One of the most influential disturbances for stream fish assemblages is large-scale declines in flow caused by periods of drought. Although stream characteristics are known to influence the response of stream fishes to drought, we asked if ecological traits of stream fishes determine, in part, their population level response to drought. To test for ecological trait-based responses to drought in a stream fish assemblage, we quantified species abundances over a period of 5 years that represented a wet to dry period. We sampled stream fishes in Yellow Creek, Wyoming, USA, a high elevation stream dependent on snow-storage for most of its flow. There were five regularly occurring species in the study site: redside shiner (Richardsonius balteatus), northern leatherside chub (Lepidomeda copei), mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi), speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus), and mountain sucker (Catostomus platyrhynchus). We used size class, species, and drought measures as predictors of abundance. Mean Palmer drought severity index over the growing season from the previous year (one year lag) provided the best predictor of stream fish abundances. Four of five species showed strong declines in abundance in response to drought conditions (mountain sucker abundance was not affected), but ecological traits of species were not good predictors of the magnitude of response to drought. Northern leatherside chub are most vulnerable to local extirpation during times of severe drought. Overall, juveniles showed a greater decline in abundance than adults in response to drought. Climate models predict that mountain streams will experience changes in flow regime, which may exacerbate effects of drought. Low flow refuge habitat may need to be incorporated into stream restoration designs to help increase recolonization in streams, especially for stream fishes that are most vulnerable to local extirpation and that have low recolonization rates.

Recent emphasis has been placed on merging regional forest inventory data with satellite-based information both to improve the efficiency of estimates of population totals, and to produce regional maps of forest variables. There are numerous ways in which forest class and structure variables may be modeled as functions of remotely sensed variables, yet surprisingly little work has been directed at surveying modem statistical techniques to determine which tools are best suited to the tasks given multiple objectives and logistical constraints. Here, a series of analyses to compare nonlinear and nonparametric modeling techniques for mapping a variety of forest variables, and for stratification of field plots, was conducted using data in the Interior Western United States. The analyses compared four statistical modeling techniques for predicting two discrete and four continuous forest inventory variables. The modeling techniques include generalized additive models (GAMs), classification and regression trees (CARTs), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), and artificial neural networks (ANNs). Alternative stratification schemes were also compared for estimating population totals. The analyses were conducted within six ecologically different regions using a variety of satellite-based predictor variables. The work resulted in the development of an objective modeling box that automatically models spatial response variables as functions of any assortment of predictor variables through the four nonlinear or nonparametric modeling techniques. In comparing the different modeling techniques, all proved themselves workable in an automated environment, though ANNs were more problematic. When their potential mapping ability was explored through a simple simulation, tremendous advantages were seen in use of MARS and ANN for prediction over GAMs, CART, and a simple linear model. However, much smaller differences were seen when using real data. In some instances, a simple linear approach worked virtually as well as the more complex models, while small gains were seen using more complex models in other instances. In real data runs, MARS performed (marginally) best most often for binary variables, while GAMs performed (marginally) best most often for continuous variables. After considering a subjective "ease of use" measure, computing time and other predictive performance measures, it was determined that MARS had many advantages over other modeling techniques. In addition, stratification tests illustrated cost-effective means to improve precision of estimates of forest population totals. Finally, the general effect of map accuracy on the relative precision of estimates of population totals obtained under simple random sampling compared to that obtained under stratified random sampling was established and graphically illustrated as a tool for management decisions.

