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: 2381
Florida Kingsnake (Lampropeltis floridana) consumes a juvenile Burmese Python (Python molurus bivitattus) in southern Florida Florida Kingsnake (Lampropeltis floridana) consumes a juvenile Burmese Python (Python molurus bivitattus) in southern Florida
The Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus) is an invasive constrictor established across southern Florida. These snakes are dietary generalists with large home ranges and broad habitat requirements and their introduction has had severe impacts on native species and ecosystems in the region. We describe the first observation of a Florida kingsnake (Lampropeltis floridana) that...
Authors
Peter F. Crawford, Jose A. Torres, Jacquelyn C. Guzy, Andrea Faye Currylow, Lisa Marie McBride, Gretchen Erika Anderson, Matthew F. McCollister, Christina M. Romagosa, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Kristen Hart
Annotated bibliography of scientific research on Gunnison sage-grouse published from January 2005 to September 2022 Annotated bibliography of scientific research on Gunnison sage-grouse published from January 2005 to September 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...
Authors
Logan M. Maxwell, Elisabeth C. Teige, Samuel E. Jordan, Tait K. Rutherford, Ella M. Samuel, Lea B. Selby, Alison C. Foster, Nathan J. Kleist, Sarah K. Carter
Coastal vegetation responses to large dam removal on the Elwha River Coastal vegetation responses to large dam removal on the Elwha River
Introduction: Large dam removals provide a restoration opportunity for shrinking coastal wetland habitats. Dam removal can increase sediment delivery to sediment-starved river deltas and estuaries by restoring natural sediment transport and mobilizing reservoir-impounded sediment. However, rapid mobilization of massive quantities of sediment stored behind large dams also constitutes a...
Authors
Laura G. Perry, Patrick B. Shafroth, Samuel J. Alfieri, Ian M. Miller
The devil is in the details: Variation in public acceptance of fuels treatments across western fire-prone communities The devil is in the details: Variation in public acceptance of fuels treatments across western fire-prone communities
Implementation of broad landscape management goals to confront the wildfire crisis occurs at the project level and is subject to public scrutiny. Although the research literature demonstrates broad public acceptability of fuels treatments, a closer examination of the studies reveals notable variation in acceptance. Survey data from thirteen western U.S. communities using the same...
Authors
Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Julia Goolsby, Patricia A. Champ, James Meldrum, Colleen Donovan, Carolyn Wagner, Christopher M. Barth, Chiara Forrester, Suzanne Wittenbrink
Vegetation change over 140 years in a sagebrush landscape of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, New Mexico, USA Vegetation change over 140 years in a sagebrush landscape of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, New Mexico, USA
Questions Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) ecosystems across the western United States have experienced many changes in ecosystem dynamics and vegetation composition over the last century due to livestock grazing, non-native species, and changing climate and fire regimes. We conducted the first systematic investigation of historical vegetation composition and vegetation change in a...
Authors
Kara Fox, Ellis Q. Margolis, Manuel K. Lopez, Ella Kasten, J.T. Stevens
Lessons learned from community and citizen science monitoring projects on the Elwha River Restoration Project Lessons learned from community and citizen science monitoring projects on the Elwha River Restoration Project
Community and citizen science (CCS) projects – initiatives that involve public participation in scientific research – can both sustain and expand long-term monitoring of large dam removal projects. In this article, we discuss our perspectives on CCS associated with the Elwha River dam removals. We summarize how the public has been or could be involved in monitoring and distill lessons...
Authors
M. V. Eitzel, Ryan Meyer, Sarah A. Morley, Ian M. Miller, Patrick B. Shafroth, Chelsea Behymer, Christopher Jadallah, David Parks, Anna Kagley, Anne Shaffer, Heidi L. Ballard
Critical stakeholder engagement: The road to actionable science Is paved with scientists’ good intentions Critical stakeholder engagement: The road to actionable science Is paved with scientists’ good intentions
To help stakeholders such as planners, resource managers, policymakers, and decision makers address environmental challenges in the Anthropocene, scientists are increasingly creating actionable science—science that is useful, usable, and used. Critical physical geography encourages the engagement of stakeholders in the creation of scientific knowledge to conduct actionable science and...
