Biological Research

Recent Accomplishments

Wildlife Genetics - The USGS is a leader in the development of new molecular markers for identifying genetic variation in at-risk species. Scientists at the USGS Leetown Science Center have developed microsatellite DNA markers for freshwater mussels, horseshoe crabs, Atlantic salmon, Atlantic sturgeon, brook trout, several freshwater turtle species, several salamanders and frogs, woodrats, and the West Indian manatee. These markers are used for identifying previously undetected genetic diversity, population structure, and familial relationships, all of which aid resource stewards in managing this most fundamental form of diversity. The markers are used by an international cadre of conservation geneticists.

Invasive Species

(estimates for FY 2001, $7.6 million; FY 2002, $7.8 million; FY 2003. $7.3 million)

Non-indigenous invasive plants, animals, and disease organisms cause increasing harm to native species and significant economic losses by reducing productivity and foreclosing opportunities for beneficial uses of forests, croplands, rangelands, and aquatic resources. In recent years, many species introduced decades ago have begun to spread rapidly in U.S. ecosystems and pose increasing threats to lands and waters managed by the Department of the Interior. USGS plays an important role in Federal efforts to combat invasive species in natural and semi-natural areas through early detection and assessment of newly established invaders, monitoring of invading populations, improving understanding of the ecology of invaders and factors in the resistance of habitats to invasion, and development and testing of alternative management and control approaches. USGS research on invasive species includes all significant groups of invasive organisms in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. However, available resources have enabled USGS to intensively study only a small number of the rapidly spreading invaders identified as priority concerns by DOI managers.

USGS continues to conduct research on the effectiveness of treatments of ballast water to eliminate biological activity. This research provides essential information for developing protocols for sampling and monitoring ballast water and evaluating treatments.

Hawaiian Invaders - Hawaii's flora and fauna, which evolved in a high degree of isolation, are unusually susceptible to selective pressures from invasive species. Hawaii has the largest proportion of non-indigenous species of any State. Its ecosystems are especially vulnerable to the introduction and spread of invasive species due to increasing human travel and trade. USGS research focuses on the ecology and control of highly invasive plants (e.g., miconia, faya tree, strawberry guava, Kahili ginger), including exploration and testing for biological control agents; animals (e.g., Argentine ant, yellow jackets, brown tree snake on Guam); and wildlife disease organisms, and methods for reducing the impacts of invasive species on the region's unique native flora and fauna.

Weeds in the West - The USGS is conducting a multi-scale, integrative program for mapping infestations and accurately monitoring the spread of invasive plants (i.e., weeds) in Western forests and rangelands; improving methods for predicting areas most vulnerable to invasions; and assessing the effects of management practices and natural disturbances on invasions. The USGS is assessing the effects of invasions on ecosystems and native species (e.g., by altering the frequency and intensity of wild fires), and providing improved methods for reducing the adverse impacts of invasive weeds and for restoring public range lands affected by weed invasions.

Biological Research and Monitoring Subactivity

Invasives in the East - The USGS conducts research on invasive species that threaten ecosystems and native species in the Eastern United States. These efforts include surveys of non-indigenous species in Eastern parks and wildlife refuges, studies of pathways for establishment and spread of invasive species, research on the impacts of invasive species and factors in invasions (e.g., management history, natural and human caused disturbances), and development of methods to control or eliminate invasive species and promote healthy native communities that are resistant to invasion.

Great Lakes Invaders - USGS research supports cooperative efforts in the Great Lakes region to prevent and control the spread of invasive fish, such as the round goby and sea lamprey, reduce the pervasive impacts of zebra mussels on U.S. waterways, and manage or mitigate the adverse ecological and economic impacts of the invaders.

