common ions in south eastern Idaho snow: regional air pollutant tracers for source area emissions: Abbott, M. et al. Fuel Processing Technology, 2004, 85, (6–7), 657–671

04/02593 Trace elements and common ions in south eastern Idaho snow: regional air pollutant tracers for source area emissions: Abbott, M. et al. Fuel Processing Technology, 2004, 85, (6–7), 657–671

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Site: An Overview of Site History and Soil and Groundwater Contamination Issues

In a remote site in eastern Idaho, now known as the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Site, the U.S. Government established a facility to test‐fire naval gunnery during World War II. The mission after the war switched to development and demonstration of nuclear technology. For more than 50 yr, the site has been devoted to nuclear energy research. Because of the remote location of the site west of Idaho Falls, ID, wastes containing radioactive and hazardous materials were disposed to the subsurface. It was felt that any disposed materials would not travel downward through the vadose zone, which is 100 to 300 m thick, to the underlying Snake River Aquifer. However, some materials have traveled through the thick vadose zone and contaminated the aquifer. Other wastes were injected directly into the aquifer. To provide a general background for papers in this special issue of Vadose Zone Journal on research at the INEEL, we give a brief historical perspective of work conducted at the INEEL Site west of Idaho Falls and associated subsurface contamination issues. We furthermore give an overview of the research papers presented in this special issue.

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Site: An Overview of Site History and Soil and Groundwater Contamination Issues

In a remote site in eastern Idaho, now known as the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Site, the U.S. Government established a facility to test-fire naval gunnery during World War II. The mission after the war switched to development and demonstration of nuclear technology. For more than 50 yr, the site has been devoted to nuclear energy research. Because of the remote location of the site west of Idaho Falls, ID, wastes containing radioactive and hazardous materials were disposed to the subsurface. It was felt that any disposed materials would not travel downward through the vadose zone, which is 100 to 300 m thick, to the underlying Snake River Aquifer. However, some materials have traveled through the thick vadose zone and contaminated the aquifer. Other wastes were injected directly into the aquifer. To provide a general background for papers in this special issue of Vadose Zone Journal on research at the INEEL, we give a brief historical perspective of work conducted at the INEEL Site west of Idaho Falls and associated subsurface contamination issues. We furthermore give an overview of the research papers presented in this special issue.

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Site

In a remote site in eastern Idaho, now known as the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Site, the U.S. Government established a facility to test-fire naval gunnery during World War II. The mission after the war switched to development and demonstration of nuclear technology. For more than 50 yr, the site has been devoted to nuclear energy research. Because of the remote location of the site west of Idaho Falls, ID, wastes containing radioactive and hazardous materials were disposed to the subsurface. It was felt that any disposed materials would not travel downward through the vadose zone, which is 100 to 300 m thick, to the underlying Snake River Aquifer. However, some materials have traveled through the thick vadose zone and contaminated the aquifer. Other wastes were injected directly into the aquifer. To provide a general background for papers in this special issue of Vadose Zone Journal on research at the INEEL, we give a brief historical perspective of work conducted at the INEEL Site west of Idaho Falls and associated subsurface contamination issues. We furthermore give an overview of the research papers presented in this special issue.

Filamentous fungi quiescent in seeds and culm nodes of weedy and forage grass species endemic to the Palouse Region of Washington and Idaho.

Asymptomatic seeds of forage and weedy grasses from germplasm accessions and from uncultivated sites in eastern Washington and western Idaho were assayed for the presence of quiescent filamentous fungi. Asymptomatic culm nodes of the same species were similarly assayed. The predominant taxa isolated were strains of dematiaceous hyphomycetes, principally strains of Alternaria and Cladosporium. A. infectoria was the species most frequently isolated from seed. A. tenuissima was common and A. alternata was rare. Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium were very rare or absent in stored germplasm. Pathogenic coelomycetes were common in asymptomatic node samples, occasionally present in asymptomatic field seed, but were not detected in germplasm accessions. Previous reports of frequent occurrence of A. alternata in grass seed are probably the results of misidentification of various small-spored Alternarias, especially A. infectoria, as A. alternata.

Preparing to Benchmark

Four hospital and three academic libraries in a Health Science Library consortium in eastern Washington and northern Idaho used the CHLA Benchmarking Tool Kit to survey users and compare libraries. Members determined the importance of, and satisfaction with, many library services. They compared service-per-FTE of primary users for themselves and the CHLA pilot libraries. They began changes to improve library services. Hospital members gained experience with benchmarking, and initiated use of the information with their administrations. Comparable data, timing, determining survey sample size, and dealing with human subjects' protection was found important. A great deal of data was found “missing” or very difficult to collect.

