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: 1300
Impacts of lake elevation decline on spawning habitat of a critical, native forage species Impacts of lake elevation decline on spawning habitat of a critical, native forage species
Objective Lake elevation decline is a global phenomenon with pronounced effects in arid regions that changes the characteristics of nearshore habitat area available to lacustrine spawners, potentially impacting recruitment and whole-lake food web dynamics. Our objective was to understand the potential effects of lake elevation decline on spawning habitat for the Tui Chub Siphateles...
Authors
Sarah Barnes, Robert Al-Chokhachy, Phaedra Budy
Assessing diet and genotyping success of goat pellet surveys from 2019 in Glacier National Park Assessing diet and genotyping success of goat pellet surveys from 2019 in Glacier National Park
Fecal pellets contain genetic information and can be used to identify individuals, their diet, and more. Individual identification can be useful in understanding movements of individuals, developing population estimates, assessing vital rates, genetic diversity and structure, and evaluating trends over time (e.g., Epps et al 2024). Successful genotyping depends on the quality of the...
Authors
Salix Scoresby, Lindsay M Dose, Jami Belt, Tabitha A. Graves
Decision analysis in support of the National Elk Refuge bison and elk management plan Decision analysis in support of the National Elk Refuge bison and elk management plan
Preface This report was developed to evaluate the performance of a set of proposed alternatives for Cervus elaphus canadensis (elk) and Bison bison (bison) management at the National Elk Refuge (NER) in Wyoming, U.S.A., and to inform a National Environmental Policy Act Environmental Impact Statement focused on developing the next “Bison and Elk Management Plan” (BEMP). The U.S...
Predictions of elk and chronic wasting disease dynamics at the National Elk Refuge in Jackson, Wyoming, and surrounding areas Predictions of elk and chronic wasting disease dynamics at the National Elk Refuge in Jackson, Wyoming, and surrounding areas
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Elk Refuge (NER) in Jackson, Wyoming, supplementally feeds Cervus elaphus canadensis (elk) and Bison bison (American bison) during winter months, but the costs and benefits of this management strategy are being reevaluated considering the potential effects of chronic wasting disease (CWD) on elk. U.S. Geological Survey scientists worked with...
Authors
Paul C. Cross, Jonathan D. Cook, Eric K. Cole
Evaluating elk distribution and conflict under proposed management alternatives at the National Elk Refuge in Jackson, Wyoming Evaluating elk distribution and conflict under proposed management alternatives at the National Elk Refuge in Jackson, Wyoming
We evaluated measurable attributes describing the current and future distribution of Cervus elaphus canadensis (elk) across a region surrounding Jackson, Wyoming, for five feedground management alternatives proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a revision to the 2007 “Bison and Elk Management Plan” of the National Elk Refuge. A resource selection function evaluated measurable
Authors
Gavin G. Cotterill, Paul C. Cross, Eric K. Cole, Jonathan D. Cook, Margaret C. McEachran, Tabitha A. Graves
Turning trash into treasure: Leveraging discarded filters for national-scale aquatic eDNA biomonitoring Turning trash into treasure: Leveraging discarded filters for national-scale aquatic eDNA biomonitoring
Monitoring biodiversity changes over large spatiotemporal scales is critical for effective ecosystem conservation and management. This study investigates the potential of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to enhance national-scale biomonitoring of freshwater diversity by leveraging discarded filters associated with routine water quality sampling from the U.S. Geological Survey's...
Authors
Devin Nicole Jones-Slobodian, Daniel J. Wieferich, Noah Fierer, Joseph Crane, Adam Sepulveda
Decoupling the roles of corticosterone in mediating effects of methylmercury and chytrid fungus on amphibian survival Decoupling the roles of corticosterone in mediating effects of methylmercury and chytrid fungus on amphibian survival
Amphibians have suffered widespread declines caused by many interacting factors whose effects are often difficult to isolate. We used complementary analyses to decouple effects of methylmercury (MeHg) and amphibian chytrid fungus (Bd) on survival of Columbia Spotted Frogs (Rana luteiventris) during a 5-year capture-mark-recapture study. We also evaluated whether effects on apparent...
Authors
Brian J. Tornabene, Morgan P. Kain, Creagh W. Breuner, Collin Eagles-Smith, Lisa A. Eby, Ross K. Hinderer, Kelly Smalling, Blake Hossack
Elk personality and anthropogenic food subsidy: Managing conflict and migration loss Elk personality and anthropogenic food subsidy: Managing conflict and migration loss
The continued decline of long-distance ungulate migrations threatens to decouple important ecological processes that increase biodiversity and wildlife abundance. Past research has focused on preserving migration paths where habitat fragmentation and loss disrupt movement corridors. However, shifting residency-migration trade-offs are the stronger driver of migration loss in some...
