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
Range-wide greater sage-grouse hierarchical monitoring framework—Implications for defining population boundaries, trend estimation, and a targeted annual warning system Range-wide greater sage-grouse hierarchical monitoring framework—Implications for defining population boundaries, trend estimation, and a targeted annual warning system
Incorporating spatial and temporal scales into greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) population monitoring strategies is challenging and rarely implemented. Sage-grouse populations experience fluctuations in abundance that lead to temporal oscillations, making trend estimation difficult. Accounting for stochasticity is critical to reliably estimate population trends and...
Authors
Peter S. Coates, Brian G. Prochazka, Michael S. O’Donnell, Cameron L. Aldridge, David R. Edmunds, Adrian P. Monroe, Mark A. Ricca, Gregory T. Wann, Steve E. Hanser, Lief A. Wiechman, Michael P. Chenaille
Fipronil pellets reduce flea abundance on black-tailed prairie dogs: Potential tool for plague management and black-footed ferret conservation Fipronil pellets reduce flea abundance on black-tailed prairie dogs: Potential tool for plague management and black-footed ferret conservation
In western North America, sylvatic plague (a flea-borne disease) poses a significant risk to endangered black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) and their primary prey, prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.). Pulicides (flea-killing agents) can be used to suppress fleas and thereby manage plague. In South Dakota, US, we tested edible “FipBit” pellets, each containing 0.84 mg fipronil, on free-living...
Authors
David A. Eads, Travis M. Livieri, Phillip Dobesh, Eddie Childers, Lauren Noble, Michele Vasquez, Dean E. Biggins
Behavioral patterns of bats at a wind turbine confirm seasonality of fatality risk Behavioral patterns of bats at a wind turbine confirm seasonality of fatality risk
Bat fatalities at wind energy facilities in North America are predominantly comprised of migratory, tree-dependent species, but it is unclear why these bats are at higher risk. Factors influencing bat susceptibility to wind turbines might be revealed by temporal patterns in their behaviors around these dynamic landscape structures. In northern temperate zones, fatalities occur mostly...
Authors
Shifra Z Goldenberg, Paul M. Cryan, P. Marcos Gorresen, Lee J Fingersh
Examining historical mercury sources in the Saint Louis River estuary: How legacy contamination influences biological mercury levels in Great Lakes coastal regions Examining historical mercury sources in the Saint Louis River estuary: How legacy contamination influences biological mercury levels in Great Lakes coastal regions
Industrial chemical contamination within coastal regions of the Great Lakes can pose serious risks to wetland habitat and offshore fisheries, often resulting in fish consumption advisories that directly affect human and wildlife health. Mercury (Hg) is a contaminant of concern in many of these highly urbanized and industrialized coastal regions, one of which is the Saint Louis River...
Authors
Sarah E. Janssen, Joel C. Hoffman, Ryan F. Lepak, David P. Krabbenhoft, David M. Walters, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Greg Peterson, Jacob M. Ogorek, John F. DeWild, Anne M Cotter, Mark Pearson, Michael T. Tate, Roger B. Yeardley, Marc A. Mills
Developing common protocols to measure tundra herbivory across spatial scales Developing common protocols to measure tundra herbivory across spatial scales
Understanding and predicting large-scale ecological responses to global environmental change requires comparative studies across geographic scales with coordinated efforts and standardized methodologies. We designed, applied and assessed standardized protocols to measure tundra herbivory at three spatial scales: plot, site (habitat), and study area (landscape). The plot and site-level...
Authors
Isabel C. Barrio, D. Ehrich, E. M. Soininen, V. T. Ravolainen, C. G. Bueno, O. Gilg, A. M. Koltz, J. D. M. Speed, D. S. Hik, M. Morsdorf, J. M. Alatalo, A. Angerbjörn, J. Bêty, L. Bollache, N. Boulanger-Lapointe, G. S. Brown, I. Eischeid, Marie-Andree Giroux, T. Hajek, B. B. Hansen, S. P. Hofhuis, Jean-François Lamarre, J. R. Lang, C. Latty, N. Lecomte, P. Macek, L. Mckinnon, Isla H. Myers-Smith, A. O. Pedersen, Janet S. Prevéy, J. D. Roth, Sarah T. Saalfeld, N. M. Schmidt, P. Smith, A. Sokolov, N. Sokolova, C. Stolz, R. van Bemmelen, O Varpe, P. F. Woodard, I. S. Jonsdottir
Sagebrush conservation strategy—Challenges to sagebrush conservation Sagebrush conservation strategy—Challenges to sagebrush conservation
The sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) biome, its wildlife, and the services and benefits it provides people and local communities are at risk. Development in the sagebrush biome, for many purposes, has resulted in multiple and often cumulative negative impacts. These impacts, ranging from simple habitat loss to complex, interactive changes in ecosystem function, continue to accelerate even as...
