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: 2376
Nutrient scarcity as a selective pressure for mast seeding Nutrient scarcity as a selective pressure for mast seeding
Mast seeding is one of the most intriguing reproductive traits in nature. Despite its potential drawbacks in terms of fitness, the widespread existence of this phenomenon suggests that it should have evolutionary advantages under certain circumstances. Using a global dataset of seed production time series for 219 plant species from all of the continents, we tested whether masting...
Authors
M. Fernández-Martínez, Ian Pearse, Jordi Sardans, F. Sayol, W. D. Koenig, J. M. LaMontagne, M. Bogdziewicz, A. Collalti, Andrew Hacket-Pain, Giorgio Vacchiano, J. M. Espelta, J. Penuelas, I. A. Janssens
A shrubbier future: Forest transformation in the eastern Jemez Mountains A shrubbier future: Forest transformation in the eastern Jemez Mountains
No abstract available.
Authors
Craig D. Allen
Conservation decisions under pressure: Lessons from an exercise in rapid response to wildlife disease Conservation decisions under pressure: Lessons from an exercise in rapid response to wildlife disease
Novel outbreaks of emerging pathogens require rapid responses to enable successful mitigation. We simulated a 1‐day emergency meeting where experts were engaged to recommend mitigation strategies for a new outbreak of the amphibian fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans . Despite the inevitable uncertainty, experts suggested and discussed several possible strategies. However...
Authors
Stefano Canessa, Annemarieke Spitzen-van der Sluijs, Tariq Stark, Bryony E. Allen, Phillip J. Bishop, Molly Bletz, Cheryl J. Briggs, Dave Daversa, Matthew J. Gray, Richard Griffiths, Reid N. Harris, Xavier Harrison, Jason T. Hoverman, Phillip Jervis, Erin L. Muths, Deanna H. Olson, Stephen J Price, Corinne L. Richards-Zawacki, Jacques Robert, Goncalo M. Rosa, Ben C. Scheele, B. Schmidt, Trenton W. J. Garner
Coldwater periods in warmwater streams: Microhabitat shifts from autumn to winter by Smallmouth Bass Coldwater periods in warmwater streams: Microhabitat shifts from autumn to winter by Smallmouth Bass
Seasonal and life stage variation in microhabitat use is an important driver of fish survival and bioenergetics, but knowledge of microhabitat selection during colder periods is generally lacking in warmwater streams. Our objective was to examine changes in microhabitat selection by age‐0 (TL ≤ 85 mm) and age‐1+ (TL > 85 mm) Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu from autumn to winter in...
Authors
S. L. Wolf, Robert Mollenhauer, Shannon K. Brewer
Migratory divides coincide with reproductive barriers across replicated avian hybrid zones above the Tibetan Plateau Migratory divides coincide with reproductive barriers across replicated avian hybrid zones above the Tibetan Plateau
Migratory divides are proposed to be catalysts for speciation across a diversity of taxa. However, it is difficult to test the relative contributions of migratory behaviour vs. other divergent traits to reproductive isolation. Comparing hybrid zones with and without migratory divides offers a rare opportunity to directly examine the contribution of divergent migratory behaviour to...
Authors
Elizabeth Scordato, Christian A. Smith, Georgy A. Semenov, Liu Yu, Matthew R. Wilkins, Wei Liang, Alexander Rubtsov, Gombobaataar Sundev, Kazuo Koyama, Sheela P. Turbek, Michael B. Wunder, Craig A. Stricker, Rebecca Safran
Spatio-temporal variability of human-fire interactions on the Navajo Nation Spatio-temporal variability of human-fire interactions on the Navajo Nation
Unraveling the effects of climate and land-use on historical fire regimes provides important insights into broader human-fire-climate dynamics, which are necessary for ecologically-based forest management. We developed a spatial human land-use model for Navajo Nation forests across which we sampled a network of tree-ring fire history sites to reflect contrasting historical land-use...
