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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: 3724

Pesticides and amphibian population declines in California, USA Pesticides and amphibian population declines in California, USA

Several species of anuran amphibians have undergone drastic population declines in the western United States over the last 10 to 15 years. In California, the most severe declines are in the Sierra Mountains east of the Central Valley and downwind of the intensely agricultural San Joaquin Valley. In contrast, coastal and more northern populations across from the less agrarian Sacramento...
Authors
Donald W. Sparling, Gary M. Fellers, Laura L. McConnell

Leaf conductance decreased under free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) for three perennials in the Nevada desert Leaf conductance decreased under free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) for three perennials in the Nevada desert

A common response of plants to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration (CO2) is decreased leaf conductance. Consequently, leaf temperature is predicted to increase under elevated CO2. Diurnal patterns of leaf conductance and temperature were measured for three desert perennials, the C3 shrub Larrea tridentata, C3 tussock grass Achnatherum hymenoides and C4 tussock grass Pleuraphis rigida...
Authors
R.S. Nowak, D.N. Jordan, L.A. DeFalco, C. Wilcox, J.S. Coleman, J.R. Seemann, S.D. Smith

Sex differences in territorial behavior exhibited by the spotted hyena (Hyaenidae, Crocuta crocuta) Sex differences in territorial behavior exhibited by the spotted hyena (Hyaenidae, Crocuta crocuta)

Spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) are gregarious carnivores that defend group territories against encroachment by neighboring conspecifics. Here we monitored the behavior of members of one clan of free-ranging spotted hyenas during border patrols, ‘wars’ with neighboring clans, and other interactions with alien intruders, to document differences between the sexes in territorial behavior...
Authors
Erin E. Boydston, Toni Lyn Morelli, Kay E. Holekamp

Mapping wildland fuels for fire management across multiple scales: integrating remote sensing, GIS, and biophysical modeling Mapping wildland fuels for fire management across multiple scales: integrating remote sensing, GIS, and biophysical modeling

Fuel maps are essential for computing spatial fire hazard and risk and simulating fire growth and intensity across a landscape. However, fuel mapping is an extremely difficult and complex process requiring expertise in remotely sensed image classification, fire behavior, fuels modeling, ecology, and geographical information systems (GIS). This paper first presents the challenges of...
Authors
Robert E. Keane, Robert E. Burgan, Jan W. Van Wagtendonk

The Foraging Ecology of Royal and Sandwich Terns in North Carolina, USA The Foraging Ecology of Royal and Sandwich Terns in North Carolina, USA

Population sizes of territorial male red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) were determined with counts of territorial males (area count) and a Petersen-Lincoln Index method for roadsides (roadside estimate). Weather conditions and time of day did not influence either method. Combined roadside estimates had smaller error bounds than the individual transect estimates and were not...
Authors
T.W. McGinnis, S.D. Emslie

History and management of crown-fire ecosystems: A summary and response History and management of crown-fire ecosystems: A summary and response

Some ecosystems, such as yellow pine forests, have had a long history of frequent surface fires, but because of fire suppression policy, fires have been largely excluded from them during the last century (Covington 2000). Unnatural fuel accumulation in these forests has increased the potential for large, catastrophic crown fires, and re-introduction of prescribed fire is one remedy for...
Authors
Jon E. Keeley, C. J. Fotheringham
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