Recent Accomplishments

Improved Methods for Reducing Impacts of Invasive Weeds in the Great Plains - Leafy spurge and Canada thistle are plaguing the northern Great Plains, causing significant economic losses to the livestock industry, reduction in property values, and damage to natural areas and rangeland ecosystems. USGS research investigated the impacts on native species from introduced biological control insects and traditional herbicide applications. Managers use the results to minimize effects on non-target species. Experiments are also aimed at determining ecosystem-level effects of the weeds and developing ecosystem-level approaches to enhance resistance to weeds in natural areas. These experiments, in concert with studies on the role of natural and anthropogenic disturbance in invasive plant distribution, provide the scientific basis for restoration and management practices to minimize reinvasion,

Increasing Preparedness through Better Understanding of the Relationships between Foot and Mouth Disease and Native Wildlife - USGS provided expert perspective to a Department of the Interior Task Force on Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) regarding threats to wildlife and the potential role of wildlife in the spread of FMD, which has caused devastating impacts to the domestic livestock industry in Europe. As a part of this effort, USGS established productive associations with U.S. Department of Agriculture and DOI bureaus, provided the latest information on FMD to policy makers and congressional staff, and initiated collaborations with international experts to plan proposed studies during the coming year. All species of wild ungulates in the United States are susceptible to FMD, and there is little information to predict the fate of animals if they are infected with the virus. Planned experiments will expose bison, elk, and pronghorn as well as several species of birds to FMD to establish the results of infection with the virus. Additional experiments will be conducted to detect ways the virus is transmitted both within species and between species (to livestock). Information gathered from this research will be used to manage wildlife in the face of an outbreak in the United States.

West Coast Cooperative Research Program Launched to Help Prevent Invasive Species Introductions in Ballast Water Discharges - Ballast water discharged in U.S. ports-which always contains live organisms-is a major source of foreign pathogens and nuisance aquatic species such as the zebra mussel. A single vessel can carry 22,000 tons of ballast water, and ballast water discharged to U.S. ports averages 40,000 gallons per minute around the clock. In FY 2001, the USGS Western Fisheries Research Center initiated a cooperative research program to help Federal, State, and local agencies and industry address this issue. USGS assembled a consortium of nationally known scientists to respond to ballast water issues raised

Biological Research

by managers. Specialized instruments (not commercially available) were constructed at the Center's Marrowstone Marine Field Station in Washington State to help evaluate treatment technologies with laboratory scale experiments. These studies are determining the range of physical and chemical conditions that affect survival/mortality rates of aquatic organisms found in ballast water. Initial experiments subjected a variety of aquatic organisms to varying intensities of ultraviolet light under highly controlled conditions, to help determine dose levels needed for effective treatment. Regulators use results for development of science-based standards and protocols for west coast ballast water management programs.

Fire Science (-$2,800) – Funding for on-going USGS fire ecology and biological fire science activities that support local and regionally important science and technology needs of DOI bureaus will be provided through the Department's Wildland Fire Management account. The USGS scientific research provides the basis for long-term fire management and resource management activities associated with the Joint Fire Science Program.

Mark Twain National Forest Lead Mining Study (-$748) - The decrease would end a study to determine potential impacts of lead mining in the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service. The study began with an assessment of hydrologic conditions in the Big Spring, which is the hydrologic feature that is of the most value to the region and is at the greatest risk of being damaged by new mining activity. In FY 2002, work continues at Big Spring and Greer Spring, which is the second largest stream in the area. Work includes hydrologic data collection and investigations and toxicological studies of the area's aquatic biology. The decrease would end studies that would provide information to assess the potential changes to the aquifer and biota.

Treatment of Ballast Water (-$499) - The decrease would end a cooperative pilot project on the pre- and post-treatment of ballast water to eliminate invasive species, a project that should more appropriately be funded by agencies with jurisdiction over oceanic natural resources and commerce.

Yukon River Chum Salmon (-$180) - The decrease would discontinue research on Yukon River chum salmon to compare production of eggs, spawning, hatchling survival, and survival of juvenile fish moving out to sea.

Amphibian Research (-$500) - The budget eliminates an increase provided in FY 2002 to expand USGS research on various potential causes (contaminants, habitat alteration, invasive species, disease, etc.) of amphibian declines and deformities in the United States. The decrease would reduce the research program to the FY 2001 level.

