Waterfowl Research Active
Scientists at the USGS Alaska Science Center have conducted research on waterfowl species (ducks, geese, and swans) in Alaska since the 1970s. Because Alaska is an international crossroads of migratory bird flyways, with millions of birds from Asia and North America breeding in Alaska each summer, USGS research has also taken place in adjacent countries (Russia, Japan, Canada, Mexico) and in the lower 48-states and Hawaii.
Return to Ecosystems >> Terrestrial Ecosystems
The main objectives of the USGS Alaska Science Center waterfowl research program are to:
- Identify and fill gaps in our knowledge about the ecology of waterfowl species in Alaska
- Quantify the drivers of population trends of waterfowl populations in Alaska and throughout their annual cycle
- Provide science information to Department of Interior management agencies and others for decision making regarding waterfowl disease, population delineation, and species of conservation concern
Waterfowl Research by Species
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
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Below are publications associated with this project.
Establishing a baseline for regional scale monitoring of eelgrass (Zostera marina) habitat on the lower Alaska Peninsula
Storm-surge flooding on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska
Waterfowl habitat use and selection during the remigial moult period in the northern hemisphere
Drivers of waterfowl population dynamics: from teal to swans
Pronounced chemical response of Subarctic lakes to climate-driven losses in surface area
Evidence for seasonal patterns in the relative abundance of avian influenza virus subtypes in blue-winged teal (Anas discors)
Changing Arctic ecosystems: sea ice decline, permafrost thaw, and benefits for geese
Survival of surf scoters and white-winged scoters during remigial molt
Historical and contemporary imagery to assess ecosystem change on the Arctic coastal plain of northern Alaska
Prevalence, transmission, and genetic diversity of blood parasites infecting tundra-nesting geese in Alaska
Multi-trophic resilience of boreal lake ecosystems to forest fires
Genomic characterization of H14 subtype influenza A viruses in New World waterfowl and experimental infectivity in mallards Anas platyrhynchos
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- Overview
Scientists at the USGS Alaska Science Center have conducted research on waterfowl species (ducks, geese, and swans) in Alaska since the 1970s. Because Alaska is an international crossroads of migratory bird flyways, with millions of birds from Asia and North America breeding in Alaska each summer, USGS research has also taken place in adjacent countries (Russia, Japan, Canada, Mexico) and in the lower 48-states and Hawaii.
Return to Ecosystems >> Terrestrial Ecosystems
The main objectives of the USGS Alaska Science Center waterfowl research program are to:
- Identify and fill gaps in our knowledge about the ecology of waterfowl species in Alaska
- Quantify the drivers of population trends of waterfowl populations in Alaska and throughout their annual cycle
- Provide science information to Department of Interior management agencies and others for decision making regarding waterfowl disease, population delineation, and species of conservation concern
Waterfowl Research by Species
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
- Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 20No Result Found - Multimedia
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 130Establishing a baseline for regional scale monitoring of eelgrass (Zostera marina) habitat on the lower Alaska Peninsula
Seagrass meadows, one of the world’s most widespread and productive ecosystems, provide a wide range of services with real economic value. Worldwide declines in the distribution and abundance of seagrasses and increased threats to coastal ecosystems from climate change have prompted a need to acquire baseline data for monitoring and protecting these important habitats. We assessed the distributionAuthorsKyle R. Hogrefe, David H. Ward, Tyrone F. Donnelly, Niels DauStorm-surge flooding on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska
Coastal regions of Alaska are regularly affected by intense storms of ocean origin, the frequency and intensity of which are expected to increase as a result of global climate change. The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (YKD), situated in western Alaska on the eastern edge of the Bering Sea, is one of the largest deltaic systems in North America. Its low relief makes it especially susceptible to storm-driveAuthorsJohn Terenzi, Craig R. Ely, M. Torre JorgensonWaterfowl habitat use and selection during the remigial moult period in the northern hemisphere
This paper reviews factors affecting site selection amongst waterfowl (Anatidae) during the flightless remigial moult, emphasising the roles of predation and food supply (especially protein and energy). The current literature suggests survival during flightless moult is at least as high as at other times of the annual cycle, but documented cases of predation of flightless waterfowl under particulaAuthorsAnthony D. Fox, Paul L. Flint, William L. Hohman, Jean-Pierre L. SavardDrivers of waterfowl population dynamics: from teal to swans