Over the past century, dust emissions have increased in frequency and intensity due to anthropogenic influences and extended droughts. Dust transports microbes, nutrients, heavy metals and other materials that may then change the biogeochemistry of the receiving environments. The purpose of this study was to find whether unique bacterial communities may provide distinct fingerprints of dust sources in the Western USA. We collaborated with the National Wind Erosion Research Network (NWERN) to identify bacterial core communities (core) of dust from ten NWERN sites, and compared communities to location, soil, and regional characteristics. In order of importance, precipitation levels (F = 43, P = 0.0001, Df = 2, r2 = 0.25), location (F = 16, P = 0.0001, Df = 5, r2 = 0.23), soil texture (F = 14, P = 0.0001, Df = 3, r2 =0.12), seasonality (F = 11, P = 0.0001, Df = 2, r2 = 0.064), and elevation (F = 5.7, P = 0.0002, r2 = 0.033) determined bacterial community composition. Bacterial core communities were defined as taxa present in at least 50% of samples at each site and offered predictable patterns of dust communities in terms of abundant (> 1% relative abundance) and rare (< 1% relative abundance) signatures. We found distinct bacterial core communities that reflected dust source systems, for example, sites contaminated with heavy metals contained Romboutsia, Turicibacter, Clostridium sensu stricto 1, Geodermatophilus, and Microvirga. Sites with association to plants and biocrusts contained Methylobacterium-Methylorubrum, Bradyrhizobium, Paenibacillus thermoaerophilus, Cohnella, and bacterial families Solirubrobacteraceae, Sphingobacteraceae, and Myxococcaceae. The presence of Sphingomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Rhodococcus, and Phenylobacterium were found in hydrocarbon contaminated soils. High stress (UV radiation and desiccation) sites contained Deinococcus, Blastococcus, and Modestobacter. We found that seasonal changes affected microbial community composition in five NWERN sites (CPER, HAFB, Jornada, Red Hills, and Twin Valley) (p < 0.05), while no seasonal effects on bacterial distribution were observed at Moab. Our results identify that the use of core microbiomes may offer a fingerprinting method to identify dust source regions.

Introduction : la Terre au Trias inférieur et la reconquête après l’extinction fini-PermienneSitué après la limite entre le Paléozoïque et le Mésozoïque, le Trias inférieur est un intervalle court (~4Ma seulement ; Ovtcharova et al., 2006 ; Galfetti et al., 2007a ; Baresel et al., 2017). Lors de la transition entre le Permien et le Trias (PTB), la configuration tectonique de la Terre était différente, et la plupart des masses continentales étaient rassemblées en un seul super continent, la Pangée, lui-même entouré par un unique océan global, la Panthalassa (e.g., Murphy & Nance, 2008 ; Murphy et al., 2009 ; Stampfli et al., 2013).Lors de cette transition et durant le Trias inférieur, un évènement volcanique majeur, la mise en place de la grande province ignée de Sibérie (e.g., Ivanov et al., 2009, 2013), a conduit à l’émission de grande quantité de gaz à effet de serre (e.g., Galfetti et al., 2007b ; Romano et al., 2013). Ceux-ci ont contribué à l’acidification de la colonne d’eau et à l’augmentation des températures consécutivement à l’injection de CO2 dans l’atmosphère (e.g., Galfetti et al., 2007b ; Sun et al., 2012 ; Romano et al., 2013).Les perturbations environnementales qui en découlèrent ont eu des conséquences sur les milieux de dépôts associés à cette période, mais également sur les écosystèmes. Elles sont supposées avoir contribué à la mise en place de conditions délétères pour les organismes et avoir perduré durant tout le Trias inférieur, restreignant ainsi la rediversification biologique d’après-crise (e.g., Pruss & Bottjer, 2004 ; Fraiser & Bottjer, 2007 ; Bottjer et al., 2008 ; Algeo et al., 2011 ; Meyer et al., 2011 ; Bond & Wignall, 2014 ; Song et al., 2014).La limite PT fut le théâtre de la plus importante et la plus destructrice crise biologique du Phanérozoïque, et fut responsable de la disparition de plus de 90% des espèces marines (Raup, 1979), ou encore de la perte d’environ 50% des familles de tétrapodes continentaux (Benton & Newell, 2014), pour ne citer que ces deux exemples. De nombreux groupes ont été oblitérés durant cette extinction, comme par exemple les groupes caractéristiques du Paléozoïque tels que les coraux tabulés ou encore les trilobites (Sepkoski, 2002). Cependant, si la Vie a failli s’éteindre à l’aube du Mésozoïque, celle-ci a tout de même pu se reconstruire, au prix d’une rediversification communément admise comme lente et difficile dans des conditions environnementales délétères (e.g., Twitchett, 1999 ; Fraiser & Bottjer, 2007 ; Meyer et al., 2011 ; Chen & Benton, 2012). De grands paradigmes sont couramment associés à la rediversification du Trias inférieur (illustrés dans la Figure R.1a) :La présence de taxons « désastre », représentant des organismes opportunistes et généralistes qui auraient proliféré à la suite de la libération