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: 2380
Climate, environment, and disturbance history govern resilience of western North American Forests Climate, environment, and disturbance history govern resilience of western North American Forests
Before the advent of intensive forest management and fire suppression, western North American forests exhibited a naturally occurring resistance and resilience to wildfires and other disturbances. Resilience, which encompasses resistance, reflects the amount of disruption an ecosystem can withstand before its structure or organization qualitatively shift to a different basin of...
Authors
Paul F. Hessburg, Carol Miller, Sean A. Parks, Nicholas A. Povak, Alan H. Taylor, Philip E. Higuera, Susan Prichard, Malcolm P. North, Brandon M. Collins, Matthew D. Hurteau, Andrew J. Larson, Craig D. Allen, Scott L. Stephens, Hiram Rivera-Huerta, Camile S Stevens-Rumann, Lori D. Daniels, Ze’ev Gedalof, Robert W. Gray, Van R. Kane, Derek J. Churchill, R. Keala Hagmann, Thomas A. Spies, C. Alina Cansler, R. Travis Belote, Thomas T. Veblen, Mike A. Battaglia, Chad Hoffman, Carl N. Skinner, Hugh D. Safford, R. Brion Salter
Intermountain west drought social science synthesis working group: Report to the National Climate Adaptation Science Center Intermountain west drought social science synthesis working group: Report to the National Climate Adaptation Science Center
Throughout the Intermountain West, there has been significant investment in understanding how social factors influence manager and citizen experiences of drought in particular locations. Yet there is still a gap in knowledge of how human dimensions of drought impacts, planning, and resilience are similar and different across cases and regions. Building on the natural science...
Authors
Adam Wilke, Amanda E. Cravens, Robin O’Malley
Assessing the chemistry and bioavailability of dissolved organic matter from glaciers and rock glaciers Assessing the chemistry and bioavailability of dissolved organic matter from glaciers and rock glaciers
As glaciers thaw in response to warming, they release dissolved organic matter (DOM) to alpine lakes and streams. The United States contains an abundance of both alpine glaciers and rock glaciers. Differences in DOM composition and bioavailability between glacier types, like rock and ice glaciers, remain undefined. To assess differences in glacier and rock glacier DOM we evaluated...
Authors
Timothy S. Fegel, Claudia M. Boot, Corey D. Broeckling, Jill Baron, Edward K Hall
Predicting attenuation of salinized surface- and groundwater-resources from legacy energy development in the Prairie Pothole Region Predicting attenuation of salinized surface- and groundwater-resources from legacy energy development in the Prairie Pothole Region
Oil and gas (energy) development in the Williston Basin, which partly underlies the Prairie Pothole Region in central North America, has helped meet U.S. energy demand for decades. Historical handling and disposal practices of saline wastewater co-produced during energy development resulted in salinization of surface and groundwater at numerous legacy energy sites. Thirty years of...
Authors
Todd M. Preston, Chauncey W. Anderson, Joanna N. Thamke, Blake R. Hossack, Katherine Skalak, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Fort Collins Science Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center, Reston Biogeochemical Processes in Groundwater Laboratory
Migratory strategy explains differences in timing of female reproductive development in seasonally sympatric songbirds. Migratory strategy explains differences in timing of female reproductive development in seasonally sympatric songbirds.
1. Divergent migratory strategies among populations can result in population-level differences in timing of reproduction (allochrony) and local adaptation. However, the mechanisms underlying among-population variation in timing are insufficiently understood, particularly in females. 2. We studied differences in reproductive development and its related mechanisms along the hypothalamic...
Authors
Abigail A Kimmitt, Jack Hardman, Craig A. Stricker, Ellen D. Ketterson
Amphibian conservation in the Anthropocene Amphibian conservation in the Anthropocene
Research is necessary to identify patterns in nature, to understand how a system functions, and to make predictions about the future state of an ecosystem. Applied research in conservation biology can identify effective strategies to maintain biodiversity, though many papers end with the conclusion that more research is needed. However, more research does not necessarily lead to...
