Publications
Below is a list of available NOROCK peer reviewed and published science. If you are in search of a specific publication and cannot find it below or through a search, please contact twojtowicz@usgs.gov.
Filter Total Items: 1308
Spatial extent of forested avalanche terrain impacted by wildfire across the Sawtooth National Forest Spatial extent of forested avalanche terrain impacted by wildfire across the Sawtooth National Forest
Forest structure is a major driver of mountain snowpacks and avalanche occurrence. Healthy forests can reduce the incidence of dangerous slab avalanches, slow avalanches when in motion, shorten their runout distances, and act as a safety buffer for backcountry users, infrastructure, and transportation corridors. Since 1984, wildfire area in the seasonal snow zone of the western United...
Authors
Zachary Miller, John Sykes, Megan Guinn, Benjamin VandenBos, Scott Savage, Erich H. Peitzsch
Big avalanches in a changing climate: Using tree-ring derived avalanche chronologies to examine avalanche frequency across multiple climate types Big avalanches in a changing climate: Using tree-ring derived avalanche chronologies to examine avalanche frequency across multiple climate types
Large-magnitude snow avalanches pose a hazard to humans and infrastructure worldwide. Analyzing the spatiotemporal behavior of avalanches and the contributory climate factors is important for understanding historical variability in climate-avalanche relationships as well as improving avalanche forecasting. This study uses established dendrochronological methods to develop long-term...
Authors
Erich H. Peitzsch, Gregory T. Pederson, Justin T. Martin, Eran Hood, Ethan M. Greene, Karl W. Birkeland, Kelly Elder, Gabriel Wolken, Nickolas E. Kichas, Daniel Kent Stahle, John Harley
Using tree rings to compare Colorado’s 2019 avalanche cycle to previous large avalanche cycles Using tree rings to compare Colorado’s 2019 avalanche cycle to previous large avalanche cycles
Large magnitude avalanches (size ≥D3) impact settlements, transportation corridors, and public safety worldwide. In Colorado, United States, avalanches have killed more people than any other natural hazard since 1950. In March 2019, a historically large magnitude avalanche cycle occurred throughout the entire mountainous portion of Colorado resulting in more than 1000 reported avalanches...
Authors
Erich H. Peitzsch, Ethan M. Greene, Jason Konigsberg, Gregory T. Pederson, Justin T. Martin, Nickolas Kichas, Daniel Kent Stahle, Adrien Favillier, Nicolas Eckert, Karl W. Birkeland, Kelly Elder
Reimagining large river management using the Resist–Accept–Direct (RAD) framework in the Upper Mississippi River Reimagining large river management using the Resist–Accept–Direct (RAD) framework in the Upper Mississippi River
Background Large-river decision-makers are charged with maintaining diverse ecosystem services through unprecedented social-ecological transformations as climate change and other global stressors intensify. The interconnected, dendritic habitats of rivers, which often demarcate jurisdictional boundaries, generate complex management challenges. Here, we explore how the Resist–Accept...
Authors
Nicole K. Ward, Abigail Lynch, Erik A. Beever, Joshua Booker, Kristen L. Bouska, Holly Susan Embke, John F. Kocik, Joshua Kocik, Mary Grace T. Lemon, David J. Lawrence, Douglas Limpinsel, Madeline Magee, Bryan M. Maitland, Owen P. McKenna, Andrew R. Meier, John M. Morton, Jeffrey Muehlbauer, Robert Newman, Devon C. Oliver, Heidi M. Rantala, Greg G. Sass, Aaron D. Shultz, Laura Thompson, Jennifer L. Wilkening
Spatial variation in density of American black bears in northern Yellowstone National Park Spatial variation in density of American black bears in northern Yellowstone National Park
The quality and availability of resources are known to influence spatial patterns of animal density. In Yellowstone National Park, relationships between the availability of resources and the distribution of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) have been explored but have yet to be examined in American black bears (Ursus americanus). We conducted non-invasive genetic sampling during 2017–2018...
Authors
Nathaniel R. Bowersock, Andrea R. Litt, Michael A. Sawaya, Kerry A. Gunther, Frank T. van Manen
Grizzly bear lean body mass, but not fat gain, is inversely correlated with bear density in a changing Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Grizzly bear lean body mass, but not fat gain, is inversely correlated with bear density in a changing Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
No abstract available.
Authors
Andrea Corradini, Mark A. Haroldson, Frank T. van Manen
USGS READI-Net: A FY23 end-of-year update USGS READI-Net: A FY23 end-of-year update
No abstract available.
