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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

Multiple UAV flights across the growing season can characterize fine scale phenological heterogeneity within and among vegetation functional groups Multiple UAV flights across the growing season can characterize fine scale phenological heterogeneity within and among vegetation functional groups

Grasslands and shrublands exhibit pronounced spatial and temporal variability in structure and function with differences in phenology that can be difficult to observe. Unpiloted aerial vehicles (UAVs) can measure vegetation spectral patterns relatively cheaply and repeatably at fine spatial resolution. We tested the ability of UAVs to measure phenological variability within vegetation...
Authors
David J. A. Wood, Todd M. Preston, Scott Powell, Paul C. Stoy

Identifying factors linked with persistence of reintroduced populations: Lessons learned from 25 years of amphibian translocations Identifying factors linked with persistence of reintroduced populations: Lessons learned from 25 years of amphibian translocations

Conservation translocations are increasingly used to help recover imperiled species. However, success of establishing populations remains low, especially for amphibians. Identifying factors associated with translocation success can help increase efficiency and efficacy of recovery efforts. Since the 1990s, several captive and semi-captive facilities have produced Chiricahua Leopard Frogs...
Authors
Blake R. Hossack, Paige E. Howell, Audrey K Owens, C Cobos, Caren S. Goldberg, David L. Hall, Shaula Hedwall, Susi MacVean, Magnus McCaffery, A. Hunter McCall, C Mosley, Emily Bea Oja, James C. Rorabaugh, Brent H. Sigafus, Michael J Sredl

Epidemiological differences between sexes affect management efficacy in simulated chronic wasting disease systems Epidemiological differences between sexes affect management efficacy in simulated chronic wasting disease systems

Sex-based differences in physiology, behaviour and demography commonly result in differences in disease prevalence. However, sex differences in prevalence may reflect exposure rather than transmission, which could affect disease control programmes. One potential example is chronic wasting disease (CWD), which has been observed at greater prevalence among male than female deer.We used an...
Authors
William J. Rogers, Ellen E. Brandell, Paul C. Cross

Population structure, intergroup interaction, and human contact govern infectious disease impacts in mountain gorilla populations Population structure, intergroup interaction, and human contact govern infectious disease impacts in mountain gorilla populations

Infectious zoonotic diseases are a threat to wildlife conservation and global health. They are especially a concern for wild apes, which are vulnerable to many human infectious diseases. As ecotourism, deforestation, and great ape field research increase, the threat of human-sourced infections to wild populations becomes more substantial and could result in devastating population...
Authors
Christopher A. Whittier, Felicia B. Nutter, Philip L. F. Johnson, Paul C. Cross, James O. Lloyd-Smith, Barrett D. Slenning, Michael K. Stoskopf

Foreword to the special Issue on ‘The rapidly expanding role of drones as a tool for wildlife research’ Foreword to the special Issue on ‘The rapidly expanding role of drones as a tool for wildlife research’

Drones have emerged as a popular wildlife research tool, but their use for many species and environments remains untested and research is needed on validation of sampling approaches that are optimised for unpiloted aircraft. Here, we present a foreword to a special issue that features studies pushing the taxonomic and innovation boundaries of drone research and thus helps address these...
Authors
Aaron J Wirsing, Aaron N. Johnston, Jeremy J. Kiszka

The role of monitoring and research in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in framing our understanding of the effects of disease on amphibians The role of monitoring and research in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in framing our understanding of the effects of disease on amphibians

Emerging infectious disease threatens amphibian biodiversity worldwide, including in landscapes that are protected from many anthropogenic stressors. We summarized data from studies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), one of the largest and most complete temperate-zone ecosystems on Earth, to assess the current state of knowledge about ranaviruses and the novel amphibian chytrid...
Authors
Erin L. Muths, Blake R. Hossack

Stoneflies in the genus Lednia (Plecoptera: Nemouridae): Sentinels of climate change impacts on mountain stream biodiversity Stoneflies in the genus Lednia (Plecoptera: Nemouridae): Sentinels of climate change impacts on mountain stream biodiversity

Rapid recession of glaciers and snowfields is threatening the habitats of cold-water biodiversity worldwide. In many ice-sourced headwaters of western North America, stoneflies in the genus Lednia (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) are a prominent member of the invertebrate community. With a broad distribution in mountain streams and close ties to declining glacier cover, Lednia has emerged as a...
Authors
Matthew D. Green, Lusha M. Tronstad, J. Joseph Giersch, Alisha A. Shah, Candace E. Fallon, Emilie Blevins, Taylor Kai, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Debra S. Finn, Scott Hotaling

Examination of the interaction between age-specific predation and chronic disease in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Examination of the interaction between age-specific predation and chronic disease in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Predators may create healthier prey populations by selectively removing diseased individuals. Predators typically prefer some ages of prey over others, which may, or may not, align with those prey ages that are most likely to be diseased.The interaction of age-specific infection and predation has not been previously explored and likely has sizable effects on disease dynamics. We...
Authors
Ellen E. Brandell, Paul C. Cross, Douglas W. Smith, William J. Rogers, Nathan L. Galloway, Daniel R. MacNulty, Daniel R. Stahler, John J. Treanor, Peter J. Hudson

Disease and secondary sexual traits: Effects of pneumonia on horn size of bighorn sheep Disease and secondary sexual traits: Effects of pneumonia on horn size of bighorn sheep

Secondary sexual traits (e.g., horns and antlers) have ecological and evolutionary importance and are of management interest for game species. Yet, how these traits respond to emerging threats like infectious disease remains underexplored. Infectious pneumonia threatens bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) populations across North America and we hypothesized it may also reduce horn growth in...
Authors
Alynn Martin, John T. Hogg, Kezia R. Manlove, Tayler N LaSharr, Justin M. Shannon, Douglas E. McWhirter, Hollie Miyasaki, Kevin L. Monteith, Paul C. Cross

Multi-species amphibian monitoring across a protected landscape: Critical reflections on 15 years of wetland monitoring in Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks Multi-species amphibian monitoring across a protected landscape: Critical reflections on 15 years of wetland monitoring in Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks

Widespread amphibian declines were well documented at the end of the 20th century, raising concerns about the need to identify individual and interactive contributors to this global trend. At the same time, there was growing interest in the use of amphibians as ecological indicators. In the United States, wetland and amphibian monitoring programs were launched in some national parks as a...
Authors
Andrew M. Ray, Blake R. Hossack, William R. Gould, Debra A. Patla, Stephen Frank Spear, Robert W. Klaver, Paul E Bartelt, David P. Thoma, Kristin L Legg, Rob Daley, Charles R Peterson, P S Corn
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