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
Change in dominance determines herbivore effects on plant biodiversity Change in dominance determines herbivore effects on plant biodiversity
Herbivores alter plant biodiversity (species richness) in many of the world’s ecosystems, but the magnitude and the direction of herbivore effects on biodiversity vary widely within and among ecosystems. One current theory predicts that herbivores enhance plant biodiversity at high productivity but have the opposite effect at low productivity. Yet, empirical support for the importance of...
Authors
Sally E. Koerner, Melinda D. Smith, Deron E. Burkepile, Niall P. Hanan, Meghan L. Avolio, Scott L. Collins, Alan K. Knapp, Nathan P. Lemoine, Elisabeth J. Forrestel, Stephanie Eby, Dave I. Thompson, Gerardo A. Aguado-Santacruz, John P. Anderson, T. Michael Anderson, Ayana Angassa, Sumanta Bagchi, Elisabeth S. Bakker, Gary Bastin, Lauren E. Baur, Karen H. Beard, Erik A. Beever, Patrick J. Bohlen, Elizabeth H. Boughton, Don Canestro, Ariela Cesa, Enrique Chaneton, Jimin Cheng, Carla M. D’Antonio, Claire Deleglise, Fadiala Dembele, Josh Dorrough, David J. Eldridge, Barbara Fernandez-Going, Silvia Fernandez-Lugo, Lauchlan H. Fraser, Bill Freedman, Gonzalo Garcia-Salgado, Jacob R. Goheen, Liang Guo, Sean Husheer, Moussa Karembe, Johannes M. H. Knops, Tineke Kraaij, Andrew Kulmatiski, Minna-Maarit Kytoviita, Felipe Lezama, Gregory Loucougaray, Alejandro Loydi, Daniel G. Milchunas, Suzanne J. Milton, John W. Morgan, Claire Moxham, Kyle C. Nehring, Han Olff, Todd M. Palmer, Salvador Rebollo, Corinna Riginos, Anita C. Risch, Marta Rueda, Mahesh Sankaran, Takehiro Sasaki, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Nick L. Schultz, Martin Schutz, Angelika Schwabe, Frances Siebert, Christian Smit, Karen A. Stahlheber, Christian Storm, Dustin J. Strong, Jishuai Su, Yadugiri V. Tiruvaimozhi, Claudia Tyler, James Val, Martijn L. Vandegehuchte, Kari E. Veblen, Lance Vermeire, David Ward, Jianshuang Wu, Truman P. Young, Qiang Yu, Tamara J. Zelikova
Estimating the risk of elk-to-livestock brucellosis transmission in Montana Estimating the risk of elk-to-livestock brucellosis transmission in Montana
Wildlife reservoirs of infectious disease are a major source of human-wildlife conflict because of the risk of potential spillover associated with commingling of wildlife and livestock. In Montana, the presence of brucellosis (Brucella abortus) in free-ranging elk (Cervus canadensis) populations is of significant management concern because of the risk of disease transmission from elk to...
Authors
Nathaniel D. Rayl, Kelly Proffitt, Emily S. Almberg, Jennifer D. Jones, Jerod Merkle, Justin A. Gude, Paul C. Cross
Hidden cost of disease in a free‐ranging ungulate: brucellosis reduces mid‐winter pregnancy in elk Hidden cost of disease in a free‐ranging ungulate: brucellosis reduces mid‐winter pregnancy in elk
Demonstrating disease impacts on the vital rates of free‐ranging mammalian hosts typically requires intensive, long‐term study. Evidence for chronic pathogens affecting reproduction but not survival is rare, but has the potential for wide‐ranging effects. Accurately quantifying disease‐associated reductions in fecundity is important for advancing theory, generating accurate predictive...
Authors
Gavin G. Cotterill, Paul C. Cross, Arthur D. Middleton, Jared D. Rogerson, Brandon Scurlock, Johan T. Du Toit
Effects of climate-related stream factors on patterns of individual summer growth of Cutthroat Trout Effects of climate-related stream factors on patterns of individual summer growth of Cutthroat Trout
Coldwater fishes are sensitive to abiotic and biotic stream factors, which can be influenced by climate. Distributions of inland salmonids in North America have declined significantly, with many of the current strongholds located in small headwater systems that may serve as important refugia as climate change progresses. We investigated the effects of discharge, stream temperature, trout...
Authors
Patrick Uthe, Robert K. Al-Chokhachy, Bradley Shepard, Alexander V. Zale, Jeffrey L. Kershner
Estimating apparent survival of songbirds crossing the Gulf of Mexico during autumn migration Estimating apparent survival of songbirds crossing the Gulf of Mexico during autumn migration
Many migratory bird species are declining, and the migratory period may limit populations because of the risk in traversing large geographical features during passage. Using automated radio-telemetry, we tracked 139 Swainson's thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) departing coastal Alabama, USA and crossing the Gulf of Mexico to arrive in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico during autumn. We estimated...
