Publications
FORT scientists have produced more than 1,500 peer reviewed publications that are registered in the USGS Publications Warehouse, along with many others prior to their work at the USGS or in conjunction with other government agencies.
Filter Total Items: 2219
Videographic monitoring at caves to estimate population size of the endangered yǻyaguak (Mariana swiftlet) on Guam
The yǻyaguak (Mariana swiftlet; Aerodramus bartschi) is an endangered cave-nesting species historically found on Guam and the southern Mariana Islands, Micronesia. The population on Guam has been severely affected by the introduction of the brown treesnake Boiga irregularis. Population status assessments have, however, been challenging due to the limitations of traditional counting methods, which
Authors
P. Marcos Gorresen, Paul M. Cryan, Megan Parker, Frank Alig, Melia Gail Nafus, Eben H. Paxton
Vegetation responses to large dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA
Large dam removal can trigger changes to physical and biological processes that influence vegetation dynamics in former reservoirs, along river corridors downstream of former dams, and at a river’s terminus in deltas and estuaries. We present the first comprehensive review of vegetation response to major fluvial disturbance caused by the world’s largest dam removal. After being in place for nearly
Authors
Patrick B. Shafroth, Laura G. Perry, James M. Helfield, Joshua Chenoweth, Rebecca L. Brown
Annotated bibliography of scientific research on Taeniatherum caput-medusae published from January 2010 to January 2022
Integrating recent scientific knowledge into management decisions supports effective natural resource management and can lead to better resource outcomes. However, finding and accessing scientific knowledge can be time consuming and costly. To assist in this process, the U.S. Geological Survey is creating a series of annotated bibliographies on topics of management concern for western lands. Previ
Authors
Jennifer K. Meineke, Logan M. Maxwell, Alison C. Foster, Laine E. McCall, Tait K. Rutherford, Ella M. Samuel, Lea B. Selby, Joshua S Willems, Nathan J. Kleist, Samuel E. Jordan
The evolution of glandularity as a defense against herbivores in the tarweed clade
PremiseGlandular trichomes are implicated in direct and indirect defense of plants. However, the degree to which glandular and non-glandular trichomes have evolved as a consequence of herbivory remains unclear, because their heritability, their association with herbivore resistance, their trade-offs with one another, and their association with other functions are rarely quantified.MethodsWe conduc
Authors
Ian Pearse, Eric LoPresti, Bruce Baldwin, Billy Krimmel
Effects of culverts on habitat connectivity in streams—A science synthesis to inform National Environmental Policy Act analyses
The U.S. Geological Survey is working with Federal land management agencies to develop a series of science syntheses to support environmental effects analyses that agencies conduct to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This report synthesizes science information about the potential effects of culverts on stream connectivity and subsequent effects on fish. We conducted a stru
Authors
Richard J. Lehrter, Tait K. Rutherford, Jason B. Dunham, Aaron N. Johnston, David J.A. Wood, Travis S. Haby, Sarah K. Carter
Non-native plant invasion after fire in western USA varies by functional type and with climate
Invasions by non-native plant species after fire can negatively affect important ecosystem services and lead to invasion-fire cycles that further degrade ecosystems. The relationship between fire and plant invasion is complex, and the risk of invasion varies greatly between functional types and across geographic scales. Here, we examined patterns and predictors of non-native plant invasion followi
Authors
Janet S. Prevéy, Catherine S. Jarnevich, Ian Pearse, Seth M. Munson, Jens T. Stevens, Kevin Barrett, Jonathon D. Coop, Michelle Day, David Firmage, Paula J. Fornwalt, Katharine Haynes, James B. Johnston, Becky Kerns, Meg A. Krawchuk, Becky Miller, Ty Nietupski, Jacquilyn Roque, Judith Diane Springer, Camille S. Stevens-Rumann, Micheal T. Stoddard, Claire Tortorelli
Hurricanes: An unexpected mechanism linking disturbance and seed production in trees
This technical commentary provides insights into a recent paper by a non-USGS group of authors who link hurricanes to mast seed production in long-leaf pine.
Authors
Ian Pearse, Andreas Paul Wion
Evaluating spatial coverage of the greater sage-grouse umbrella to conserve sagebrush-dependent species biodiversity within the Wyoming basins
Biodiversity is threatened due to land-use change, overexploitation, pollution, and anthropogenic climate change, altering ecosystem functioning around the globe. Protecting areas rich in biodiversity is often difficult without fully understanding and mapping species’ ecological niche requirements. As a result, the umbrella species concept is often applied, whereby conservation of a surrogate spec
Authors
Cameron L. Aldridge, D. Joanne Saher, Julie A. Heinrichs, Adrian P. Monroe, Matthias Leu, Steve E. Hanser
Opportunities for improved consideration of cultural benefits in environmental decision-making
Many cultural benefits of ecosystem services (ES) are difficult to capture in standard ES assessments. Scholars and practitioners often respond to this gap by seeking to develop new scientific methods to capture and integrate the plural values associated with diverse cultural benefits categories. This increasing emphasis on value pluralism represents an essential step toward recognitional justice
Authors
Kristin R. Hoelting, Joshua M Morse, Rachelle K. Gould, Doreen E. Martinez, Rina S. Hauptfeld, Amanda E. Cravens, Sara J. Breslow, Lucas Bair, Rudy Schuster, Michael C. Gavin
Prey selection by black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes): Implications for intersexual resource partitioning and conservation
Intraspecific resource partitioning may play a critical role in how predators optimize prey selection. The Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes; henceforth, ferret) is a highly specialized predator of prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.; henceforth, PDs). Adult ferrets are sexually dimorphic and PDs are of similar size making them a difficult prey item. PD young are born 6 to 8 weeks prior to births of fe
Authors
Dean E. Biggins, David A. Eads, Shantini Ramakrishnan, Amanda R. Goldberg, Samantha L. Eads, Joanna Hardin, Darla Konkel
Opportunities for improved consideration of cultural benefits in environmental decision-making
Many cultural benefits of ecosystem services (ES) are difficult to capture in standard ES assessments. Scholars and practitioners often respond to this gap by seeking to develop new scientific methods to capture and integrate the plural values associated with diverse cultural benefits categories. This increasing emphasis on value pluralism represents an essential step toward recognitional justice
Authors
Kristin R. Hoelting, Joshua W. Morse, Rachelle K. Gould, Doreen E. Martinez, Rina S. Hauptfeld, Amanda E. Cravens, Sara J. Breslow, Lucas Bair, Rudy Schuster, Michael C. Gavin
Advancing knowledge pluralism and cultural benefits in ecosystem services theory and application
Improved consideration of the cultural benefits of ecosystem services (ES) requires attention to knowledge pluralism in addition to value pluralism. Theorists have increasingly argued that meaningful inclusion of cultural benefits of ES requires attention to plural values, beyond the individual, instrumental values associated with ecosystems. However, there has been little engagement around the ro
Authors
Kristin R. Hoelting, Doreen E. Martinez, Rudy Schuster, Michael C. Gavin