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: 2379
Brightness of the night sky affects loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtle hatchling misorientation but not nest site selection Brightness of the night sky affects loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtle hatchling misorientation but not nest site selection
Sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico, which are listed as either threatened or endangered under the US Endangered Species Act, face numerous threats from many sources but are particularly susceptible to the effects of light pollution on nesting beaches. Light pollution affects the distribution, density, and placement of nests on beaches, and disrupts seafinding in hatchlings emerging from...
Authors
Thomas Stanley, Jeremy White, Susan Teel, Mark Nicholas
Combined effects of biological control of an invasive shrub and fluvial processes on riparian vegetation dynamics Combined effects of biological control of an invasive shrub and fluvial processes on riparian vegetation dynamics
Plant community responses to biocontrol of invasive plants are understudied, despite the strong influence of the composition of replacement vegetation on ecosystem functions and services. We studied the vegetation response to a folivore beetle (Diorhabda genus, Coleoptera) that has been introduced along southwestern US river valleys to control the invasion of non-native shrubs in the...
Authors
Eduardo Gonzalez, Patrick B. Shafroth, Steven R. Lee, Steven M. Ostoja, Matthew L. Brooks
Do actions speak louder than words? Comparing the effect of risk aversion on objective and self-reported mitigation measures Do actions speak louder than words? Comparing the effect of risk aversion on objective and self-reported mitigation measures
Risky behaviors are of public concern when they are associated with negative externalities. Public programs and policy seek to incentivize less risky behaviors in an effort to reduce or eliminate such social costs. It is in this context that the relationship between risk aversion and risky behaviors is of particular interest. However, the literature on risk aversion and risky behaviors...
Authors
Patricia A. Champ, James Meldrum, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Travis Warziniack, Christopher M. Barth, Lilia C. Falk, Jamie Gomez
Behavior, size, and body condition predict susceptibility to management and reflect post-treatment frequency shifts in an invasive snake Behavior, size, and body condition predict susceptibility to management and reflect post-treatment frequency shifts in an invasive snake
Foraging behavior can have population-level effects that are of interest for wildlife management. For invasive species, foraging behavior has been tied to establishment ability and rate of spread and is generally of import in understanding invasion biology. A major method for controlling invasive vertebrates is using food-based baits as attractants. Tool efficacy is therefore partially...
Authors
Melia G. Nafus, Amy A. Yackel Adams, S. M. Boback, Siers, Robert Reed
Forests do not limit bumble bee foraging movements in a montane meadow complex Forests do not limit bumble bee foraging movements in a montane meadow complex
1. Understanding the roles of habitat fragmentation and resource availability in shaping animal movement are integral for promoting species persistence and conservation. For insects like bumble bees, their movement patterns affect the survival and reproductive potential of their colonies as well as the pollen flow of plant species. However, our understanding of their mobility or the...
Authors
John Michael Mola, Michael R. Miller, Sean M. O'Rourke, Neal M. Williams
Determinants and consequences of dispersal in vertebrates with complex life cycles: a review of pond-breeding amphibians Determinants and consequences of dispersal in vertebrates with complex life cycles: a review of pond-breeding amphibians
Dispersal is a central process in ecology and evolution. It strongly influences the dynamics of spatially structured populations, by affecting population growth rate and local colonization-extinction processes. Dispersal can also influence evolutionary processes because it determines rates and patterns of gene flow in spatially structured populations and is closely linked to local...
Authors
H Cayuela, V Valenzuela-Sanchez, L Teulier, I Martinez-Solano, J Lena, J Merila, Erin L. Muths, R Shine, L Quay, M Denoel, J Clobert, B. Schmidt
Flea parasitism and host survival in a plague-relevant system: Theoretical and conservation implications Flea parasitism and host survival in a plague-relevant system: Theoretical and conservation implications
Plague is a bacterial zoonosis of mammalian hosts and flea vectors. The disease is capable of ravaging rodent populations and transforming ecosystems. Because plague mortality is likely to be predicted by flea parasitism, it is critical to understand vector dynamics. It has been hypothesized that paltry precipitation and reduced vegetative production predispose herbivorous rodents to
Authors
David A. Eads, Rachel C. Abbott, Dean E. Biggins, Tonie E. Rocke
Global plant trait relationships extend to the climatic extremes of the tundra biome Global plant trait relationships extend to the climatic extremes of the tundra biome
The majority of variation in six traits critical to the growth, survival and reproduction of global plant species is thought to be organised along just two dimensions, corresponding to strategies of plant size and resource acquisition. However, it is unknown whether global plant trait relationships extend to climatic extremes, and if these interspecific relationships are confounded by...