Authors
Michael P. Ward, Thomas J. Benson, JIll Deppe, Theodore J. Zenzal, Robert H. Diehl, Antonio Celis-Murillo, Rachel T Bolus, Frank R. Moore
Forecasting for dry and wet avalanches during mixed rain and snow storm events Forecasting for dry and wet avalanches during mixed rain and snow storm events
Natural wet slab avalanches release when rain or melt water decreases snowpack strength, and natural dry slab avalanches release when an increased load overcomes snowpack strength. This study investigates avalanche activity resulting from mixed rain and snow falling on a faceted snowpack. This scenario produced an extensive slab avalanche cycle in March 2018 in the mountains near Ketchum...
Authors
Scott Savage, Erich Peitzsch, Simon Trautman, Benjamin VandenBos
Detecting snow depth change in avalanche path starting zones using uninhabited aerial systems and structure from motion photogrammetry Detecting snow depth change in avalanche path starting zones using uninhabited aerial systems and structure from motion photogrammetry
Understanding snow depth distribution and change is useful for avalanche forecasting and mitigation, runoff forecasting, and infrastructure planning. Advances in remote sensing are improving the ability to collect snow depth measurements. The development of structure from motion (SfM), a photogrammetry technique, combined with the use of uninhabited aerial systems (UASs) allows for high...
Authors
Erich H. Peitzsch, Daniel B. Fagre, Jordy Hendrikx, Karl W. Birkeland
Changing station coverage impacts temperature trends in the Upper Colorado River Basin Changing station coverage impacts temperature trends in the Upper Colorado River Basin
Over the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB), temperatures in widely used gridded data products do not warm as much as mean temperatures from a stable set of U.S. Historical Climatology Network (USHCN) stations, located at generally lower elevations, in most months of the year. This is contrary to expectations of elevation-dependent warming, which suggests that warming increases with...
Authors
Stephanie A. McAfee, Gregory J. McCabe, Stephen Gray, Gregory T. Pederson
Identifying management-relevant research priorities for responding to disease-associated amphibian declines Identifying management-relevant research priorities for responding to disease-associated amphibian declines
A research priority can be defined as a knowledge gap that, if resolved, identifies the optimal course of conservation action. We (a group of geographically distributed and multidisciplinary research scientists) used tools from nominal group theory and decision analysis to collaboratively identify and prioritize information needs within the context of disease-associated amphibian decline...
Authors
Evan H. Campbell Grant, M. J. Adams, Robert N. Fisher, Daniel A. Grear, Brian J. Halstead, Blake R. Hossack, Erin L. Muths, Katherine L. D. Richgels, Robin E. Russell, Kelly L. Smalling, J. Hardin Waddle, Susan C. Walls, C. LeAnn White
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Conservation challenges emerging from free-roaming horse management: a vexing social-ecological mismatch Conservation challenges emerging from free-roaming horse management: a vexing social-ecological mismatch
Horses have been associated with human societies for millennia, and for many have come to symbolize wildness, power, resilience, and freedom. Although equids were extirpated from North America 10 000-12 000 years ago, descendants of domestic horses now roam freely in the USA and 17 other countries across six continents. In landscape-scale and experimental investigations, free-roaming...
Authors
Erik A. Beever, Lynn Huntsinger, Steven L. Petersen
Effects of persistent energy-related brine contamination on amphibian abundance in national wildlife refuge wetlands Effects of persistent energy-related brine contamination on amphibian abundance in national wildlife refuge wetlands
To inform sustainable energy development, it is important to understand the ecological effects of historical and current production practices and the persistence of those effects. The Williston Basin is one of North America's largest oil production areas and overlaps the Prairie Pothole Region, an area densely populated with wetlands that provide important wildlife habitat. Although...
Authors
Blake R. Hossack, Kelly L. Smalling, Chauncey W. Anderson, Todd M. Preston, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, R. Ken Honeycutt
History and dynamics of the Greater Yellowstone Glacial System during the last two glaciations History and dynamics of the Greater Yellowstone Glacial System during the last two glaciations
The Greater Yellowstone Glacial System (GYGS) covered about 20,000 km2 at its maximum Pleistocene extent. The initiation, culmination, and ultimate decay of the GYGS involved complex interactions between several coalescent ice masses flowing from glacial source areas adjoining and including the Yellowstone Plateau. Here, we present an updated review of the history and dynamics of the...
Authors
Joseph M. Licciardi, Kenneth L. Pierce