Authors
Aparna Bamzai-Dodson, Amanda E. Cravens, Renee A. McPherson
PopEquus: a predictive modeling tool to support management decisions for free-roaming horse populations PopEquus: a predictive modeling tool to support management decisions for free-roaming horse populations
Feral horse (Equus caballus) population management is a challenging problem around the world because populations often exhibit density-independent growth, can exert negative ecological effects on ecosystems, and require great cost to be managed. However, strong value-based connections between people and horses cause contention around management decisions. To help make informed decisions...
Authors
Brian Patrick Folt, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, L. Stefan Ekernas, David R. Edmunds, Mark T. Hannon
So, you want to build a decision-support tool? Assessing successes, barriers, and lessons learned for tool design and development So, you want to build a decision-support tool? Assessing successes, barriers, and lessons learned for tool design and development
The purpose of this study is to increase understanding of how the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is developing decision-support tools (DSTs) by documenting successes and barriers across all levels of USGS scientific tool creation and outreach. These findings will help streamline future tool design and development processes. We provide a synthesis of lessons learned and best practices...
Authors
Amanda D. Stoltz, Amanda E. Cravens, Nicole M. Herman-Mercer, Chung Yi Hou
Priority research needs to inform amphibian conservation in the Anthropocene Priority research needs to inform amphibian conservation in the Anthropocene
The problem of global amphibian declines has prompted extensive research over the last three decades. Initially, the focus was on identifying and characterizing the extent of the problem, but more recently efforts have shifted to evidence-based research designed to identify best solutions and to improve conservation outcomes. Despite extensive accumulation of knowledge on amphibian...
Authors
Evan H. Campbell Grant, Staci M. Amburgey, Brian Gratwicke, Victor Acosta Chaves, Anat M. Belasen, David Bickford, Carsten Bruhl, Natalie E. Calatayud, Nick Clemann, Simon Clulow, Jelka Crnobrnja-Isailovic, Jeff Dawson, David A. De Angelis, C. Kenneth Dodd, Annette Evans, Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Mattia Falaschi, Sergio Gonzalez-Mollinedo, David M. Green, Roseanna Gamlen-Greene, Richard A. Griffiths, Brian J. Halstead, Craig Hassapakis, Geoffrey Heard, Catharina Karlsson, Tom Kirschey, Blake Klocke, Tiffany A. Kosch, Sophia Kusterko Novaes, Luke Linhoff, John C. Maerz, Brittany A. Mosher, Katherine M. O'Donnell, Leticia M. Ochoa-Ochoa, Deanna H. Olson, Kristiina Ovaska, J. Dale Roberts, Aimee J. Silla, Tariq Stark, Jeanne Tarrant, R. Upton, Judit Voros, Erin L. Muths
Proximate factors affecting mortality and maternal abandonment of young free-roaming feral horse foals Proximate factors affecting mortality and maternal abandonment of young free-roaming feral horse foals
The burgeoning population of feral horses in the American west is due to high population growth, resulting from low adult mortality and high foal survival. In two populations of feral horses in western Utah, USA only 15 foals died (5%; mean age
Authors
Sarah R. B. King, Mary J. Cole, Christine Barton, Kathryn A. Schoenecker
Prioritizing science efforts to inform decision making on public lands Prioritizing science efforts to inform decision making on public lands
Public land management agencies in the US are committed to using science-informed decision making, but there has been little research on the types and topics of science that managers need most to inform their decisions. We used the National Environmental Policy Act to identify four types of science information needed for making decisions relevant to public lands: (1) data on resources of...
Authors
Sarah K. Carter, Travis Haby, Jennifer K. Meineke, Alison C. Foster, Laine E. McCall, Leigh Espy, Megan A. Gilbert, Jeffrey E. Herrick, Karen Prentice