Authors
Gavin G. Cotterill, Eric K. Cole, Paul C. Cross, Sarah R. Dewey, Ben L. Wise, Tabitha A. Graves
The influence of human presence and footprint on animal space use in US national parks The influence of human presence and footprint on animal space use in US national parks
Given the importance of protected areas for biodiversity, the growth of visitation to many areas has raised concerns about the effects of humans on wildlife. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to temporary closure of national parks in the United States, offering a pseudonatural experiment to tease apart the effects of permanent infrastructure and transient human presence on animals. We...
Authors
Kaitlyn M. Gaynor, Forest Hayes, Kezia R. Manlove, Nathan L. Galloway, John F. Benson, Michael J. Cherry, Clinton W. Epps, Robert J. Fletcher, John L. Orrock, Justine A. Smith, Christina M. Aiello, Jerrold L. Belant, Joel Berger, Mark Biel, Jill Bright, Joseph K. Bump, Michael Burchett, Carson Butler, Jennifer Carlson, Eric K. Cole, Neal Darby, Erin DeGutis, Sarah Dewey, Pete Figura, Tom Gable, Jeff Gagnon, Danielle M. Glass, Jennifer R. Green, Kerry A. Gunther, Mark Haroldson, Kent Hersey, Brandon Holton, Austin T. Homkes, Sarah R. Hoy, Debra Hughson, Kyle Joly, Ryan Leahy, Caitlin Lee-Roney, Rob Lester, Daniel MacNulty, Michael Magnuson, Daniel J. Martin, Rachel Mazur, Seth A. Moore, Elizabeth K. Orning, Katie Patrick, Rolf O. Peterson, Lynette Potvin, Paige Prentice, Seth P.D. Riley, Mark C. Romanski, Annette Roug, Jeff A. Sikich, Nova Simpson, William B. Sloan, Douglas W. Smith, Mathew Sorum, Scott Sprague, Daniel Stahler, John A. Stephenson, Thomas R. Stephenson, Janice Stroud-Settles, Frank T. van Manen, John A. Vucetich, Kate Wilmot, Steve K. Windels, Tiffany Wolf, Paul C. Cross
Female and male grizzly bears differ in their responses to low-intensity recreation in a protected area Female and male grizzly bears differ in their responses to low-intensity recreation in a protected area
Strategies animals use to navigate human-dominated landscapes frequently mimic anti-predator responses employed by prey species. Understanding how large carnivores respond to outdoor recreation is important for conservation, particularly in protected areas with preservation mandates. Visitation to Yellowstone National Park doubled from 1980 to 2015, increasing the need to examine...
Authors
Elise Loggers, Andrea R. Litt, Mark Haroldson, Kerry A. Gunther, Frank T. van Manen
The diel niche of brown bears: Constraints on adaptive capacity in human-modified landscapes The diel niche of brown bears: Constraints on adaptive capacity in human-modified landscapes
DDiel activity rhythms, representing the behavioral pattern of the sleep–wake cycle, may be adjusted by wildlife in response to changes in environmental conditions. An increase in nocturnality is typically recognized as an adaptive strategy to segregate from humans and mitigate heat stress. Numerous studies have investigated spatial patterns and habitat use of large carnivores in human...
Authors
A. Donatelli, D. Ćirović, Mark A. Haroldson, Đuro Huber, J. Kindberg, I. Kojola, J. Kusak, G. Mastrantonio, A. Ordiz, S. Reljić, L. Santini, Frank T. van Manen, P. Ciucci
Ecosystem-engineered infections: Beaver-modified wetlands are associated with conflicting drivers of amphibian pathogen prevalence Ecosystem-engineered infections: Beaver-modified wetlands are associated with conflicting drivers of amphibian pathogen prevalence
Beavers are ecosystem engineers and keystone species that protect freshwater resources and increase biodiversity. Beaver reintroductions are promoted for amphibian conservation, yet their impact on Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a pathogen linked with amphibian population declines worldwide, remains unclear. We investigated the abiotic and biotic drivers of Bd prevalence in...
Authors
Leah M Fischer, Angela D Luis, Blake Hossack, Taegan A. McMahon, Winsor H Lowe