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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: 43142

Counting the chorus: A bioacoustic indicator of population density Counting the chorus: A bioacoustic indicator of population density

Passive acoustic monitoring has grown in utility for tracking wildlife populations, although challenges remain when using acoustic detections to monitor population size and density. Distance sampling is considered the ‘gold standard’ for estimating animal densities but has several important limitations, especially for rare, cryptic, and high-density species. Here, we test the performance...
Authors
Amanda K Navine, Richard J. Camp, Matthew J Weldy, Tom Denton, Patrick J. Hart

A universal method for the simultaneous determination of environmental pollutants in marine biological samples: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and antibiotics as a case study A universal method for the simultaneous determination of environmental pollutants in marine biological samples: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and antibiotics as a case study

Conventional detection technologies for environmental contaminants have primarily focused on providing accurate qualitative and quantitative evaluations for single pollutant types, leading to increased costs and an inability to satisfy the growing demand for detecting a broader spectrum of pollutants. Here, we introduced a novel analytical method to simultaneously measure the...
Authors
Di Fang, Ge Yang, Bentuo Xu, Jialin Li, Jiayi Lin, Chunmiao Zheng, Jason Tyler Magnuson, Wenhui Qiu

Nitrogen deposition weakens soil carbon control of nitrogen dynamics across the contiguous United States Nitrogen deposition weakens soil carbon control of nitrogen dynamics across the contiguous United States

Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition is unequally distributed across space and time, with inputs to terrestrial ecosystems impacted by industry regulations and variations in human activity. Soil carbon (C) content normally controls the fraction of mineralized N that is nitrified (ƒnitrified), affecting N bioavailability for plants and microbes. However, it is unknown whether N...
Authors
Matthew A. Nieland, Piper Lacy, Steven D. Allison, Jennifer M Bhatnagar, Danica A Doroski, Serita D. Frey, Kristen Greaney, Sarah E Hobbie, Kuebbing. Sara E, David Bruce Lewis, Marshall D McDaniel, Steven S. Perakis, Steve M Raciti, Alanna N Shaw, Christine D Sprunger, Michael S Strickland, Pamela H. Templer, Corrine Vietorisz, Elisabeth Ward, Ashley D Keiser

Vertebrates in trade that pose high invasion risk to the United States Vertebrates in trade that pose high invasion risk to the United States

The United States imports thousands of live vertebrate species annually as part of legal trade. Escapes and releases from captivity are major pathways of invasion, however, the risk posed by the thousands of imported vertebrate species has not been systematically assessed. We conducted a horizon scan that used a data-driven climate match to filter a list of nearly 15,000 taxa drawn from...
Authors
Wesley Daniel, Helen R. Sofaer, Catherine S. Jarnevich, Richard A. Erickson, Brett Alexander DeGregorio, Peder Scott Engelstad, Jonathan A. Freedman, Susan Canavan, Emily M. Dean, Michael J Adams, Charmayne L. Anderson, Mindy Barnett, Marybeth K. Brey, Kyle J. Brumm, Matthew S. Bunting, Emily Caffrey, Laura Cardador, Jacoby Carter, Phillip Cassey, Duane Chapman, Natalie M. Claunch, Timothy D. Counihan, Kristin P. Davis, Anant Deshwal, Andrew K. Douglas, Corey Garland Dunn, Chase Ehlo, Katie Everett, Jason M. Gleditsch, Andrew Grosse, Zoey Hendrickson, Steven C. Hess, Jeffrey E. Hill, Nick D. Holmes, Ana V. Longo, Julie L. Lockwood, Doran M. Mason, Ashley McDonald, Matthew Neilson, Kristen M. Reaver, Robert Reed, Caleb Powell Roberts, Jane S. Rogosch, Christina Romagosa, James C. Russell, Annie Simpson, Scott A. Smith, Jinelle Sperry, Quenton M. Tuckett, Kurt VerCauteren, J. Hardin Waddle, Christian Wanamaker, John D. Willson, Arden Williams, Deah Lieurance

A comparative framework to develop transferable species distribution models for animal telemetry data A comparative framework to develop transferable species distribution models for animal telemetry data

