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
Riparian buffers provide refugia during secondary forest succession Riparian buffers provide refugia during secondary forest succession
Aim Secondary forests regenerating from human disturbance are increasingly becoming a predominant forest type in many regions, and they play a significant role in forest community dynamics. Understanding the factors that underlie the variation in species responses during secondary succession is important for understanding community assembly and biodiversity monitoring and management...
Authors
Michelle E. Thompson, Brian J. Halstead, Maureen A. Donnelly
Mercury contamination and potential health risks to Arctic seabirds and shorebirds Mercury contamination and potential health risks to Arctic seabirds and shorebirds
Since the last Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) effort to review biological effects of mercury (Hg) on Arctic biota in 2011 and 2018, there has been a considerable number of new Arctic bird studies. This review article provides contemporary Hg exposure and potential health risk for 36 Arctic seabird and shorebird species, representing a larger portion of the Arctic than...
Authors
Olivier Chastel, Jerome Fort, Joshua T. Ackerman, Celine Albert, Frederic Angelier, Niladri Basu, Pierre Blevin, Maud Brault-Favrou, Jan O. Bustnes, Paco Bustamante, Johannis Danielsen, Sebastien Descamps, Rune Dietz, Kjell Einar Erikstad, Igor Eulaers, Alexey Ezhov, Abram B. Fleishman, Geir W. Gabrielsen, Maria Gavrilo, Grant Gilchrist, Olivier Gilg, Sindri Gislason, Elena Golubova, Aurelie Goutte, David Gremillet, Gunnar T. Hallgrimsson, Erpur S Hansen, Sveinn A Hanssen, Scott Hatch, Nicholas P Huffeldt, Dariusz Jakubas, Jon Einar Jonsson, Alexander S Kitaysky, Yann Kolbeinsson, Yuri Krasnov, Robert J. Letcher, Jannie F Linnebjerg, Mark L. Mallory, Flemming R Merkel, Borge Moe, William J Montevecchi, Anders Mosbech, Bergur Olsen, Rachael A Orben, Jennifer F Provencher, Sunna B. Ragnarsdottir, Tone K Reiertsen, Nora A. Rojek, Marc Romano, Jens Sondergaard, Hallvard Strom, Akinori Takahashi, Sabrina Tartu, Thorkell L Thórarinsson, Jean-Baptiste Thiebot, Alexis P Will, Simon Wilson, Katarzyna Wojczulanis-Jakubas, Glenn Yannic
Climate change risks to global forest health: Emergence of unexpected events of elevated tree mortality worldwide Climate change risks to global forest health: Emergence of unexpected events of elevated tree mortality worldwide
Recent observations of elevated tree mortality following climate extremes, like heat and drought, raise concerns about climate change risks to global forest health. We currently lack both sufficient data and understanding to identify whether these observations represent a global trend towards increasing tree mortality. Here, we document events of sudden and unexpected elevated tree...
Authors
Henrik Hartmann, Ana Bastos, Adrian Das, Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert, William M Hammond, Jordi Martínez-Vilalta, Nate G. McDowell, Jennifer S. Powers, Thomas A. M. Pugh, Katinka X. Ruthrof, Craig D. Allen
Assessing small-mammal trapping design using spatially explicit capture recapture (SECR) modeling on long-term monitoring data Assessing small-mammal trapping design using spatially explicit capture recapture (SECR) modeling on long-term monitoring data
Few studies have evaluated the optimal sampling design for tracking small mammal population trends, especially for rare or difficult to detect species. Spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) models present an advancement over non-spatial models by accounting for individual movement when estimating density. The salt marsh harvest mouse (SMHM; Reithrodontomys raviventris) is a federal...