Authors
Evan H. Campbell Grant, Erin L. Muths, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Silviu Petrovan
Effect of amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) on apparent survival of frogs and toads in the western USA Effect of amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) on apparent survival of frogs and toads in the western USA
Despite increasing interest in determining the population-level effects of emerging infectious diseases on wildlife, estimating effects of disease on survival rates remains difficult. Even for a well-studied disease such as amphibian chytridiomycosis (caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis [Bd]), there are few estimates of how survival of wild hosts is affected. We applied
Authors
Robin E. Russell, Brian J. Halstead, Brittany Mosher, Erin L. Muths, Michael J. Adams, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Robert N. Fisher, Patrick M. Kleeman, Adam R. Backlin, Christopher Pearl, R. Ken Honeycutt, Blake R. Hossack
The development and delivery of species distribution models to inform decision-making The development and delivery of species distribution models to inform decision-making
Information on where species occur is central to conservation and management decisions, but knowledge of distributions can be coarse or incomplete. Species distribution models provide a tool for mapping suitable habitat, and can produce credible, defensible, and repeatable predictive information with which to inform decisions. However, these models are sensitive to data inputs and...
Authors
Helen Sofaer, Catherine S. Jarnevich, Ian S. Pearse, Regan L Smyth, Stephanie Auer, Cook Gericke L, Thomas C. Edwards, Gerald F. Guala, Timothy G Howard, Jeffrey T. Morisette, Healy Hamilton
Integrating amphibian movement studies across scales better informs conservation decisions Integrating amphibian movement studies across scales better informs conservation decisions
Numerous papers have highlighted the need to integrate amphibian research and conservation across multiple scales. Despite this, most amphibian movement studies focus on a single level of organization (e.g., local population) and a single life stage (e.g., adults) and many suggest potential conservation actions or imply that the information is useful to conservation, yet these...
Authors
Larissa L. Bailey, Erin L. Muths
Evaluation of five pulicides to suppress fleas on black-tailed prairie dogs: Encouraging long-term results with systemic 0.005% fipronil Evaluation of five pulicides to suppress fleas on black-tailed prairie dogs: Encouraging long-term results with systemic 0.005% fipronil
Plague, a flea-borne disease, hampers efforts to restore populations of black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes), which occupy colonies of prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) in North America. Plague is managed by infusing prairie dog burrows with DeltaDust® 0.05% deltamethrin, a pulicide that kills fleas. Experiments are needed to identify pulicides that can be used in rotation with DeltaDust...
Authors
David Austin Eads, Dean E. Biggins, Kristina Broerman, Jonathan Bowser, Travis Livieri, Eddie Childers, Phillip Dobesh, Randall Griebel
Signatures of adaptive divergence among populations of an avian species of conservation Signatures of adaptive divergence among populations of an avian species of conservation
Understanding the genetic underpinning of adaptive divergence among populations is a key goal of evolutionary biology and conservation. Gunnison sage‐grouse (Centrocercus minimus) is a sagebrush obligate species with a constricted range consisting of seven discrete populations, each with distinctly different habitat and climatic conditions. Though geographically close, populations have...
Authors
Shawna J Zimmerman, Cameron L. Aldridge, Kevin P Oh, Robert S. Cornman, Sara J. Oyler-McCance
Survival cost to relocation does not reduce population self‐sustainability in an amphibian Survival cost to relocation does not reduce population self‐sustainability in an amphibian
Relocations are increasingly popular among wildlife managers despite often low rates of relocation success in vertebrates. In this context, understanding the influence of extrinsic (e.g., relocation design, habitat characteristics) and intrinsic factors (e.g., age and sex) on demographic parameters, such as survival, that regulate the dynamics of relocated populations is critical to...
Authors
Hugo Cayuela, Lilly Gillet, Arnaud Laudelout, Aurelien Besnard, Eric Bonnaire, Pauline Levionnois, Erin L. Muths, Marc Dufrene, Thierry Kinet