Authors
Adam Sepulveda
The patchwork governance of ecologically available water: A case study in the Upper Missouri Headwaters, Montana, United States The patchwork governance of ecologically available water: A case study in the Upper Missouri Headwaters, Montana, United States
Institutional authority and responsibility for allocating water to ecosystems (“ecologically available water” [EAW]) is spread across local, state, and federal agencies, which operate under a range of statutes, mandates, and planning processes. We use a case study of the Upper Missouri Headwaters Basin in southwestern Montana, United States, to illustrate this fragmented institutional...
Authors
Amanda E. Cravens, Julia B. Goolsby, Theresa Jedd, Deborah J. Bathke, Shelley Crausbay, Ashley E Cooper, Jason B. Dunham, Tonya Haigh, Kimberly R. Hall, Michael J. Hayes, Jamie McEvoy, Rebecca L Nelson, Marketa Podebradska, Aaron R. Ramirez, Elliot Wickham, Dionne Zoanni
Timing of reproduction underlies fitness tradeoffs for a salmonid fish Timing of reproduction underlies fitness tradeoffs for a salmonid fish
Life history diversity is generated and maintained in part by density-dependent fitness tradeoffs that inhibit a single trait value from reaching fixation. While central to our understanding of evolution, demonstrating density dependence in the strength of fitness tradeoffs is difficult in natural systems. The timing of reproduction is a key life history trait that determines access to...
Authors
Jeffrey R Baldock, Robert Al-Chokhachy, Matthew R. Campbell, Annika W. Walters
Critical considerations for communicating environmental DNA science Critical considerations for communicating environmental DNA science
The economic and methodological efficiencies of environmental DNA (eDNA) based survey approaches provide an unprecedented opportunity to assess and monitor aquatic environments. However, instances of inadequate communication from the scientific community about confidence levels, knowledge gaps, reliability, and appropriate parameters of eDNA-based methods have hindered their uptake in
Authors
Eric D. Stein, Christopher L. Jerde, Elizabeth Allan, Adam Sepulveda, Cathryn Abbott, Melinda R. Baerwald, John Darling, Kelly D Goodwin, Rachel Meyer, Molly Timmers, Peter Thielen
Geographic and taxonomic variation in adaptive capacity among mountain-dwelling small mammals: implications for conservation status and actions Geographic and taxonomic variation in adaptive capacity among mountain-dwelling small mammals: implications for conservation status and actions
Contemporary climate change is modifying the distribution, morphology, phenology, physiology, evolution, and interspecific interactions of species. Effects of climate change are mediated not only through the magnitude of change experienced (exposure) and an animal's sensitivity to such changes, but also through the ability of the population or species to adjust to climatic variability...
Authors
Erik A. Beever, Jennifer L. Wilkening, Peter D. Billman, Lindsey Thurman, Kristina A. Ernest, David H. Wright, Alisha M. Gill, April C. Craighead, Nolan A. Helmstetter, Leona K. Svancara, Meghan J. Camp, Sabuj Bhattacharyya, Jedediah Fitzgerald, Jocelyn M. R. Hirose, Marie L. Westover, Francis D. Gerraty, Kelly B. Klingler, Danielle A. Schmidt, Dylan K. Ryals, Richard N. Brown, Steven L. Clark, Neil Clayton, Gail H. Collins, Kyle A. Cutting, Daniel F. Doak, Clinton W. Epps, Janet E. Foley, Johnnie French, Charles L. Hayes, Zachary A. Mills, Lucas Moyer-Horner, Lyle B. Nichols, Kate B. Orlofsky, Mary M. Peacock, Nicholas C. Penzel, Johnny Peterson, Nathan G. Ramsay, Tom Rickman, Megan M. Robinson, Hillary L. Robison, Karen M. C. Rowe, Kevin C. Rowe, Michael A. Russello, Adam B. Smith, Joseph A. E. Stewart, Will W. Thompson, James H. Thorne, Matthew D. Waterhouse, Shana S. Weber, Kenneth C. Wilson
Bighorn sheep associations: Understanding tradeoffs of sociality and implications for disease transmission Bighorn sheep associations: Understanding tradeoffs of sociality and implications for disease transmission
Sociality directly influences mating success, survival rates, and disease, but ultimately likely evolved for its fitness benefits in a challenging environment. The tradeoffs between the costs and benefits of sociality can operate at multiple scales, resulting in different interpretations of animal behavior. We investigated the influence of intrinsic (e.g., relatedness, age) and extrinsic...
Authors
Marie Tosa, Mark Biel, Tabitha A. Graves