Publications
This list of publications includes peer-review journal articles, official USGS publications series, reports and more authored by scientists in the Ecosystems Mission Area. A database of all USGS publications, with advanced search features, can be accessed at the USGS Publications Warehouse.
Filter Total Items: 42975
Harvest of long-tailed ducks from an important hunting location on Lake Michigan Harvest of long-tailed ducks from an important hunting location on Lake Michigan
Annual waterfowl harvest in North America is estimated through a collaborative and strategic process, with federal harvest surveys the primary method of estimation. Sea duck hunters participating in federal harvest surveys represent a small proportion of the overall waterfowl hunting population, limiting the utility of harvest estimates for sea ducks. The long-tailed duck (Clangula...
Authors
Luke J. Fara, William S. Beatty, Brian R. Gray, Kevin P. Kenow, Michael W. Eichholz
Vegetation cover and composition in environments surrounding uranium mines in the Grand Canyon ecosystem, Northern Arizona Vegetation cover and composition in environments surrounding uranium mines in the Grand Canyon ecosystem, Northern Arizona
Mining uranium from breccia-pipe deposits in the greater Grand Canyon region has occurred since the mid-1900s. However, possible ecosystem contamination with harmful levels of radionuclides may have occurred due to mining activities in the 21st century. In response, a 20-year Federal moratorium on new mining claims in the Grand Canyon watershed was initiated in 2012, to allow time to...
Authors
Rebecca K. Mann, Michael C. Duniway, Jo Ellen Hinck
Seasonal and decadal changes in winter body condition of four sympatric diving ducks Seasonal and decadal changes in winter body condition of four sympatric diving ducks
Winter body condition is an important driver of survival, reproductive output, and overall population health in waterfowl. Diving duck species use distinct habitats, exploit unique resources, and can collectively provide an integrated index of winter habitat quality. The San Francisco Bay (SFB) is the largest estuary on the west coast of North America, serving as critical wintering...
Authors
Mason A. Hill, Susan E.W. De La Cruz, Laurie Anne Hall, Stacy M. Moskal, John Y. Takekawa, John M. Eadie
A matter of timing: Sagebrush steppe restoration seeding outcomes altered by species responses to warmer spring temperatures and interannual weather variation A matter of timing: Sagebrush steppe restoration seeding outcomes altered by species responses to warmer spring temperatures and interannual weather variation
Introduction Restoration outcomes in cold desert ecosystems like sagebrush steppe are affected by weather variability, particularly during the spring, a critical time period for seedling establishment. Seedling emergence phenology is also highly variable among species in these ecosystems. Seed-based restoration outcomes are likely affected by the emergence timing of species in seed mixes...
Authors
Stella M Copeland, Jonathan D Bates, Kirk W Davies, Matthew Germino
Single receiver target localization in mobile marine acoustic telemetry Single receiver target localization in mobile marine acoustic telemetry
Many marine ecological studies track animal movement and migration using acoustic telemetry, in which animals are implanted with acoustic transmitters broadcasting a unique ID code. Receivers detect and decode these transmissions and provide an estimate of the animal’s location. As transmissions can be detected at distances of hundreds of meters to even several kilometers, localization...