de niches écologiques laissées vacantes par les métazoaires disparus (e.g. ; Schubert & Bottjer, 1992, 1995 ; Rodland & Bottjer, 2001 ; He et al., 2007) ;Des faciès dit « anachroniques », composés de récifs exclusivement microbiens tels ceux trouvés dans les dépôts Précambriens (e.g., Schubert & Bottjer, 1992 ; Woods et al., 1999 ; Pruss & Bottjer, 2005 ; Pruss et al., 2005 ; Woods, 2009) ;Un effet « Lilliput », soit un nanisme généralisé des faunes présentes (e.g., Urbanek, 1993 ; Hautmann & Nützel, 2005 ; Payne, 2005 ; Twitchett, 2007 ; Fraiser et al., 2011 ; Metcalfe et al., 2011 ; Song et al., 2011) ;Une anoxie/euxinie généralisée dans le domaine marin, y compris littoral (e.g., Isozaki, 1997 ; Meyer et al., 2011 ; Song et al., 2012 ; Grasby et al., 2013).Fig. R.1 : a) Représentation synthétique des principaux paradigmes communément acceptés pour la rediversification biologique au cours du Trias inférieur. b) Représentation synthétique de ces mêmes paradigmes, révisés selon les données récemment recueillies dans le bassin ouest-américain (d’après Brayard, 2015). Inf. : inférieur ; m. : moyen ; s./sup. : supérieur (...). / In the wake of the Mesozoic, the Early Triassic (~251.95 Ma) corresponds to the aftermath of the most severe mass extinction of the Phanerozoic: the end-Permian crisis, when life was nearly obliterated (e.g., 90% of marine species disappeared). Consequences of this mass extinction are thought to have prevailed for several millions of years, implying a delayed recovery lasting the whole Early Triassic, if not more.Several paradigms have been established and associated to a delayed biotic recovery scenario expected to have resulted from harsh and deleterious paleoenvironments. These paradigms include a global anoxia in the marine realm, a “Lilliput” effect, and the presence of “disaster” taxa and “anachronistic” facies. However, recent works have shown a more complex global scheme for the Early Triassic recovery, and that a reevaluation of these paradigms was needed. Especially, new data from the western USA basin were critical in re-addressing these paradigms.The western USA basin is the result of a long tectono-sedimentary history that started 2 Gyr ago by the amalgamation of different lithospheric terranes forming its basement. A succession of orogenies and quiescence phases led to the formation of several successive basins in the studied area, and traces of this important geodynamical activity are still present today. The Sonoma orogeny occurred about 252 Ma in response to the eastward migration of drifting arcs toward the Laurentian craton. As a result, compressive constrains lead to the obduction of the Golconda Allochthon above the west-Pangea margin in present-day Nevada. Emplacement of this topographic load provoked the lithosphere flexuration beneath present-day Utah and Idaho to form the Sonoma Foreland Basin (SFB) studied in this work.The SFB record an excellent fossil and sedimentary record of the Early Triassic. A relatively high and complex biotic diversity has been observed there leading to describe a rapid and explosive recovery for some groups (e.g., ammonoids) in this basin after the end-Permian crisis. The sedimentary record is also well developed and has been studied extensively for a long time. Overall, these studies notably documented a marked difference between the northern and southern sedimentary succession within the basin, whose origin was poorly understood.This work therefore aims to characterize the various depositional settings in the Early Triassic SFB, as well as their paleogeographical distribution. Their controlling factors are also studied based on an original integrated method using sedimentological, paleontological, geochemical, geodynamical, structural and cartographic analyses. Aside the fossil and sedimentary discrepancy between the northern and the southern parts of the SFB, geochemical analyses provide new insights supporting this N/S dichotomy. This study also questions the validity of the geochemical signal as a tool for global correlation, as it appears to mainly reflect local forcing parameters.The geodynamical framework of the SFB was also investigated along with a numerical modelling of the rheological behavior of the basin. This work distinguishes the northern and southern parts of the basin based on markedly distinct tectonic subsidence rates during the Early Triassic: ~500 m/Myr in the northern part vs ~100m/Myr in the southern part. Origin of this remarkable difference is found in inherited properties of the basin basement itself. Indeed, different ages and therefore, rheological behaviors (i.e., rigidity to deformation and flexuration) of the basement lithospheric terranes act as a major controlling factor over the spatial distribution of the subsidence, and therefore of the sedimentary deposition. The lithosphere heritage is thus of paramount importance in the formation, development and spatio-temporal evolution of the SFB.This work leads to a new paleogeographical representation of the Sonoma Foreland Basin and its multi-parameter controlling factors (...).