Authors
Chase M. Freeman, Laureen Barthman-Thompson, Robert C. Klinger, Isa Woo, Karen M. Thorne
Using transcriptomics to predict and visualize disease status in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) Using transcriptomics to predict and visualize disease status in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis)
Increasing risk of pathogen spillover coupled with overall declines in wildlife population abundance in the Anthropocene make infectious disease a relevant concern for species conservation worldwide. While emerging molecular tools could improve our diagnostic capabilities and give insight into mechanisms underlying wildlife disease risk, they have rarely been applied in practice. Here...
Authors
Lizabeth Bowen, Kezia R. Manlove, Annette Roug, Shannon C. Waters-Dynes, Nate LaHue, Peregrine Wolff
Migration and transformation of coastal wetlands in response to rising seas Migration and transformation of coastal wetlands in response to rising seas
Coastal wetlands are not only among the world’s most valued ecosystems but also among the most threatened by high greenhouse gas emissions that lead to accelerated sea level rise. There is intense debate regarding the extent to which landward migration of wetlands might compensate for seaward wetland losses. By integrating data from 166 estuaries across the conterminous United States, we...
Authors
Michael Osland, Bogdan Chivoiu, Nicholas Enwright, Karen M. Thorne, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, James Grace, Leah Dale, William Brooks, Nathaniel Herold, John W. Day, Fred H. Sklar, Christopher M. Swarzenski
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Land Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of America
Diverse aging rates in ectothermic tetrapods provide insights for the evolution of aging and longevity Diverse aging rates in ectothermic tetrapods provide insights for the evolution of aging and longevity
Comparative studies of mortality in the wild are necessary to understand the evolution of aging; yet, ectothermic tetrapods are underrepresented in this comparative landscape, despite their suitability for testing evolutionary hypotheses. We present a study of aging rates and longevity across wild tetrapod ectotherms, using data from 107 populations (77 species) of nonavian reptiles and...
Authors
Beth A. Reinke, Hugo Cayuela, Fredric J. Janzen, Jean-François Lemaitre, Jean-Michel Gaillard, A. Michelle Lawing, John B. Iverson, Ditte G Christiansen, Iñigo Martínez-Solano, Gregorio Sánchez-Montes, Jorge S. Gutiérrez, Francis L Rose, Nicola J. Nelson, Susan Keall, Alain J Crivelli, Theodoros Nazirides, Annegret Grimm-Seyfarth, Klaus Henle, Emiliano Mori, Gaetan Guiller, Rebecca Homan, Anthony Olivier, Erin L. Muths, Blake R. Hossack, Xavier Bonnet, David S. Pilliod, Marieke Lettink, Tony Whitaker, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Michael G. Gardner, Marc Cheylan, Francoise Poitevin, Ana Golubovic, Ljiljana Tomovic, Dragan Arsovski, Richard A Griffiths, Jan W. Arntzen, Jean-Pierre Baron, Jean-Francois Le Galliard, Thomas Tully, Luca Luiselli, Massimo Capula, Lorenzo Rugiero, Rebecca M. McCaffery, Lisa A Eby, Briggs-Gonzalez; Venetia, Frank Mazzotti, David M. Pearson, Brad A. Lambert, David M. Green, Nathalie Jreidini, Claudio Angelini, Graham Pyke, Jean-Marc Thirion, Pierre Joly, Jean-Paul Lena, Tony Tucker, Limpus, Pauline Priol, Aurelien Besnard, Pauline Bernard, Kristin Stanford, Richard S. King, Justin M Garwood, Jaime Bosch, Franco Souza, Jaime Bertoluci, Shirley Famelli, Kurt Grossenbacher, Omar Lenzi, Kathleen Matthews, Sylvain Boitaud, Deanna H. Olson, Tim Jessop, Graeme Gillspie, Jean Clobert, Murielle Richard, Andrés Valenzuela-Sánchez, Gary M. Fellers, Patrick M. Kleeman, Brian J. Halstead, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Phillip G Byrne, Thierry Fretey, Gernard Le Garff, Pauline Levionnois, John C. Maerz, Julian Pichenot, Kurtulus Olgun, Nazan Uzum, Aziz Avci, Claude Miaud, Johan Elmberg, Gregory P Brown, Richard Shine, Nathan F Bendik, Lisa O’Donnell, Courtney L. Davis, Michael J Lannoo, Rochelle M Stiles, Robert M Cox, Aaron M Reedy, Daniel A. Warner, Eric Bonnaire, Kristine Grayson, Roberto Ramos-Targarona, Eyup Baskale, David J. Munoz, John Measey, F. Andre de Villiers, Will Selman, Victor Ronget, Anne M. Bronikowski, David A W Miller
Reference values and comparison of blood chemistry and plasma protein values between gold standard analyzers and four point-of-care devices in free-ranging canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) Reference values and comparison of blood chemistry and plasma protein values between gold standard analyzers and four point-of-care devices in free-ranging canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria)
Accurate, timely, and cost-effective blood chemistry analysis is an essential tool for directing emergency treatment, monitoring the health status of captive and free-ranging individuals and flocks, and improving the efficacy of conservation actions. Blood samples were obtained from 52 canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) that were captured on San Francisco Bay, California, during December...