Authors
Thomas E. Remington, Patricia A. Deibert, Steve E. Hanser, Dawn M. Davis, Leslie A. Robb, Justin L. Welty
Argentine Black and White Tegu (Salvator merianae) can survive the winter under semi-natural conditions well beyond their current invasive range Argentine Black and White Tegu (Salvator merianae) can survive the winter under semi-natural conditions well beyond their current invasive range
The Argentine Black and White Tegu (Salvator merianae, formerly Tupinambis merianae) is a large lizard from South America. Now established and invasive in southern Florida, and it poses threats to populations of many native species. Models suggest much of the southern United States may contain suitable temperature regimes for this species, yet there is considerable uncertainty regarding...
Authors
Scott Michael Goetz, David A. Steen, Melissa A. Miller, Craig Guyer, Jack Kottwitz, John F. Roberts, Emmett Blankenship, Phillip R. Pearson, Daniel A. Warner, Robert Reed
Temperature‐associated decreases in demographic rates of Afrotropical bird species over 30 years Temperature‐associated decreases in demographic rates of Afrotropical bird species over 30 years
Tropical mountains harbor globally significant levels of biodiversity and endemism. Climate change threatens many tropical montane species, yet little research has assessed the effects of climate change on the demographic rates of tropical species, particularly in the Afrotropics. Here, we report on the demographic rates of 21 Afrotropical bird species over 30 years in montane forests in...
Authors
Monte Neate-Clegg, Thomas Stanley, Cagen Sekerciouglu, William Newmard
Locally abundant, endangered Mariana swiftlets impact the abundance, behavior, and body condition of an invasive predator Locally abundant, endangered Mariana swiftlets impact the abundance, behavior, and body condition of an invasive predator
Invasive predators are known to have negative consumptive and non-consumptive effects on native species, but few examples show how the abundance of native prey may influence an established invasive predator. We compared invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis; BTS) found in caves occupied by endangered Mariana swiftlets (Aerodramus bartschi) to snakes found in nearby forests and...
Authors
Page E. Klug, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Shane R. Siers, Kevin M Brindock, Stephen M. Mosher, MJ Mazurek, William C. Pitt, Robert Reed
Prioritizing landscapes for grassland bird conservation with hierarchical community models Prioritizing landscapes for grassland bird conservation with hierarchical community models
Context Given widespread population declines of birds breeding in North American grasslands, management that sustains wildlife while supporting rancher livelihoods is needed. However, management effects vary across landscapes, and identifying areas with the greatest potential bird response to conservation is a pressing research need.Objectives We developed a hierarchical modeling...
Authors
Adrian Pierre-Frederic Monroe, David R. Edmunds, Cameron L. Aldridge, Matthew J Holloran, Timothy J Assal, Alison G Holloran
Compilation of information on occurrence and conservation status for the freshwater mussel fauna of Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma Compilation of information on occurrence and conservation status for the freshwater mussel fauna of Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma
The purpose of this data series is to compile information on the occurrence and conservation status of the freshwater mussel fauna of Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma and to map the distribution of a freshwater mussel assemblage for the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management Rapid Ecoregional Assessment (REA) program. The six focal species in the freshwater mussel...
Authors
Natasha B. Carr, Tammy S. Fancher
Composition and distribution of fish environmental DNA in an Adirondack watershed Composition and distribution of fish environmental DNA in an Adirondack watershed
Background Environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys are appealing options for monitoring aquatic biodiversity. While factors affecting eDNA persistence, capture and amplification have been heavily studied, watershed-scale surveys of fish communities and our confidence in such need further exploration.Methods We characterized fish eDNA compositions using rapid, low-volume filtering with replicate...
Authors
Robert S. Cornman, James E. McKenna, Jennifer A. Fike