Authors
Eric M. Gaskell, Tyler Reid Funnell, Christopher M. Holbrook, Darryl W. Hondorp, Xiaobo Tan
Global framework for communication of biological invasion risks Global framework for communication of biological invasion risks
Biological invasions, driven by the spread of non-native species, have become a critical global issue because of their far-reaching ecological and socioeconomic impacts. Effective communication of the risks of biological invasions is essential for implementing robust policy and legislation and gaining public support for conservation efforts. However, current policies often suffer from
Authors
Lorenzo Vilizzi, Vettath R. Suresh, Daniela Giannetto, Jeffrey E. Hill, Wesley M. Daniel, João G. Monteiro, Lennart Edsman, Hassan Sh Elmi, Ahmed Ibrahim Awale, Elnaz Najafi-Majd, Ramazan Mammadov, Sapto Andriyono, Djumanto, Mohammad Noor Azmai, Abdulwakil Saba, Belma K. Stroil, Avdul Adrović, Anna Vila-Gispert, Dani Boix, Oldřich Kopecký, Vilém Pavlu, Dragana Milošević, Danka Caković, Henrik Holbech, Kim Lundgreen, Juliane Lukas, Harald Ahnelt, Merike Linnamägi, Mehis Rohtla, David Almeida, Roberto Mendoza, Allan S. Gilles, Richard Thomas D. Pavia, Elisabeth Knudsen, Leivur J. Hansen, Philippe Goulletquer, Amelia Curd, Ivan Špelić, Jón E. Jónsson, Höskuldur Thráinsson, Angela Boggero, Mihails Pupins, Artūrs Škute, Lukas Petrulaitis, Ilona Jukonienė, Gábor Herczeg, Árpád Ferincz, Hugo Verreycken, Rob S.E.W. Leuven, Martin Malmstrøm, Gaute Velle, Trobjon Makhkamov, Akramjon Yuldashev, Dariusz Pietraszewski, Lidia Marszał, João Canning-Clode, Mariele Pasuch de Camargo, Cristina Preda, Daniyar Memedemin, Rigers Bakiu, Silvia Bakiu, Kristína S. Švolíková, Barbora Števove, Luka Duniš, Petra Kristan, Predrag Simonović, Radoslav Dekić, Riikka Puntila-Dodd, Miia Jauni, Karin H. Olsson, Kieu Anh Ta, Thuyet D. Bui, Baran Yoğurtçuoğlu, Sevan Ağdamar, Bahadir Yuldashov, Peyzulla Khydyrov, Leonidas Vardakas, Nicholas Koutsikos, Costas Perdikaris, Dzmitry Lukashanets, Oleg Borodin, Eliza Uzunova, Dimitriy Dashinov, Georgii Lazkov, Myskalai Ganybaeva, Daniya Ualiyeva, Raushan Zharmukhametova, Milica Ristovska, Aleksandra Cvetkovska Gjorgjievska, Burenbaatar Ganbaatar, Solongo Khadbaatar, Vadim E. Panov, Oleh Marenkov, Nurali Saidov, Mekhrovar Okhonniyozov, Yuriy Kvach, Volodymyr Yuryshynets, Marine Arakelyan, Hasmik Khachatryan, Levan Mumladze, Bella Japoshvili, Renanel Pickholtz, Tal Gavriel, Usman Atique, Muhammad Altaf, Sonia Iqbal, Zainab Al-Wazzan, Sahar Chebaane, Mohammad Hamid Hamdard, Abdul Rahman Osmani, Seyed Daryoush Moghaddas, Jamileh Javidpour, Mariyam Nashath, Faruhana Abdullah, Hari Prasad Sharma, Bharat Babu Shrestha, Vandana Vibhakaran, Shams M. Galib, Md. Abdul Gofur Khan, Udaya Priyantha Epa, Nadiya Cassim, Mahanama De Zoysa, Ratcha Chaichana, Kamalaporn Kanongdate, Nyein Chan, La Minn Ko Ko, Jigdrel Dorji, Chhimi Dorji, Khaml Inkhavilay, Chanhvilay Somvongsa, Kim Soben, Yutha Nida, Yohannes B. Tesfay, Bikila W. Dullo, Chulhong Oh, Youngjun Park, Shan Li, Hui Wei, Akihiko Koyama, Atsuhiko Isobe, Marina Piria
Multi-year cut-to-drown management limits Phragmites australis growth, belowground resources, and rhizome viability in Great Lakes wetlands Multi-year cut-to-drown management limits Phragmites australis growth, belowground resources, and rhizome viability in Great Lakes wetlands
The distribution and abundance of Phragmites in the Great Lakes coastal zone has expanded in part due to its unique ventilation physiology and its ability to take advantage of changes in lake levels over the past several decades. During an extended period of low lake levels in the early 2000s, Phragmites expanded into vast shallow water areas as lake bottoms were exposed. Many of those...