Authors
H. J. D. Thomas, A. D. Bjorkman, I. H. Myers-Smith, S.C. Elmendorf, Jens Kattge, Sandra Diaz, Mark Vellend, D. Blok, J. H. C. Cornelissen, B. C. Forbes, G. H. R. Henry, R.D. Hollister, S. Normand, Janet S. Prevey, C. Rixen, G. Schaepman-Strub, M. Wilmking, S. Wipf, W.K. Cornwell, P.S.A. Beck, D. Georges, S.J. Goetz, K. C. Guay, Nadja Ruger, N. A. Soudzilovskaia, Marko J. Spasojevic, Juha Alatalo, H. D. Alexander, A. Anadon-Rosell, S. Angers-Blondin, M. teBeest, L. T. Berner, R. G. Bjork, A. Buchwal, A. Buras, M. Carbognani, K. S. Christie, L. S. Collier, E. J. Cooper, B. Elberling, A. Eskelinen, E. R. Frei, O. Grau, P. Grogan, M. Hallinger, M. M. P. D. Heijmans, L. Hermanutz, J. M. G. Hudson, J.F. Johnstone, K. Hulber, M. Iturrate-Garcia, Colleen M. Iversen, F. Jaroszynska, E, Kaarlejarvi, A. Kulonen, L. J. Lamarque, T. C. Lantz, E. Levesque, C.E. Little, Anders Michelsen, A. Milbau, Jacob Nabe-Nielsen, S. S. Nielsen, J. M. Ninot, S. F. Oberbauer, J. Olofsson, V. G. Onipchenko, A. Petraglia, S. B. Rumpf, R. Shetti, J. D. M. Speed, K.N. Suding, K.D. Tape, M. Tomaselli, A. J. Trant, U. A. Treier, M. Tremblay, S. E. Venn, T. Vowles, S. Weijers, P. A. Wookey, T. J. Zamin, M. Bahn, B. Blonder, P. M. van Bodegom, B. Bond-Lamberty, G. Campetella, B. E. L. Cerabolini, F. S. Chapin, Joseph M. Craine, M. Dainese, W. A. Green, S. Jansen, M. Kleyer, P. Manning, U. Niinemets, Y. Onoda, W. A. Ozinga, J. Penuelas, P. Poschlod, Peter B. Reich, B. Sandel, B. S. Schamp, S. N. Sheremetiev, F. T. de Vries
Landscape dominance of introduced herpetofauna on an oceanic island Landscape dominance of introduced herpetofauna on an oceanic island
Habitat loss and fragmentation can negatively impact native wildlife and facilitate establishment of introduced species. On islands, introduced species are a primary cause of extinction and can alter community membership through predation or competition for resources. Consequently, elucidating the distribution of introduced and native species can improve understanding of the potential...
Authors
Eric Thomas Hileman, Bradley A. Eichelberger, Jill Liske-Clark, Patrick D Barnhart, Robert Reed, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Melia G. Nafus
Life-history plasticity and water-use trade-offs associated with drought resistance in a clade of California jewelflowers Life-history plasticity and water-use trade-offs associated with drought resistance in a clade of California jewelflowers
Water limitation is a primary driver of plant geographic distributions and individual plant fitness. Drought resistance is the ability to survive and reproduce despite limited water, and numerous studies have explored its physiological basis in plants. However, it is unclear how drought resistance and trade-offs associated with drought resistance evolve within plant clades. We quantified...
Authors
Ian S. Pearse, Jessica Aguilar, Sharon Strauss
A modeling workflow that balances automation and human intervention to inform invasive plant management decisions at multiple spatial scales A modeling workflow that balances automation and human intervention to inform invasive plant management decisions at multiple spatial scales
Predictions of habitat suitability for invasive plant species can guide risk assessments at regional and national scales and inform early detection and rapid-response strategies at local scales. We present a general approach to invasive species modeling and mapping that meets objectives at multiple scales. Our methodology is designed to balance trade-offs between developing highly...
Authors
Nicholas E. Young, Catherine S. Jarnevich, Helen Sofaer, Ian S. Pearse, Julia Sullivan, Peder Engelstad, Thomas J. Stohlgren
Standard operating procedures for wild horse and burro double-observer aerial surveys Standard operating procedures for wild horse and burro double-observer aerial surveys
The U.S. Geological Survey has been collaborating with the Bureau of Land Management to develop statistically reliable methods for wild horse and burro aerial survey data collection and analysis for more than a decade. In cooperation with Colorado State University, the U.S. Geological Survey tested several methods in herds with known abundance, resulting in two scientifically defensible...
Authors
Paul C. Griffin, L. Stefan Ekernas, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Bruce C. Lubow