Species distribution models (SDMs) have become increasingly popular for making ecological inferences, as well as predictions to inform conservation and management. In predictive modeling, practitioners often use correlative SDMs that only evaluate a single spatial scale and do not account for differences in life stages. These modeling decisions may limit the performance of SDMs beyond...
Authors
Joshua A. Cullen, Camila A. Domit, Margaret Lamont, Christopher D. Marshall, Armando J.B. Santos, Christopher R. Sasso, Mehsin Al Ansi, Kristen Hart, Mariana M.P.B. Fuentes

Ecological trade-offs associated with fuel breaks in the sagebrush ecosystem Ecological trade-offs associated with fuel breaks in the sagebrush ecosystem

Background
Authors
Morgan Dake Roche, D. Joanne Saher, Erin K. Buchholtz, Michele R. Crist, Douglas J. Shinneman, Cameron L. Aldridge, Brianne E. Brussee, Peter S. Coates, Cali L. Weise, Julie A. Heinrichs

Spatial differences in soil nutrients along a hydrographic gradient on floodplains in Dongting Lake Spatial differences in soil nutrients along a hydrographic gradient on floodplains in Dongting Lake

The spatial heterogeneity of soil nutrients is crucial for the water bird and whole floodplain wetland ecosystem in large lakes, and it is influenced by the dramatic water level changes and sedimentation progress in West Dongting Lake (WDL). Soil samples were collected at various soil depths along the Yuan River and Li River that feed into WDL. The concentrations of soil total organic...
Authors
Jiayi Lin, Yuanmi Wu, Dong Peng, Mingzhu Chen, Lingli Peng, Beth Middleton, Ting Lei

Spatial differences in predicted Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass) occurrence in floodplain forest understories Spatial differences in predicted Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass) occurrence in floodplain forest understories

Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) is one of the most common invaders of floodplains and wetlands in North America. In the Upper Mississippi River floodplain, invasion by reed canarygrass in forest understories can inhibit forest regeneration when gaps form in the overstory. Understanding the distribution of reed canarygrass in forest understories is essential for effective...
Authors
John T. Delaney, Molly Van Appledorn, Nathan R. De Jager, Kristen L. Bouska, Jason J. Rohweder

Practical application of time-lapse camera imagery to develop water-level data for three hydrologic monitoring sites in Wisconsin during water year 2020 Practical application of time-lapse camera imagery to develop water-level data for three hydrologic monitoring sites in Wisconsin during water year 2020

Using camera imagery to measure water level (camera-stage) is a well-researched area of study. Previous camera-stage studies have shown promising results when implementing this technology with tight constraints on test conditions. However, there is a need for a more comprehensive evaluation of the extensibility of camera-stage to practical applications. Therefore, the aim of this study...
Authors
Keegan Eland Johnson, Paul Reneau, Matthew J. Komiskey

Topographic and bathymetric survey in support of the effectiveness assessment of the living shoreline restoration in Gandys Beach, New Jersey Topographic and bathymetric survey in support of the effectiveness assessment of the living shoreline restoration in Gandys Beach, New Jersey

High resolution topobathymetric field surveys were conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in collaboration with Northeastern University and in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy in a selected shoreline along Gandys Beach, New Jersey, from January to April 2018. These data are a critical model input for hydrodynamic and wave models and can...
Authors
William D. Capurso, Lukasz M. Niemoczynski, Hongqing Wang, Qin Chen, Gregg Snedden, Ling Zhu

I am a...Science careers book for kids, part 2 I am a...Science careers book for kids, part 2

This book is an illustrative guide designed to introduce young minds to the exciting world of geologic hazards science careers. From geomorphologist to volcanologist, this book showcases a variety of science-based professions through fun and engaging activities. Each section of the book features a different science career and includes information about how the job got its name and what a...
Authors
Steven Sobieszczyk

A case for occupancy as a state variable for wild bee monitoring A case for occupancy as a state variable for wild bee monitoring

Reports of widespread pollinator declines, data deficiencies, and inabilities to assess status and trends underscore the need for wild bee monitoring. Chief among the challenges with wild bee monitoring is identifying monitoring objectives and state variables. Here we make the case for considering occupancy, the proportion of area occupied, as a primary state variable of interest for...
Authors
Clint Otto, S. Hollis Woodard, Larissa L. Bailey
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