Publications
Below is a list of WERC's peer-reviewed publications. If you are searching for a specific publication and cannot find it in this list, please contact werc_web@usgs.gov
Filter Total Items: 3760
Estimating greater sage-grouse population sizes within Oregon, 2017–24 Estimating greater sage-grouse population sizes within Oregon, 2017–24
We fit a binomial mixture (N-mixture) model to lek (breeding area) count data to estimate annual population sizes of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) within Oregon between 2017 and 2024. Population estimates were delineated among 24 priority areas for conservation, and additional sources of information were considered, including male-to-female sex ratios, lek...
Authors
Brian G. Prochazka, Austin L. Nash, Shawn T. O’Neil, Skyler T. Vold, Peter S. Coates, Adrian P. Monroe, Cameron L. Aldridge
Estimating greater sage-grouse population sizes within the state of Oregon, USA 2017–2024 Estimating greater sage-grouse population sizes within the state of Oregon, USA 2017–2024
We fit an N-mixture model to lek (breeding area) count data to estimate annual population sizes of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) within the state of Oregon, USA between 2017–2024. Population estimates were delineated among 24 Priority Areas for Conservation (PACs) and considered additional sources of information including male-to-female sex ratios, lek...
Authors
Brian G. Prochazka, Peter S. Coates, Austin L. Nash, Shawn T. O’Neil, Skyler T. Vold, Adrian P. Monroe, Cameron L. Aldridge
Effects of rice idling on occupancy dynamics and survival of giant gartersnakes (Thamnophis gigas) in the Sacramento Valley, California, 2016–24 Effects of rice idling on occupancy dynamics and survival of giant gartersnakes (Thamnophis gigas) in the Sacramento Valley, California, 2016–24
The giant gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas) is a semi-aquatic species of snake endemic to marshes and sloughs in the Central Valley of California. Because the Central Valley has lost a substantial amount of wetland habitat, giant gartersnake populations are typically found in aquatic habitats associated with rice (Oryza sativa) agriculture. Therefore, changes to the amount and location of...
Authors
Anna C. Jordan, Jonathan P. Rose, Elliot J. Schoenig, Daniel Macias, Giancarlo R. Napolitano, Gabriel A. Reyes, Brian J. Halstead
Fatal leptospirosis in southern sea otters from Central California: Pathologic findings and detection of Leptospira interrogans Fatal leptospirosis in southern sea otters from Central California: Pathologic findings and detection of Leptospira interrogans
Leptospira interrogans serovar Pomona infections cause periodic outbreaks in California sea lions (CSLs; Zalophus californianus) and sporadic deaths in phocids. However, the frequency of infection and associated health impacts remain uncharacterized in sympatric threatened southern sea otters (SSOs; Enhydra lutris nereis), which serve as important sentinels of coastal health. Given the...
Authors
Margaret E. Martinez, Pádraig J. Duignan, Katherine C. Prager, Cara L. Field, Mary E. Gomes, Rinosh Mani, Lilian P. Carswell, Tim Tinker, Joseph A. Tomoleoni, Michael J. Murray, Ri K. Chang, Lloyd-Smith O. James
Estimating basal area change by tree size with Sentinel-2 imagery following four fires in California, USA Estimating basal area change by tree size with Sentinel-2 imagery following four fires in California, USA
Background Failure to account for tree size when estimating burn severity may not accurately capture post-fire tree mortality and post-fire forest structure. Aims We explored whether basal area mortality by tree size class could be determined from remotely-sensed burn severity indices based solely on Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. Methods We used data collected in four large California...
Authors
Micah C. Wright, Phillip J. van Mantgem, Christopher Y.S. Wong, Derek J.N. Young, Saba J. Saberi, Andrew M. Latimer, Joseph A.E. Stewart, Adrian J. Das, Calvin A. Farris, Emma J. McClure, Lauren N. Youngblood, Hugh D. Safford, Kristen L. Shive
Basal area loss from fire using field-calibrated remote sensing refines western US fire severity measurements Basal area loss from fire using field-calibrated remote sensing refines western US fire severity measurements
The spatial patterns of fire effects and tree mortality have profound consequences for forest resilience. Cost-effective, medium-resolution, and spatiotemporally extensive fire severity measurements are essential for informing post-fire restoration and improving our understanding of wildfires—from forest stands to continents and from days to decades. Remote sensing advancements have...
