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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: 3723

Loss of genetic diversity in sea otters (Enhydra lutris) associated with the fur trade of the 18th and 19th centuries Loss of genetic diversity in sea otters (Enhydra lutris) associated with the fur trade of the 18th and 19th centuries

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris) populations experienced widespread reduction and extirpation due to the fur trade of the 18th and 19th centuries. We examined genetic variation within four microsatellite markers and the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) d-loop in one prefur trade population and compared it to five modern populations to determine potential losses in genetic variation. While mtDNA...
Authors
S. Larson, R. Jameson, M. Etnier, M. Flemings, P. Bentzen

Microsatellite DNA and mitochondrial DNA variation in remnant and translocated sea otter (Enhydra lutris) populations Microsatellite DNA and mitochondrial DNA variation in remnant and translocated sea otter (Enhydra lutris) populations

All existing sea otter (Enhydra lutris) populations have suffered at least 1, and in some cases 2, population bottlenecks. The 1st occurred during the 18th and 19th centuries as a result of commercial hunting that eliminated sea otters from much their native range and reduced surviving populations to small remnants. The 2nd bottleneck occurred when small numbers of otters were...
Authors
Shawn E. Larson, Ronald J. Jameson, James L. Bodkin, Michelle Staedler, Paul Bentzen

Trophic strategies, animal diversity and body size Trophic strategies, animal diversity and body size

A primary difference between predators and parasites is the number of victims that an individual attacks throughout a life-history stage. A key division within natural enemies is whether a successful attack eliminates the fitness of the prey or the host. A third distinctive axis for parasites is whether the host must die to further parasite development. The presence or absence of...
Authors
Kevin D. Lafferty, Armand M. Kuris

Transportation impacts to wildlife on state route 37 in northern San Pablo Bay, California Transportation impacts to wildlife on state route 37 in northern San Pablo Bay, California

State Route 37 bisects conservation lands managed by San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) and Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area (California Department of Fish and Game) in Solano and Sonoma Counties. The 2-lane highway connects Interstates 101 and 80 in northern San Francisco Bay and experiences ~26,000 vehicles per day. Road-killed wildlife between Napa...
Authors
Bryan R. Winton, John Y. Takekawa

Lead distribution throughout soil, flora, and an invertebrate at a wetland skeet range Lead distribution throughout soil, flora, and an invertebrate at a wetland skeet range

Lead pellets from a skeet range impart Pb to the local soil, plants, and animals. Concentrations and distributions of Pb in the various media were studied at the now-abandoned skeet range bordering a cordgrass marsh at the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach in Southern California. The concentrations of Pb in soil (maximum = 16,200 ppm, dry mass) are significantly correlated to the shot...
Authors
Clifford A. Hui

Peak fire temperatures and effects on annual plants in the Mojave Desert Peak fire temperatures and effects on annual plants in the Mojave Desert

Very little is known about the behavior and effects of fire in the Mojave Desert, because fire was historically uncommon. However, fire has become more frequent since the 1970s with increased dominance of the invasive annual grasses Bromus rubens and Schismus spp., and land managers are concerned about its ecological effect. In this paper, I describe patterns of peak fire temperature and...
Authors
Matthew L. Brooks

Kelp forest ecosystems: Biodiversity, stability, resilience and future Kelp forest ecosystems: Biodiversity, stability, resilience and future

Kelp forests are phyletically diverse, structurally complex and highly productive components of coldwater rocky marine coastlines. This paper reviews the conditions in which kelp forests develop globally and where, why and at what rate they become deforested. The ecology and long archaeological history of kelp forests are examined through case studies from southern California, the...
Authors
Robert S. Steneck, Michael H. Graham, Bruce J. Bourque, Debbie Corbett, Jon M. Erlandson, James A. Estes, M. J. Tegner
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