Authors
Christopher H. Guiterman, Ellis Margolis, Christopher H. Baisan, Donald A. Falk, Craig D. Allen, Thomas W. Swetnam
Testing theoretical metapopulation conditions with genotypic data from Boreal Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris maculata) Testing theoretical metapopulation conditions with genotypic data from Boreal Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris maculata)
The metapopulation concept has far-reaching implications in ecology and conservation biology. Hanski’s criteria operationally define metapopulations, yet testing them is hindered by logistical and financial constraints inherent to the collection of long-term demographic data. Hence, ecologists and conservationists often assume metapopulation existence for dispersal-limited species that...
Authors
S. M. Billerman, B. R. Jesmer, A. G. Watts, P. Schlichting, M. Fortin, W. C. Funk, P. Hapeman, Erin L. Muths, M. Murphy
1200 years of Upper Missouri River streamflow reconstructed from tree rings 1200 years of Upper Missouri River streamflow reconstructed from tree rings
Paleohydrologic records can provide unique, long-term perspectives on streamflow variability and hydroclimate for use in water resource planning. Such long-term records can also play a key role in placing both present day events and projected future conditions into a broader context than that offered by instrumental observations. However, relative to other major river basins across the...
Authors
Justin Martin, Gregory T. Pederson, Connie A. Woodhouse, Edward R Cook, Gregory J. McCabe, Erika K. Wise, Patrick Erger, Larry Dolan, Marketa McGuire, Subhrendu Gangopadhyay, Katherine J. Chase, Jeremy Littell, Stephen Gray, Scott St. George, Jonathan M. Friedman, David J. Sauchyn, Jannine St. Jacques, John W. King
Characterizing range-wide population divergence in an alpine-endemic bird: A comparison of genetic and genomic approaches Characterizing range-wide population divergence in an alpine-endemic bird: A comparison of genetic and genomic approaches
The delineation of intraspecific units that are evolutionarily and demographically distinct is an important step in the development of species-specific management plans. Neutral genetic variation has served as the primary data source for delineating “evolutionarily significant units,” but with recent advances in genomic technology, we now have an unprecedented ability to utilize...
Authors
Kathryn Langin, Cameron L. Aldridge, Jennifer A. Fike, Robert S. Cornman, Kathy M Martin, Greg T Wann, Amy E. Seglund, Michael A Schroeder, David P Benson, Brad C. Fedy, Jessica R. Young, Scott D. Wilson, Don H Wolfe, Clait E. Braun, Sara J. Oyler-McCance
Economic valuation of Landsat imagery Economic valuation of Landsat imagery
Landsat satellites have been operating since 1972, providing a continuous global record of the Earth’s land surface. The imagery is currently available at no cost through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). A previous USGS study estimated that Landsat imagery provided users an annual benefit of $2.19 billion in 2011, with U.S. users accounting for $1.79 billion of those benefits. That...
Authors
Crista L. Straub, Stephen R. Koontz, John B. Loomis
Climate teleconnections synchronize Picea glauca masting and fire disturbance: Evidence for a fire‐related form of environmental prediction Climate teleconnections synchronize Picea glauca masting and fire disturbance: Evidence for a fire‐related form of environmental prediction
Synchronous pulses of seed masting and natural disturbance have positive feedbacks on the reproduction of masting species in disturbance‐prone ecosystems. We test the hypotheses that disturbances and proximate causes of masting are correlated, and that their large‐scale synchrony is driven by similar climate teleconnection patterns at both inter‐annual and decadal time scales.Hypotheses...
Authors
Davide Ascoli, Andrew Hacket-Pain, Jalene M. LaMontagne, Adrian Cardil, Marco Conedera, Janet Maringer, Renzo Motta, Ian Pearse, Giorgio Vacchiano
Short-term geomorphological and riparian vegetation responses to a 40-year flood on a braided, dryland river Short-term geomorphological and riparian vegetation responses to a 40-year flood on a braided, dryland river
In December 2010, a 40-yr flood occurred in the lower Virgin River (SE Nevada, southwestern U.S.), a braided river segment with riparian vegetation largely dominated by invasive shrubs in the genus Tamarix. We assessed geomorphological and vegetation responses to this large magnitude disturbance event by comparing pre- and post-flood remote sensing and field survey data in four river...
Authors
Eduardo Gozalez, Patrick B. Shafroth, Steven R. Lee, Glen T. Leverich, Rafael Real de Asua, Rebecca A. Sherry, Steven M. Ostoja, Bruce K. Orr