Topographic Distortion of a Cold Front over the Snake River Plain and Central Idaho Mountains

The topographic distortion of a cold front over the Snake River Plain (SRP) and central Idaho Mountains on 3 December 1998 is described using high-density surface observations from MesoWest, a collection of meteorological networks over the western United States. Although relatively unperturbed upstream of central Idaho, the cold front became distorted as it was deflected and accelerated up the low-elevation SRP, where a pronounced frontal bulge developed. The speed of the cold front over the SRP was comparable to the magnitude of the postfrontal winds that, due to terrain channeling, were oriented normal to the front. Meanwhile, the front advanced more slowly over the central Idaho mountains and southwest Montana, becoming increasingly diffuse over the former. Eventually, cold air surrounded the central Idaho Mountains and the two portions of the cold front merged over eastern Idaho. The cold front intensified as it moved from the eastern to central SRP, with rapid changes in temperature and pressure observed at locations in the southern half of the SRP. Intensification of the cross-frontal temperature gradient in this region appeared to be the result of confluence between southerly prefrontal winds, which experienced downslope warming to the lee of the Jarbidge–Caribou Highlands, and terrain-channeled postfrontal winds. Although the rapid changes in temperature and pressure suggested that the front developed the local structure of a gravity current, the frontal motion over the SRP was not consistent with gravity current theory and instead appeared to be the result of advection of the front by the terrain-induced flow field. The case study illustrates the value of high-density and multielevation MesoWest observations for advancing knowledge of frontal evolution over the western United States and improving operational surface analyses. Such observations aid in the identification of large-scale airmass and circulation changes that can be masked by boundary layer processes, valley inversions, and local and mesoscale terrain-induced wind systems.

Emergency Response Transport Forecasting Using Historical Wind Field Pattern Matching

Abstract Historical pattern matching, or analog forecasting, is used to generate short-term mesoscale transport forecasts for emergency response at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. A simple historical pattern-matching algorithm operating on a database from the spatially and temporally dense Eastern Idaho Mesonet is used to generate a wind field forecast, which then is input to an existing puff diffusion model. The forecasts are rated both by a team of meteorologists and by a computer scoring method. Over 60% of the forecasts are rated as acceptable. The forecasts also are compared with a persistence method, using both a subjective human evaluation and root-mean-square error calculations.

Obsidian Use in Wyoming and the Concept of Curation

The concept of curation has been extensively used in studies of the organization of flaked stone tool technology. This concept incorporates a wide range of strategies and behaviors that mobile huntergatherers would have employed under disparate conditions. The quality and availability of raw materials is one factor influencing how mobile hunter-gatherers manufactured, used, and transported flaked stone implements. Because obsidian can be sourced to at least general locales, the examination of obsidian use in locations at various distances from its source provides a means of understanding the role of distribution of raw materials. The results of x-ray fluorescence sourcing of 179 specimens from 18 excavated sites in V!Yoming and northern Colorado indicate that the most important sources were Obsidian Cliff, Bear Gulch, and Malad in eastern Idaho and northwest Wyoming, located approximately 115 to 700 km from the excavated sites. It appears that mobile hunter-gatherers inhabiting the sites nearest the obsidian sources brought blanks from the source to the site for further reduction. By exchange with groups encountered during their annual movements, the occupants of sites farther from the sources obtained completed tools that they conserved and maintained as individuals’ personal gear.

Response of advance lodgepole pine regeneration to overstory removal in eastern Idaho

Twenty-two stands of advance lodgepole pine released with overstory removal were sampled to determine height growth response. Tree and site characteristics correlated with release response were identified, and a mathematical model was developed to predict height growth in years 6 through 10 after release as a function of residual overstory basal area, height at release, percent rock cover, five-year cumulative growth prior to release, logging damage, stand elevation, and habitat type. Lodgepole pine responded to release with increased height growth in 97% of the trees sampled. Growth was similar to that of unsuppressed trees. Height growth is best when the entire overstory is removed and logging damage is avoided. Taller trees generally do not respond as well as shorter trees. However, trees growing fast before harvest continue to grow fast regardless of their height at release. Recommendations for selecting stands of advance lodgepole pine to release are provided.

