Publications
FORT scientists have produced more than 2000 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: 2401
Cross-scale assessment of potential habitat shifts in a rapidly changing climate Cross-scale assessment of potential habitat shifts in a rapidly changing climate
We assessed the ability of climatic, environmental, and anthropogenic variables to predict areas of high-risk for plant invasion and consider the relative importance and contribution of these predictor variables by considering two spatial scales in a region of rapidly changing climate. We created predictive distribution models, using Maxent, for three highly invasive plant species...
Authors
Catherine S. Jarnevich, Tracy R. Holcombe, Elizabeth Bell, Matthew L. Carlson, Gino Graziano, Melinda Lamb, Steven S. Seefeldt, Jeffrey T. Morisette
Genetic tools for wildlife management Genetic tools for wildlife management
Granted interim status in November, 2013, The Wildlife Society’s (TWS) Molecular Ecology Working Group aims to promote scientific advancement by applying molecular techniques to wildlife ecology, management, and conservation. The working group—composed of sci - entists from diverse backgrounds—met for the first time in Pittsburgh at the TWS Annual Conference held in October. Our...
Authors
Emily Latch, Rachel S. Crowhurst, Sara J. Oyler-McCance, Stacie Robinson
Fort Collins Science Center: science accomplishments for fiscal years 2012 and 2013 Fort Collins Science Center: science accomplishments for fiscal years 2012 and 2013
The Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) is a multi-disciplinary research and development center of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) located in Fort Collins, Colorado. Organizationally, FORT is within the USGS Southwest Region, although our work extends across the Nation and into several other countries. FORT research focuses on needs of the land- and water-management bureaus within the U...
Authors
Juliette T. Wilson, David B. Hamilton
SAHM:VisTrails (Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling for VisTrails): training course SAHM:VisTrails (Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling for VisTrails): training course
VisTrails is an open-source management and scientific workflow system designed to integrate the best of both scientific workflow and scientific visualization systems. Developers can extend the functionality of the VisTrails system by creating custom modules for bundled VisTrails packages. The Invasive Species Science Branch of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Fort Collins Science Center...
Authors
Tracy Holcombe
Metadata Wizard: an easy-to-use tool for creating FGDC-CSDGM metadata for geospatial datasets in ESRI ArcGIS Desktop Metadata Wizard: an easy-to-use tool for creating FGDC-CSDGM metadata for geospatial datasets in ESRI ArcGIS Desktop
Creating compliant metadata for scientific data products is mandated for all federal Geographic Information Systems professionals and is a best practice for members of the geospatial data community. However, the complexity of the The Federal Geographic Data Committee’s Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata, the limited availability of easy-to-use tools, and recent changes in...
Authors
Drew A. Ignizio, Michael S. O'Donnell, Colin B. Talbert
Valuing ecosystem services using benefit transfer: Separating credible and incredible approaches Valuing ecosystem services using benefit transfer: Separating credible and incredible approaches
Ecosystem goods and services are now widely recognized as the benefits that humans derive from the natural environment around them including abiotic (e.g. atmosphere) and biotic components. The work by Costanza et al. (1997) to value the world’s ecosystem services brought the concept of ecosystem service valuation to the attention of the world press and environmental economists working...
Authors
John H. Loomis, Leslie Richardson, Timm Kroeger, Frank Casey
Unexpected hydrogen isotope variation in oceanic pelagic seabirds Unexpected hydrogen isotope variation in oceanic pelagic seabirds
Hydrogen isotopes have significantly enhanced our understanding of the biogeography of migratory animals. The basis for this methodology lies in predictable, continental patterns of precipitation δD values that are often reflected in an organism’s tissues. δD variation is not expected for oceanic pelagic organisms whose dietary hydrogen (water and organic hydrogen in prey) is transferred...
