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
Effects of brine contamination from energy development on wetland macroinvertebrate community structure in the Prairie Pothole Region Effects of brine contamination from energy development on wetland macroinvertebrate community structure in the Prairie Pothole Region
Wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America support macroinvertebrate communities that are integral to local food webs and important to breeding waterfowl. Macroinvertebrates in PPR wetlands are primarily generalists and well adapted to within and among year changes in water permanence and salinity. The Williston Basin, a major source of U.S. energy production...
Authors
Todd M. Preston, Michael J. Borgreen, Andrew M. Ray
Atmospheric and surface climate associated with 1986–2013 wildfires in North America Atmospheric and surface climate associated with 1986–2013 wildfires in North America
We analyze climate simulations conducted with the RegCM3 regional climate model on 50‐ and 15‐km model grids to diagnose the dependence of wildfire incidence and area burned variations on monthly climate long‐term means and anomalies over North America for the period 1986–2013. We created a new wildfire database by merging the Fire Program Analysis Fire‐Occurrence Database, the National
Authors
Steven W. Hostetler, Patrick J. Bartlein, Jay R. Alder
Genetic structure in Elk persists after translocation Genetic structure in Elk persists after translocation
Elk (Cervus canadensis) translocation success is thought to be facilitated by high post‐release herd cohesion and limited movements; both should ensure genetic mixing following release. Such mixing is important to reduce potential effects of inbreeding or genetic drift, which can be especially important in small founding populations. We had a natural experiment where we could evaluate...
Authors
Lisa I Muller, Jennifer L. Murrow, Jason L. Lupardus, Joseph D. Clark, Joseph G. Yarkovich, William H. Stiver, E. Kim Delozier, Brittany L. Slabach, John L. Cox, Bradley F. Miller
Status of the threatened Chiricahua Leopard Frog and conservation challenges in Sonora, Mexico, with notes on other ranid frogs and non-native predators Status of the threatened Chiricahua Leopard Frog and conservation challenges in Sonora, Mexico, with notes on other ranid frogs and non-native predators
In North America, ranid frogs (Ranidae) have experienced larger declines than any other amphibian family, particularly species native to the southwestern USA and adjacent Mexico; however, our knowledge of their conservation status and threats is limited in Mexico. We assessed the status of the federally listed as threatened (USA) Chiricahua Leopard Frog (Lithobates chiricahuensis) in...
Authors
James C. Rorabaugh, Blake R. Hossack, Erin L. Muths, Brent H. Sigafus, Julio A. Lemos-Espinal
Proactive Rainbow Trout suppression reduces threat of hybridization in the Upper Snake River Basin Proactive Rainbow Trout suppression reduces threat of hybridization in the Upper Snake River Basin
Preserving remaining nonhybridized populations Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii is a conservation priority often requiring management action. Although proactive programs for Rainbow Trout O. mykiss and hybrid suppression offer a flexible tool, particularly in large interconnected river basins, this management approach is used less frequently than alternatives such as barriers and...
Authors
Ryan Kovach, Robert Al-Chokhachy, Tracy Stephens
Toward a social-ecological theory of forest macrosystems for improved ecosystem management Toward a social-ecological theory of forest macrosystems for improved ecosystem management
The implications of cumulative land-use decisions and shifting climate on forests, require us to integrate our understanding of ecosystems, markets, policy, and resource management into a social-ecological system. Humans play a central role in macrosystem dynamics, which complicates ecological theories that do not explicitly include human interactions. These dynamics also impact...
Authors
William J. Kleindl, Paul C. Stoy, Michael W. Binford, Ankur R. Desai, Mike Dietze, Courtney A. Schultz, Gregory Starr, Christina Staudhammer, David J. A. Wood
Carnivore hotspots in Peninsular Malaysia and their landscape attributes Carnivore hotspots in Peninsular Malaysia and their landscape attributes
Mammalian carnivores play a vital role in ecosystem functioning. However, they are prone to extinction because of low population densities and growth rates, and high levels of persecution or exploitation. In tropical biodiversity hotspots such as Peninsular Malaysia, rapid conversion of natural habitats threatens the persistence of this vulnerable group of animals. Here, we carried out...
Authors
Shyamala Ratnayeke, Frank T. van Manen, Gopalasamy Reuben Clements, Noor Azleen Mohd Kulaimi, Stuart P. Sharp
Size‐assortative choice and mate availability influences hybridization between red wolves (Canis rufus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) Size‐assortative choice and mate availability influences hybridization between red wolves (Canis rufus) and coyotes (Canis latrans)
Anthropogenic hybridization of historically isolated taxa has become a primary conservation challenge for many imperiled species. Indeed, hybridization between red wolves (Canis rufus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) poses a significant challenge to red wolf recovery. We considered seven hypotheses to assess factors influencing hybridization between red wolves and coyotes via pair‐bonding...
Authors
Joseph W. Hinton, John L. Gittleman, Frank T. van Manen, Michael J. Chamberlain
Spatiotemporal heterogeneity in prey abundance and vulnerability shapes the foraging tactics of an omnivore Spatiotemporal heterogeneity in prey abundance and vulnerability shapes the foraging tactics of an omnivore
Prey abundance and prey vulnerability vary across space and time, but we know little about how they mediate predator–prey interactions and predator foraging tactics. To evaluate the interplay between prey abundance, prey vulnerability and predator space use, we examined patterns of black bear (Ursus americanus) predation of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) neonates in Newfoundland, Canada...
Authors
Nathaniel D. Rayl, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, John F. Organ, Matthew Mumma, Shane P. Mahoney, Colleen Soulliere, Keith Lewis, Robert Otto, Dennis Murray, Lisette Waits, Todd Fuller
Long-term population dynamics and conservation risk of migratory bull trout in the upper Columbia River basin Long-term population dynamics and conservation risk of migratory bull trout in the upper Columbia River basin
We used redd count data from 88 bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) populations in the upper Columbia River basin to quantify local and regional patterns in population dynamics, including adult abundance, long-term trend, and population synchrony. We further used this information to assess conservation risk of metapopulations using eight population dynamic metrics associated with...
Authors
Ryan Kovach, Jonathan Armstrong, David Schmetterling, Robert Al-Chokhachy, Clint C. Muhlfeld
Migratory hummingbirds make their own rules: The decision to resume migration along a barrier Migratory hummingbirds make their own rules: The decision to resume migration along a barrier
Knowing how naïve migrants respond to intrinsic and extrinsic factors experienced en route will allow a more thorough understanding of the endogenous migratory programme. To understand how inexperienced individuals respond to ecological features, we tracked the migratory departures of juvenile ruby-throated hummingbirds, Archilochus colubris, one of the smallest (∼ 3 g) and least-studied...
Authors
Theodore J. Zenzal, Frank R. Moore, Robert H. Diehl, Michael B. Ward, JIll Deppe
Winter feeding of elk in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and its effects on disease dynamics Winter feeding of elk in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and its effects on disease dynamics
Providing food to wildlife during periods when natural food is limited results in aggregations that may facilitate disease transmission. This is exemplified in western Wyoming where institutional feeding over the past century has aimed to mitigate wildlife–livestock conflict and minimize winter mortality of elk (Cervus canadensis). Here we review research across 23 winter feedgrounds...
Authors
Gavin G. Cotterill, Paul C. Cross, Eric K. Cole, Rebecca K. Fuda, Jared D. Rogerson, Brandon Scurlock, Johan T. du Toit