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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: 2408

A decision tool to identify population management strategies for common ravens and other avian predators A decision tool to identify population management strategies for common ravens and other avian predators

Some avian species have developed the capacity to leverage resource subsidies associated with human manipulated landscapes to increase population densities in habitats with naturally low carrying capacities. Elevated corvid densities and new territory establishment have led to an unsustainable increase in depredation pressure on sympatric native wildlife prey populations as well as in...
Authors
Andrea Faye Currylow, Brenda Hanley, Kerry L. Holcomb, Timothy Shields, Stephen Boland, William Boarman, Mercy Vaughn

Staggered-entry analysis of breeding phenology and occupancy dynamics of Arizona toads from historically occupied habitats of New Mexico, USA Staggered-entry analysis of breeding phenology and occupancy dynamics of Arizona toads from historically occupied habitats of New Mexico, USA

For species with variable phenology, it is often challenging to produce reliable estimates of population dynamics or changes in occupancy. The Arizona Toad (Anaxyrus microscaphus) is a southwestern USA endemic that has been petitioned for legal protection, but status assessments are limited by a lack of information on population trends. Also, timing and consistency of Arizona Toad...
Authors
MJ Forzley, Mason J. Ryan, IM Latella, JT Giermakowski, Erin L. Muths, Brent H. Sigafus, Blake R. Hossack

Effects of variable-density thinning on non-native understory plants in coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest Effects of variable-density thinning on non-native understory plants in coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest

Old-growth forests serve as critical habitat for many sensitive species, but management practices have diminished their prevalence, and former regions of old-growth are now dominated by second-growth stands lacking the structural heterogeneity, diversity, and species richness that these older forests possess. In western Washington state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, the...
Authors
Yianna Bekris, Janet S. Prevéy, Leslie C. Brodie, Connie Harrington

Modelling presence versus abundance for invasive species risk assessment Modelling presence versus abundance for invasive species risk assessment

Aim Invasive species prevention and management can be guided by comparisons of invasion risk across space and among species. Species distribution models are widely used to assess invasion risk and typically estimate suitability for species presence. However, suitability for presence may not capture patterns of abundance and impact. We asked how models estimating suitability for presence...
Authors
Catherine S. Jarnevich, Helen R. Sofaer, Peder Engelstad

Racial, ethnic, and social patterns in the recreation specialization of birdwatchers: An analysis of United States eBird registrants Racial, ethnic, and social patterns in the recreation specialization of birdwatchers: An analysis of United States eBird registrants

Although birdwatchers comprise a large and growing proportion of the American public, there is a lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the birdwatching community. Previous research suggests that this homogeneity is self-perpetuating, as ethno-racial minorities are less likely to pursue activities in which no one they know participates. However, it is unclear whether this trend in...
Authors
Jonathan D. Rutter, Ashley A. Dayer, Howard W. Harshaw, Nicholas W. Cole, David C. Fulton, Jennifer N. Duberstein, Andrew H Raedeke, Rudy Schuster

Engaging with stakeholders to produce actionable science: A framework and guidance Engaging with stakeholders to produce actionable science: A framework and guidance

Natural and cultural resource managers are increasingly working with the scientific community to create information on how best to adapt to the current and projected impacts of climate change. Engaging with these managers is a strategy that researchers can use to ensure that scientific outputs and findings are actionable (or useful and usable). In this article, the authors adapt Davidson...
Authors
Aparna Bamzai-Dodson, Amanda E. Cravens, Alisa Wade, Renee A. McPherson

Female persistence during toxicant treatment predicts survival probability of offspring in invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) Female persistence during toxicant treatment predicts survival probability of offspring in invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis)

Assessing the long-term efficacy of control methods is a critical component of invasive species management. For example, if traits related to control have significant heritability or are influenced by maternal effects, control methods may lose efficacy over time. The potential for these effects can be evaluated via parent/offspring survival analysis, which concomitantly recasts adaptive...
Authors
Brenna A Levine, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Marlis Douglas, Michael Douglas, Melia Gail Nafus

Honey bee foraged pollen reveals temporal changes in pollen protein content and changes in forager choice for abundant versus high protein flowers Honey bee foraged pollen reveals temporal changes in pollen protein content and changes in forager choice for abundant versus high protein flowers

Protein derived from pollen is an essential component of healthy bee diets. Protein content in honey bee foraged-pollen varies temporally and spatially, but the drivers underlying this variation remain poorly characterized. We assessed the temporal and spatial variation in honey bee collected pollen in 12 Michigan apiaries over 3 summers (2015–2017). We simultaneously monitored forage in...
Authors
Gabriela Quinlan, Megan Milbrath, Clint Otto, Autumn Smart, Deborah D. Iwanowicz, Rufus Isaacs, Robert S. Cornman

Foraging behavior in a generalist snake (brown treesnake, Boiga irregularis) with implications for avian reintroduction and recovery Foraging behavior in a generalist snake (brown treesnake, Boiga irregularis) with implications for avian reintroduction and recovery

Broad foraging classifications, such as generalist or specialist forager, are generally beneficial for population management in defining expectations of typical behavior. However, better understanding as to how individual variance in behavior interfaces with management actions, such as control of an invasive predator (such as brown treesnakes; Boiga irregularis) responsible for...
Authors
Melia G. Nafus, Peter X. Xiong, Eben H. Paxton, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Scott Michael Goetz

Thermal stability of an adaptable, invasive ectotherm: Argentine giant tegus in the Greater Everglades ecosystem, USA Thermal stability of an adaptable, invasive ectotherm: Argentine giant tegus in the Greater Everglades ecosystem, USA

Invasive species globally threaten biodiversity and economies, but the ecophysiological mechanisms underlying their success are often understudied. For those alien species that also exhibit high phenotypic plasticity, such as habitat generalists, adaptations in response to environmental pressures can take place relatively quickly. The Argentine giant tegu (Salvator merianae; tegu) is a...
Authors
Andrea Faye Currylow, Michelle Collier, Emma B. Hanslowe, Bryan G. Falk, Brian S. Cade, Sarah E. Moy, Alejandro Grajal-Puche, Frank N. Ridgley, Robert Reed, Amy A. Yackel Adams

Insect-mediated contaminant flux at the land–water interface: Are ecological subsidies driving exposure or is exposure driving subsidies? Insect-mediated contaminant flux at the land–water interface: Are ecological subsidies driving exposure or is exposure driving subsidies?

Chemical contamination of freshwaters is a global problem. In the United States alone, millions of kilometers of rivers and hectares of lakes and wetlands are impaired from contamination by chemicals including mercury, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and trace metals (US Environmental Protection Agency, 2017). Efforts to mitigate the risks of contamination have largely...
Authors
Johanna M. Kraus, Jeff S. Wesner, David Walters
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