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
Advancing dendrochronological studies of fire in the United States Advancing dendrochronological studies of fire in the United States
Dendroecology is the science that dates tree rings to their exact calendar year of formation to study processes that influence forest ecology (e.g., Speer 2010, Amoroso et al., 2017). Reconstruction of past fire regimes is a core application of dendroecology, linking fire history to population dynamics and climate effects on tree growth and survivorship. Since the early 20th century when
Authors
Grant L. Harley, Christopher H. Baisan, Peter M. Brown, Donald A. Falk, William T. Flatley, Henri D. Grissino-Mayer, Amy Hessl, Emily K. Heyerdahl, Margot W. Kaye, Charles W. Lafon, Ellis Q. Margolis, R. Stockton Maxwell, Adam T. Naito, William J. Platt, Monica T. Rother, Thomas Saladyga, Rosemary L. Sherriff, Lauren A. Stachowiak, Michael C. Stambaugh, Elaine Kennedy Sutherland, Alan H. Taylor
Plague in a colony of Gunnison's prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni) despite three years of infusions of burrows with 0.05% deltamethrin to kill fleas Plague in a colony of Gunnison's prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni) despite three years of infusions of burrows with 0.05% deltamethrin to kill fleas
At Valles Caldera National Preserve in New Mexico, US, infusing Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni) burrows with an insecticide dust containing 0.05% deltamethrin killed fleas which transmit bubonic plague. The reduction in the number of fleas per prairie dog was significant and dramatic immediately after infusions, with a suggestion that the reduction persisted for as long as 12...
Authors
John L. Hoogland, Dean E. Biggins, Nathaniel Blackford, David Eads, Dustin Long, Mariana Rivera Rodriguez, Lauren M. Ross, Sarah Tobey, Emma M. White
Assessment of two external transmitter attachment methods for Boiga irregularis (Brown Treesnakes) Assessment of two external transmitter attachment methods for Boiga irregularis (Brown Treesnakes)
No abstract available.
Authors
Charlotte J. Robinson, Marijoy C. Viernes, Robert Reed, Amy Yackel, Melia G. Nafus
River flow and riparian vegetation dynamics - implications for management of the Yampa River through Dinosaur National Monument River flow and riparian vegetation dynamics - implications for management of the Yampa River through Dinosaur National Monument
This report addresses the relation between flow of the Yampa River and occurrence of herbaceous and woody riparian vegetation in Dinosaur National Monument (DINO) with the goal of informing management decisions related to potential future water development. The Yampa River in DINO flows through diverse valley settings, from the relatively broad restricted meanders of Deerlodge Park to...
Authors
Michael L. Scott, Jonathan M. Friedman
Research frontiers for improving our understanding of drought‐induced tree and forest mortality Research frontiers for improving our understanding of drought‐induced tree and forest mortality
Accumulating evidence highlights increased mortality risks for trees during severe drought, particularly under warmer temperatures and increasing vapour pressure deficit (VPD). Resulting forest die‐off events have severe consequences for ecosystem services, biophysical and biogeochemical land–atmosphere processes. Despite advances in monitoring, modelling and experimental studies of the...
