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
Southwestern bats and their external bacteria Southwestern bats and their external bacteria
Bat species diversity within the United States is greatest in the Southwest, with approximately 30 species present. At least 16 of these bat species hibernate and are susceptible to white-nose syndrome (WNS), which is caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Since 2006, millions of bats from 35 U.S. states and 7 Canadian provinces have died from WNS. In previous studies of...
Authors
Ernest W. Valdez, Emily M. Johnson, Edward W. Strach, Patrick A. Lewis, William C Briggs, Nicole A. Caimi, Ara S. Winter, Diana E. Northup, Jennifer J.M. Hathaway
Blue waters, green bottoms: Benthic filamentous algal blooms are an emerging threat to clear lakes worldwide Blue waters, green bottoms: Benthic filamentous algal blooms are an emerging threat to clear lakes worldwide
Nearshore (littoral) habitats of clear lakes with high water quality are increasingly experiencing unexplained proliferations of filamentous algae that grow on submerged surfaces. These filamentous algal blooms (FABs) are sometimes associated with nutrient pollution in groundwater, but complex changes in climate, nutrient transport, lake hydrodynamics, and food web structure may also...
Authors
Yvonne Vadeboncoeur, Marianne V. Moore, Simon D. Stewart, Sudeep Chandra, Karen Atkins, Jill S. Baron, Keith Bouma-Gregson, Soren Brothers, Stephen Francoeur, Laurel Genzoli, Scott N. Higgins, Sabine Hilt, Leon R. Katona, David Kelly, Isabella Oleksy, Ted Ozersky, Mary Powel, Derek Roberts, Oleg Timoshkin, Flavia Tromboni, M. Jake Vander Zanden, Ekaterina Volkova, Sean Waters, Susanna A. Wood, Masumi Yamamuro
Tools and technologies for quantifying spread and impacts of invasive species Tools and technologies for quantifying spread and impacts of invasive species
The need for tools and technologies for understanding and quantifying invasive species has never been greater. Rates of infestation vary on the species or organism being examined across the United States, and notable examples can be found. For example, from 2001 to 2003 alone, ash (Fraxinus spp.) mortality progressed at a rate of 12.97 km year −1 (Siegert et al. 2014), and cheatgrass...
Authors
Matt Reeves, Ines Ibanez, Dana Blumenthal, Gang Chen, Qinfeng Guo, Catherine S. Jarnevich, Jennifer Koch, Frank Sapio, Michael D. Schwartz, Ross K. Meentemeyer, Bruce Wylie, Stephen P. Boyte
Diffusion modeling reveals effects of multiple release sites and human activity on a recolonizing apex predator Diffusion modeling reveals effects of multiple release sites and human activity on a recolonizing apex predator
Background Reintroducing predators is a promising conservation tool to help remedy human-caused ecosystem changes. However, the growth and spread of a reintroduced population is a spatiotemporal process that is driven by a suite of factors, such as habitat change, human activity, and prey availability. Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are apex predators of nearshore marine ecosystems that had...
Authors
Joseph M. Eisaguirre, Perry J. Willliams, Xinyi Lu, Michelle L. Kissling, William S. Beatty, George G. Esslinger, Jamie N. Womble, Mevin Hooten
A more representative community of ecologists A more representative community of ecologists
Ecologists play a crucial role in providing solutions to the challenges facing the world. For most of the history of the field, however, the science of ecology has been pursued by white men, and increasingly, by white women. This lack of diversity is untenable today, not only because it is socially unjust, but also because solving environmental problems requires diversity. Ecology as a...
Authors
David S Schimel, Jill S. Baron
Identifying policy-relevant indicators for assessing landscape vegetation patterns to inform planning and management on multiple use public lands Identifying policy-relevant indicators for assessing landscape vegetation patterns to inform planning and management on multiple use public lands
Understanding the structure and composition of landscapes can empower agencies to effectively manage public lands for multiple uses while sustaining land health. Many landscape metrics exist, but they are not often used in public land decision-making. Our objectives were to (1) develop and (2) apply a process for identifying a core set of indicators that public land managers can use to...