Seasonal Movements of Sandhill Cranes Radiomarked in Yellowstone National Park and Jackson Hole, Wyoming

We radiomarked 9 (1 ad. 8 juv) greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadeusis tabida) in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and Jackson Hole (JH). Wyoming, during summers 1984-86 to assess seasonal movements and survival and to identify important use areas. We relocated marked cranes on 872 occasions through June 1989. Mean transmitter life was 32 months (13.0-45.5), and 8 cranes were alive when transmitters failed Mean annual survival rate was 0.97 (SE = 0.16). All movements were within the known geographic range of the Rocky Mountain Population (RMP) of greater sandhill cranes. In September, cranes departed summer areas and moved up to 140 km (x = 85) to a fall premigration staging area in Teton Basin in eastern Idaho. All cranes used the RMP autumn and spring staging area in the San Luis Valley (SLV) in southcentral Colorado, and S wintered in the Middle Rio Grande Valley (MRGV). New Mexico, ≤1,450 km from YNP. The winter location of 1 crane was undetermined. Juveniles separated from parents during spri migration when ± 10 months old and summered 4 -62 km from natal areas. During their third summer, 3 subadults occupied the same summer sites used as yearlings and 3 occupied new sites 3-47 km from natal sites. All 9 cranes exhibited area fidelity and used the same general locations in the SLV and winter areas during successive years; juveniles apparently learned traditional use areas from parents Repeated animal use of the same seasonal locations reflected habitat stability and probably enhanced survival. The welfare of YNP, JH, and other RMP cranes depends on long-term habitat protection at key federal and state management areas and private lands throughout their geographic range.

Doppler Radar Analysis of a Snake River Plain Convergence Event

Abstract A convergence zone periodically forms in the Snake River plain (SRP) of eastern Idaho as a result of terrain-induced boundary layer flow under synoptic northwesterly flow at low and midlevels. Complex terrain in central and eastern Idaho is critical to the formation of this mesoscale feature, which is characterized by wind shift lines accompanied by cumulus or stratocumulus bands. These cloud bands routinely produce virga or light rain or light snow and, occasionally, result in moderate to heavy precipitation. Doppler weather radar analysis of a convergence event that produced heavy postfrontal snowfall in the lower SRP on 26 November 1995 is presented. This event was selected for study because significant snowfall resulted from a persistent and well-defined boundary layer convergence zone. The high-resolution (40 km) Eta Model data available from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction did not sufficiently resolve the mesoscale processes that initiated this event. The Eta Model indicat...

Geostatistical analysis of regional hydraulic conductivity variations in the Snake River Plain aquifer, eastern Idaho

Research Article| July 01, 1997 Geostatistical analysis of regional hydraulic conductivity variations in the Snake River Plain aquifer, eastern Idaho J. A. Welhan; J. A. Welhan 1Idaho Geological Survey, Box 8072, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho 83209 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar M. F. Reed M. F. Reed 2Geology Department, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho 83209 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information J. A. Welhan 1Idaho Geological Survey, Box 8072, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho 83209 M. F. Reed 2Geology Department, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho 83209 Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (1997) 109 (7): 855–868. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1997)109<0855:GAORHC>2.3.CO;2 Article history First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation J. A. Welhan, M. F. Reed; Geostatistical analysis of regional hydraulic conductivity variations in the Snake River Plain aquifer, eastern Idaho. GSA Bulletin 1997;; 109 (7): 855–868. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1997)109<0855:GAORHC>2.3.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract The regional spatial correlation structure of bulk horizontal hydraulic conductivity (Kb) estimated from published transmissivity data from 79 open boreholes in the fractured basalt aquifer of the eastern Snake River Plain was analyzed with geostatistical methods. The two-dimensional spatial correlation structure of ln Kb shows a pronounced 4:1 range anisotropy, with a maximum correlation range in the north-northwest–south-southeast direction of about 6 km. The maximum variogram range of ln Kb is similar to the mean length of flow groups exposed at the surface. The ln Kb range anisotropy is similar to the mean width/length ratio of late Quaternary and Holocene basalt lava flows and the orientations of the major volcanic structural features on the eastern Snake River Plain. The similarity between ln Kb correlation scales and basalt flow dimensions and between basalt flow orientations and correlation range anisotropy suggests that the spatial distribution of zones of high hydraulic conductivity may be controlled by the lateral dimensions, spatial distribution, and interconnection between highly permeable zones which are known to occur between lava flows within flow groups. If hydraulic conductivity and lithology are eventually shown to be cross correlative in this geologic setting, it may be possible to stochastically simulate hydraulic conductivity distributions, which are conditional on a knowledge of volcanic stratigraphy. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.