Authors
Henrik Hartmann, Catarina Moura, William R. L. Anderegg, Nadine K. Ruehr, Yann Salmon, Craig D. Allen, Stefan K. Arndt, David D. Breshears, Hendrik Davi, David Galbraith, Katinka X. Ruthrof, Jan Wunder, Henry D. Adams, Jasper Bloemen, Maxime Cailleret, Richard Cobb, Arthur Gessler, Thorsten E. E. Grams, Steven Jansen, Markus Kautz, Francisco Lloret, Michael O’Brien
Long-term persistence of horse fecal DNA in the environment makes equids particularly good candidates for non-invasive sampling Long-term persistence of horse fecal DNA in the environment makes equids particularly good candidates for non-invasive sampling
Fecal DNA collected noninvasively can provide valuable information about genetic and ecological characteristics. This approach has rarely been used for equids, despite the need for conservation of endangered species and management of abundant feral populations. We examined factors affecting the efficacy of using equid fecal samples for conservation genetics. First, we evaluated two fecal
Authors
Sarah R.B. King, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Jennifer A. Fike, Sara J. Oyler-McCance
Shifting stream planform state decreases stream productivity yet increases riparian animal production Shifting stream planform state decreases stream productivity yet increases riparian animal production
In the Colorado Front Range (USA), disturbance history dictates stream planform. Undisturbed, old-growth streams have multiple channels and large amounts of wood and depositional habitat. Disturbed streams (wildfires and logging
Authors
Michael P. Venarsky, David M. Walters, Robert O. Hall, Bridget Livers, Ellen Wohl
Importance of growth rate on mercury and polychlorinated biphenyl bioaccumulation in fish Importance of growth rate on mercury and polychlorinated biphenyl bioaccumulation in fish
To evaluate the effect of fish growth on mercury (Hg) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) bioaccumulation, a non–steady‐state toxicokinetic model, combined with a Wisconsin bioenergetics model, was developed to simulate Hg and PCB bioaccumulation in bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus). The model was validated by comparing observed with predicted Hg and PCB 180 concentrations across 5 age...
Authors
Jiajia Li, G. Douglas Haffner, Gordon Patterson, David M. Walters, Michael D. Burtnyk, Ken G. Drouillard
Misleading prioritizations from modelling range shifts under climate change Misleading prioritizations from modelling range shifts under climate change
Aim Conservation planning requires the prioritization of a subset of taxa and geographical locations to focus monitoring and management efforts. Integration of the threats and opportunities posed by climate change often relies on predictions from species distribution models, particularly for assessments of vulnerability or invasion risk for multiple taxa. We evaluated whether species...
Authors
Helen Sofaer, Catherine S. Jarnevich, Curtis H. Flather
Ecological drought: Accounting for the non-human impacts of water shortage in the Upper Missouri Headwaters Basin, Montana, USA Ecological drought: Accounting for the non-human impacts of water shortage in the Upper Missouri Headwaters Basin, Montana, USA
Water laws and drought plans are used to prioritize and allocate scarce water resources. Both have historically been human-centric, failing to account for non-human water needs. In this paper, we examine the development of instream flow legislation and the evolution of drought planning to highlight the growing concern for the non-human impacts of water scarcity. Utilizing a new framework...
Authors
Jamie McEvoy, Deborah J. Bathke, Nina Burkardt, Amanda E. Cravens, Tonya Haigh, Kimberly R. Hall, Michael J. Hayes, Theresa Jedd, Marketa Podebradska, Elliot Wickham
Potential effects of elevated base flow and midsummer spike flow experiments on riparian vegetation along the Green River Potential effects of elevated base flow and midsummer spike flow experiments on riparian vegetation along the Green River
The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program has requested experimental flow releases from Flaming Gorge Dam for (1) elevated summer base flows to promote larval endangered Colorado pikeminnow, and (2) midsummer spike flows to disadvantage spawning invasive smallmouth bass. This white paper explores the effects of these proposed flow modifications on riparian vegetation and...
Authors
Jonathan M. Friedman
Genomic evolution, recombination, and inter-strain diversity of chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 from Florida and Hawaii green sea turtles with fibropapillomatosis Genomic evolution, recombination, and inter-strain diversity of chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 from Florida and Hawaii green sea turtles with fibropapillomatosis
Chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) is a herpesvirus associated with fibropapillomatosis (FP) in sea turtles worldwide. Single-locus typing has previously shown differentiation between Atlantic and Pacific strains of this virus, with low variation within each geographic clade. However, a lack of multi-locus genomic sequence data hinders understanding of the rate and mechanisms of ChHV5
Authors
Cheryl L. Morrison, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Thierry M. Work, Elizabeth Fahsbender, Mya Breitbart, Cynthia R. Adams, Deborah D. Iwanowicz, Lakyn Sanders, Mathias Ackermann, Robert S. Cornman