Authors
Sarah K. Carter, Lucy Burris, Chris Domschke, Steven L Garman, Travis Haby, Benjamin R Harms, Emily Kachergis, Kevin Miller, S. E. Litschert
Annotated bibliography of scientific research on Ventenata dubia published from 2010 to 2020 Annotated bibliography of scientific research on Ventenata dubia published from 2010 to 2020
Integrating recent science into management decisions supports effective natural resource management and can lead to better resource outcomes. However, finding and accessing science information can be time consuming and costly. To assist in this process, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is creating a series of annotated bibliographies on topics of management concern for western lands...
Authors
Erin E. Poor, Nathan J. Kleist, Heidi L. Bencin, Alison C. Foster, Sarah K. Carter
Evaluating establishment of conservation practices in the Conservation Reserve Program across the central and western United States Evaluating establishment of conservation practices in the Conservation Reserve Program across the central and western United States
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is one of the largest private lands conservation programs in the United States, establishing perennial vegetation on environmentally sensitive lands formerly in agricultural production. Over its 35 year existence, the CRP has evolved to include diverse conservation practices (CPs) while concomitantly meeting its core...
Authors
Mark W. Vandever, Sarah K. Carter, Timothy J. Assal, Kenneth Elgersma, Ai Wen, Justin L. Welty, Robert S. Arkle, Rich Iovanna
Trait heritability and its implications for the management of an invasive vertebrate Trait heritability and its implications for the management of an invasive vertebrate
Control methods that target specific traits of an invasive species can produce results contrary to the aims of management. If targeted phenotypes exhibit heritability, then it follows that the invasive species could evolve greater resistance to the applied control measures over time. Additional complications emerge if those traits targeted by control are also inversely related to...
Authors
Brenna A Levine, Marlis R Douglas, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Bjorn Lardner, Robert Reed, Julie A. Savidge, Michael E Douglas
Extreme events trigger terrestrial and marine ecosystem collapses: A tale of two regions Extreme events trigger terrestrial and marine ecosystem collapses: A tale of two regions
We outline the multiple, cross-scale, and complex consequences of terrestrial and marine ecosystem heatwaves in two regions on opposite sides of the planet: the southwestern USA and southwestern Australia, both encompassing Global Biodiversity Hotspots, and where ecosystem collapses or features of it have occurred in the past two decades. We highlight ecosystem shifts that have clearly
Authors
Katinka X. Ruthrof, Joseph B. Fontaine, David D. Breshears, Jason P. Field, Craig D. Allen
Prioritizing restoration areas to conserve multiple sagebrush-associated wildlife species Prioritizing restoration areas to conserve multiple sagebrush-associated wildlife species
Strategic restoration of altered habitat is one method for addressing worldwide biodiversity declines. Within the sagebrush steppe of western North America, habitat degradation has been linked to declines in many species, making restoration a priority for managers; however, limited funding, spatiotemporal variation in restoration success, and the need to manage for diverse wildlife...
Authors
Courtney Jean Duchardt, Adrian P. Monroe, Julie A. Heinrichs, Michael S. O’Donnell, David R. Edmunds, Cameron L. Aldridge
U.S. Geological Survey landscape science strategy 2020–2030 U.S. Geological Survey landscape science strategy 2020–2030
Across our Nation, multiple Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments are working with stakeholders and landowners to restore, conserve, and manage lands and resources to benefit fish, wildlife, and people. One of the largest Federal efforts is led by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), with multiple DOI agencies working to conserve and manage public lands, resources, and...
Authors
Karen E. Jenni, Sarah K. Carter, Nicholas G. Aumen, Zachary H. Bowen, John B. Bradford, Michael A. Chotkowski, Leslie Hsu, Peter S. Murdoch, Scott W. Phillips, Kevin L. Pope, Rudy Schuster, Melanie J. Steinkamp, Jake Weltzin, George Z. Xian