Authors
Wesley A. Bickford, Kaira A. Schaefer, Spenser L. Widin, Kurt P. Kowalski
Modeling carbon fluxes in tidal forested wetlands in the Mississippi river deltaic plain under various hydrologic conditions: Implications for river diversions Modeling carbon fluxes in tidal forested wetlands in the Mississippi river deltaic plain under various hydrologic conditions: Implications for river diversions
Our understanding of the impacts of climate change, sea-level rise (SLR), and freshwater management on the magnitude and variability of carbon fluxes in tidal forested wetlands remains limited. In this study, we applied a process-driven wetland biogeochemistry model, Wetland Carbon Assessment Tool—DeNitrification-DeComposition (WCAT-DNDC) model to explore responses of carbon fluxes in...
Authors
Hongqing Wang, Ken W. Krauss, Gary P. Shaffer, Brett Patton, Daniel Kroes, Gregory E. Noe, Zhaohua Dai, Lindsey Dettwiller, Carl C. Trettin
Mountain goat declines in a protected, interior, native population Mountain goat declines in a protected, interior, native population
A shifting climate poses threats to alpine-adapted species including mountain goats. We used long-term (12 years) citizen science monitoring data and Bayesian N-mixture modeling to estimate population trends and drivers of population metrics among mountain goats in Glacier National Park (GNP). Median goats per site (n = 37 sites) declined by 45% (95% credible interval [CRI] = 32%, 57%)...
Authors
Tabitha A. Graves, William Michael Janousek, Michael Yarnall, Jami Belt
Reconstructing Great Lakes air temperature and ice dynamics data back to 1897 Reconstructing Great Lakes air temperature and ice dynamics data back to 1897
Ice cover on the Great Lakes plays an important role in regional climate, supports tourism and recreation, and provides ecological habitat. As the climate warms, ice cover in the Great Lakes is expected to decline, which in turn will create more lake effect precipitation, reduce ice cover for recreation, and alter habitat for aquatic species. While it is important to understand the...
Authors
Katelyn King, Ayumi Fujisaki-Manome, Cory Brant, Danielle Cohn, Inigo Peng, Karen M Alofs
Best practice guidelines for targeted environmental DNA-based proficiency testing in non-regulatory contexts Best practice guidelines for targeted environmental DNA-based proficiency testing in non-regulatory contexts
The effective use of environmental DNA (eDNA) tools is contingent on strict adherence to established and validated methods. Differences in eDNA methods and quality assurance protocols may contribute to variability in results. However, quality assurance measures such as proficiency testing can provide independent evaluation of laboratory performance against pre-established test criteria...
Authors
Margaret Hunter, Adam Sepulveda, Dianne M. Gleeson, Alejandro Trujillo-Gonzalez, Caren C. Helbing, Helen C. Rees, Devin Nicole Jones-Slobodian, Rachel C. Miliano, Toshifumi Minamoto, Susanna Theroux, Cecilia Villacorta Rath, Taylor Wilcox, Hiroki Yamanaka, Katy E. Klymus
An energetic tradeoff best explains parturition timing in grizzly bears An energetic tradeoff best explains parturition timing in grizzly bears
Timing of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) parturition during hibernation has been explained by ancestral traits (delayed implantation, altricial young, obligate maternal denning), but the ultimate driver underlying precise timing has not been fully explored. Capitalizing on an observed latitudinal increase in denning duration among four populations in interior North America, we tested two...
Authors
C. M. Costello, L. L. Roberts, D. D. Bjornlie, M. D. Cameron, J. G. Clapp, Mark Haroldson, G. V. Hilderbrand, K. Joly, W. Kasworm, J. M. Nicholson, T. Radandt, M. S. Sorum, J. E. Teisberg, Frank T. van Manen, M. A. Vinks