Waterfowl are among the best studied and most extensively monitored species in the world. Given their global importance for sport and subsistence hunting, viewing and ecosystem functioning, great effort has been devoted since the middle part of the 20th century to understanding both the environmental and demographic mechanisms that influence waterfowl population and community dynamics. Here we useAuthorsDavid N. Koons, Gunnar Gunnarsson, Joel A. Schmutz, Jay J. RotellaPronounced chemical response of Subarctic lakes to climate-driven losses in surface area
Losses in lake area have been observed for several Arctic and Subarctic regions in recent decades, with unknown consequences for lake ecosystems. These reductions are primarily attributed to two climate-sensitive mechanisms, both of which may also cause changes in water chemistry: (i) increased imbalance of evaporation relative to inflow, whereby increased evaporation and decreased inflow act to cAuthorsTyler L. Lewis, Mark S. Lindberg, Joel A. Schmutz, Patricia J. Heglund, Jennifer R. Rover, Joshua C. Koch, Mark R. BertramEvidence for seasonal patterns in the relative abundance of avian influenza virus subtypes in blue-winged teal (Anas discors)
Seasonal dynamics of influenza A viruses (IAVs) are driven by host density and population immunity. Through an analysis of subtypic data for IAVs isolated from Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors), we present evidence for seasonal patterns in the relative abundance of viral subtypes in spring and summer/autumn.AuthorsAndrew M. Ramey, Rebecca L. Poulson, Ana S. González-Reiche, Benjamin R. Wilcox, Patrick Walther, Paul Link, Deborah L. Carter, George M. Newsome, Maria L. Müller, Roy D. Berghaus, Daniel R. Perez, Jeffrey S. Hall, David E. StallknechtChanging Arctic ecosystems: sea ice decline, permafrost thaw, and benefits for geese
Through the Changing Arctic Ecosystems (CAE) initiative, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) strives to inform resource management decisions for Arctic Alaska by providing scientific information on current and future ecosystem response to a warming climate. A key area for the USGS CAE initiative has been the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska. This region has experienced a warming trend over thAuthorsPaul L. Flint, Mary E. Whalen, John M. PearceSurvival of surf scoters and white-winged scoters during remigial molt
Quantifying sources and timing of variation in demographic rates is necessary to determine where and when constraints may exist within the annual cycle of organisms. Surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) and white-winged scoters (M. fusca) undergo simultaneous remigial molt during which they are flightless for >1 month. Molt could result in reduced survival due to increased predation risk or incrAuthorsBrian D. Uher-Koch, Daniel Esler, Rian D. Dickson, Jerry W. Hupp, Joseph R. Evenson, Eric M. Anderson, Jennifer Barrett, Joel A. SchmutzHistorical and contemporary imagery to assess ecosystem change on the Arctic coastal plain of northern Alaska
The Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska is a complex landscape of lakes, streams, and wetlands scattered across low-relief tundra that is underlain by permafrost. This region of the Arctic has experienced a warming trend over the past three decades leading to thawing of on-shore permafrost and the disappearance of sea ice at unprecedented rates. The U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Changing ArcAuthorsKen D. Tape, John M. Pearce, Dennis H. Walworth, Brandt W. Meixell, Tom F. Fondell, David D. Gustine, Paul L. Flint, Jerry W. Hupp, Joel A. Schmutz, David H. WardPrevalence, transmission, and genetic diversity of blood parasites infecting tundra-nesting geese in Alaska
A total of 842 blood samples collected from five species of tundra-nesting geese in Alaska was screened for haemosporidian parasites using molecular techniques. Parasites of the generaLeucocytozoon Danilewsky, 1890, Haemoproteus Kruse, 1890, and Plasmodium Marchiafava and Celli, 1885 were detected in 169 (20%), 3 (<1%), and 0 (0%) samples, respectively. Occupancy modeling was used to estimate prevAuthorsAndrew M. Ramey, John A. Reed, Joel A. Schmutz, Tom F. Fondell, Brandt W. Meixell, Jerry W. Hupp, David H. Ward, John Terenzi, Craig R. ElyMulti-trophic resilience of boreal lake ecosystems to forest fires
Fires are the major natural disturbance in the boreal forest, and their frequency and intensity will likely increase as the climate warms. Terrestrial nutrients released by fires may be transported to boreal lakes, stimulating increased primary productivity, which may radiate through multiple trophic levels. Using a before‐after‐control‐impact (BACI) design, with pre‐ and postfire data from burnedAuthorsTyler L. Lewis, Mark S. Lindberg, Joel A. Schmutz, M.R. BertramGenomic characterization of H14 subtype influenza A viruses in New World waterfowl and experimental infectivity in mallards Anas platyrhynchos
Recent repeated isolation of H14 hemagglutinin subtype influenza A viruses (IAVs) in the New World waterfowl provides evidence to suggest that host and/or geographic ranges for viruses of this subtype may be expanding. In this study, we used genomic analyses to gain inference on the origin and evolution of H14 viruses in New World waterfowl and conducted an experimental challenge study in mallardsAuthorsAndrew M. Ramey, Rebecca L. Poulson, Ana S. Gonzalez-Reiche, Daniel R. Perez, David E. Stalknecht, Justin D. Brown - Web Tools
- News
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