Great Lakes Research Vessel Kiyi (-$416) - The budget eliminates increased funding provided in FY 2002 to purchase and install scientific and navigational equipment for the research vessel Kiyi.

300

Biological Research and Monitoring Subactivity

Molecular Biology at Leetown Science Center, WV (-$400) - The budget eliminates increased funding provided in FY 2002 to conduct fishery genetics research projects along the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic coast, in the Great Lakes and Finger Lakes, and in Northern Appalachia. These projects include systematics in support of percid and salmonid fisheries restoration, systematics of mussel (bivalve) species, and identification of disease agents. The technology is used to determine the status of fish and wildlife populations, genetic fingerprinting to identify individuals and to define species and sub-species.

Pallid Sturgeon Research (-$300) - The budget eliminates increased funding provided in FY 2002 to conduct research on the pallid sturgeon in the Missouri River basin. The decrease would discontinue scientific investigations that would locate and monitor pallid sturgeon, documenting habitat relationships and requirements for all life stages necessary for successful population growth.

Diamondback Terrapin Study (-$250) - The budget eliminates increased funding provided in FY 2002 to study the decline of diamondback terrapins in the Chesapeake Bay. The decrease would discontinue research on the Chesapeake Bay populations that is coordinated with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the University of Maryland Cooperative Research Unit.

Atlantic Salmon Study at the Tunison Laboratory, Cortland, NY (-$50) – The budget eliminates increased funding provided in FY 2002 to conduct an Atlantic salmon restoration research project at the Tunison laboratory. The research is aimed at determining the feasibility of growing different strains of Atlantic salmon in the laboratory for eventual restoration through stocking by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The decrease of -$1,181 includes a reduction of -$214 for travel and transportation and -$967 in streamlining savings resulting from organizational restructuring and workforce balancing.

Uncontrollable cost increases for this subactivity total $306, of which $140 will be budgeted and $166 will be absorbed through increased efficiencies.

Program changes for this subactivity total include: a reduction of -$21 for travel and transportation and -$143 in streamlining savings resulting from organizational restructuring and workforce balancing.

Current Program Highlights

Providing credible, applicable, unbiased information for science-based decisionmaking is a USGS priority, particularly as it pertains to the conservation, management, and use of the Nation's natural resources. To facilitate this, the USGS is committed to making available the data and information that are critical to scientific discovery and application. Databases, maps, and publications are vital mechanisms for conveying this information to users. The USGS works in cooperation with many organizations across the Country to provide critical information to partners, stakeholders, customers, and the general public. Through electronic infrastructures, the USGS delivers relevant data and information faster and in more interoperable formats than in the past, leading to better stewardship of the Nation's natural ·

resources.

National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) (estimates for FY 2001, $5.0 million; FY 2002, $6.0 million; FY 2003, $6.0 million) - The NBII is the premier USGS infrastructure for making biological data, information, and associated tools and technologies more accessible for customers and partners to use in making cost-effective, informed decisions regarding resource management, environmental pollution, natural disasters, and other issues.

The NBII uses the capabilities of the World Wide Web (WWW) and other advanced technologies to establish a distributed "federation" of biological data and information sources, through which users can find biological information, retrieve it, and apply it to resource management questions. Partners and customers that take part in this effort include government agencies at all levels, private sector organizations, natural history museums, libraries, academic Institutions, international scientific organizations, and the public.

The USGS works with many public and private partners in implementing the NBII by

(1) developing a nationwide network of advanced NBII "nodes" in selected regions around the United States, (2) continuing to expand the overall contents of the NBII, and (3) developing and applying new information tools and technologies.

In FY 2002, USGS continued development of 10 NBII nodes that were initiated in FY 2001 around the United States. Node projects are active at the following locations:

The Pacific Basin Information Node (Hawaii) addresses invasive flora and fauna issues within the islands and around the Pacific Rim ($350,000).