Authors
Nancy L. Anderson, Susan E.W. De La Cruz, Maris Brenn-White, Greg Frankfurter, Michael H. Ziccardi, Beatriz Martinez-Lopez
Computed tomography for measuring body fat reserves in threatened Mohave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) Computed tomography for measuring body fat reserves in threatened Mohave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
Noninvasive methods for measuring fat reserves in both captive and free-ranging animals are important for monitoring individual and population health, but chelonian anatomy and physiology present challenges to accurate measurements. Standard field-based methods for assessing body condition in Mojave desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) involve the qualitative body condition score, which...
Authors
M A Walden, Rachel Jania, Matthew E Kinney, Anne Devan-Song, K. Kristina Drake, Todd Esque, Kevin T. Shoemaker
Targeting sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) restoration following wildfire with Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) nest selection and survival models Targeting sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) restoration following wildfire with Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) nest selection and survival models
Unprecedented conservation efforts for sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems across the western United States have been catalyzed by risks from escalated wildfire activity that reduces habitat for sagebrush-obligate species such as Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). However, post-fire restoration is challenged by spatial variation in ecosystem processes influencing...
Authors
Cali L. Roth, Shawn T. O’Neil, Peter S. Coates, Mark A. Ricca, David A. Pyke, Cameron L. Aldridge, Julie A. Heinrichs, Shawn P. Espinosa, David J. Delehanty
Subspecies differentiation and range-wide genetic structure are driven by climate in the California gnatcatcher, a flagship species for coastal sage scrub conservation Subspecies differentiation and range-wide genetic structure are driven by climate in the California gnatcatcher, a flagship species for coastal sage scrub conservation
Understanding genetic structure and diversity within species can uncover associations with environmental and geographic attributes that highlight adaptive potential and inform conservation and management. The California gnatcatcher, Polioptila californica, is a small songbird found in desert and coastal scrub habitats from the southern end of Baja California Sur to Ventura County...
Authors
Amy G. Vandergast, Barbara E. Kus, Dustin A. Wood, Elizabeth R. Milano, Kristine L. Preston
Interpreting long-distance movements of non-migratory golden eagles: Prospecting and nomadism? Interpreting long-distance movements of non-migratory golden eagles: Prospecting and nomadism?
Movements by animals can serve different functions and occur over a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Routine movement types, such as residency (localized movements) and migration, have been well studied. However, nonroutine movement types, such as dispersal, prospecting, and nomadism, are less well understood. Documenting these rarely detected events requires tracking large...
Authors
Sharon A. Poessel, Brian Woodbridge, Brian W. Smith, Robert K. Murphy, Bryan E Bedrosian, Douglas A. Bell, David Bittner, Peter H. Bloom, Ross H. Crandall, Robert Domenech, Robert N. Fisher, Patricia Haggerty, Steven J. Slater, Jeff A. Tracey, James W. Watson, Todd E. Katzner