Authors
Peggy H. Ostrom, Anne E. Wiley, Sam Rossman, Craig A. Stricker, Helen F. James
Behavior of feral horses in response to culling and GnRH immunocontraception Behavior of feral horses in response to culling and GnRH immunocontraception
Wildlife management actions can alter fundamental behaviors of individuals and groups,which may directly impact their life history parameters in unforeseen ways. This is especially true for highly social animals because changes in one individual’s behavior can cascade throughout its social network. When resources to support populations of social animals are limited and populations become...
Authors
Jason I. Ransom, Jenny G. Powers, Heidi M. Garbe, Michael W. Oehler, Terry M. Nett, Dan L. Baker
Demography of common toads after local extirpation of co-occurring midwife toads Demography of common toads after local extirpation of co-occurring midwife toads
Estimating demographic parameters like survival or recruitment provides insight into the state and trajectory of populations, but understanding the contexts influencing those parameters, including both biotic and abiotic factors, is particularly important for management and conservation. At a high elevation national park in Central Spain, common toads (Bufo bufo) are apparently taking...
Authors
Jaime Bosch, S Fernandez-Beaskoetxea, R. Scherer, Staci Amburgey, Erin L. Muths
Metamorphosis enhances the effects of metal exposure on the mayfly, Centroptilum triangulifer Metamorphosis enhances the effects of metal exposure on the mayfly, Centroptilum triangulifer
The response of larval aquatic insects to stressors such as metals is used to assess the ecological condition of streams worldwide. However, nearly all larval insects metamorphose from aquatic larvae to winged adults, and recent surveys indicate that adults may be a more sensitive indicator of stream metal toxicity than larvae. One hypothesis to explain this pattern is that insects...
Authors
Jeff S. Wesner, Johanna M. Kraus, Travis S. Schmidt, David M. Walters, William H. Clements
Unsupported inferences of high-severity fire in historical dry forests of the western United States: Response to Williams and Baker Unsupported inferences of high-severity fire in historical dry forests of the western United States: Response to Williams and Baker
Reconstructions of dry western US forests in the late 19th century in Arizona, Colorado and Oregon based on General Land Office records were used by Williams & Baker (2012; Global Ecology and Biogeography, 21, 1042–1052; hereafter W&B) to infer past fire regimes with substantial moderate and high-severity burning. The authors concluded that present-day large, high-severity fires are not
Authors
Peter Z. Fule, Thomas W. Swetnam, Peter M. Brown, Donald A. Falk, David L. Peterson, Craig D. Allen, Gregory H. Aplet, Mike A. Battaglia, Dan Binkley, Calvin Farris, Robert E. Keane, Ellis Q. Margolis, Henri Grissino-Mayer, Carol Miller, Carolyn Hull Sieg, Carl Skinner, Scott L. Stephens, Alan Taylor
U.S. Geological Survey Science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative: 2012 annual report U.S. Geological Survey Science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative: 2012 annual report
Southwest Wyoming contains abundant energy resources, wildlife, habitat, open spaces, and outdoor recreational opportunities. Although energy exploration and development have been taking place in the region since the late 1800s, the pace of development for fossil fuels and renewable energy increased significantly in the early 2000s. This and the associated urban and exurban development...
Authors
Zachary H. Bowen, Cameron L. Aldridge, Patrick J. Anderson, Timothy J. Assal, Carleton R. Bern, Laura Biewick, Gregory K. Boughton, Natasha B. Carr, Anna D. Chalfoun, Geneva W. Chong, Melanie L. Clark, Bradford C. Fedy, Katharine Foster, Steven L. Garman, Steve Germaine, Matthew G. Hethcoat, Collin G. Homer, Matthew J. Kauffman, Douglas Keinath, Natalie Latysh, Daniel J. Manier, Robert R. McDougal, Cynthia P. Melcher, Kirk A. Miller, Jessica Montag, Christopher J. Potter, Spencer Schell, Sarah L. Shafer, David B. Smith, Michael J. Sweat, Anna B. Wilson