Authors
Sara Winsemius, Yufang Jin, Hugh D. Safford, Michelle C. Agne, Robert A. Andrus, C. Alina Cansler, Anthony C. Caprio, W. Wallace Covington, Joseph E. Crouse, Calvin A. Farris, Peter Z. Fulé, Brian J. Harvey, Sharon M. Hood, David W. Huffman, Emma J. McClure, Alicia L. Reiner, John P. Roccaforte, Saba J. Saberi, Michael T. Stoddard, Laura Trader, Phillip J. van Mantgem, Micah C. Wright, Michael J. Koontz
Transcriptional changes in wild Yukon River Chinook Salmon associated with Ichthyophonus infections Transcriptional changes in wild Yukon River Chinook Salmon associated with Ichthyophonus infections
Objective We compared differentially expressed genes in Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha with three divergent Ichthyophonus statuses (undetected, subclinical infections, or clinical disease; n = 100) to investigate associated transcriptomic responses. Disease associated with the fish parasite Ichthyophonus sp. was first diagnosed in adult Chinook Salmon from the Yukon River in the...
Authors
Lizabeth Bowen, Vanessa R. von Biela, Jayde A. Ferguson, Shannon C. Waters-Dynes, Amy M. Regish, Michael P. Carey, Zachary Liller, Morag Clinton, Paul Hershberger, Christian E. Zimmerman
Loss and transformation of coastal wetlands due to global change in the conterminous United States: Past, present, and future Loss and transformation of coastal wetlands due to global change in the conterminous United States: Past, present, and future
Coastal wetlands are being transformed by global change, impacting the ecological and societal benefits provided by these ecosystems. Synthesizing knowledge of historical and expected future transformations in coastal wetlands can help inform forward-looking planning and stewardship efforts. Here, we review anticipated future ecological transformations in coastal wetlands of the...
Authors
Michael J. Osland, Bogdan Chivoiu, Kevin J. Buffington, Kristin Byrd, Joel Carr, Judith Z. Drexler, Nicholas Enwright, Neil K. Ganju, James B. Grace, Eric E. Grossman, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Kurt P. Kowalski, Ken W. Krauss, Jessica R. Lacy, Gregory B. Noe, Davina L. Passeri, Stephanie Romanach, Christopher F. Smith, Camille L. Stagg, Karen M. Thorne, Janet R. Keough
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, California Water Science Center, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Great Lakes Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
CrustCheck: A conceptual framework for interpreting biocrust trait–function relationships in drylands CrustCheck: A conceptual framework for interpreting biocrust trait–function relationships in drylands
Introduction Biocrusts are increasingly recognized for their contribution to soil stability, hydrology, nutrient cycling, and energy balance in drylands, yet practical field methods for assessing functional roles are limited. Existing approaches typically rely on cover estimates, taxonomic identification, or laboratory analyses, providing little insight into functional variation among...
Authors
Nicky Parker, Susanne Schmidt, Lea A. Condon, Jaidyn Eastaughffe, Peter S. Coates, Wendy Williams
Recovery trajectories of surface fuels and forest trees following prescribed fire in low elevation conifer forests of California and southern Oregon Recovery trajectories of surface fuels and forest trees following prescribed fire in low elevation conifer forests of California and southern Oregon
Background Prescribed fire is commonly used to manage surface fuels and stand structure in dry coniferous forests in the western United States. While the effectiveness of prescribed fire to manage fuel loads and live forest structure has been well documented, less is known about the shape of recovery trajectories more than a decade following treatment. We used up to 30 years of...
Authors
Micah C. Wright, Phillip J. van Mantgem, Calvin A. Farris, Eamon Engber, Emma J. McClure, Anthony C. Caprio, MaryBeth Keifer
Black abalone surveys at Naval Base Ventura County, San Nicolas Island, California—2023 annual report Black abalone surveys at Naval Base Ventura County, San Nicolas Island, California—2023 annual report
The U.S. Geological Survey monitors a suite of intertidal black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) sites at San Nicolas Island, California, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, which owns the island. The nine rocky intertidal sites were established in 1980 to study the potential effect of translocated sea otters on the intertidal black abalone population at the island. The sites were monitored...
Authors
Michael C. Kenner, Julie L. Yee