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: 3784
Effects of repeat prescribed burning in dry coniferous forests in national parks of California Effects of repeat prescribed burning in dry coniferous forests in national parks of California
Background
Authors
Phillip J. van Mantgem, Micah C. Wright, Calvin A. Farris, Eamon Engber, Emma J. McClure, Anthony C. Caprio, MaryBeth Keifer
Interacting effects of human presence and landscape modification on birds and mammals Interacting effects of human presence and landscape modification on birds and mammals
Sustainable human–wildlife coexistence requires a mechanistic understanding of the many ways that humans affect animals. However, progress is hampered by the lack of accessible data measuring the dynamic presence of people. Here, we leverage mobile-device data to disentangle how human presence and landscape modification differentially influence the use of geographic and environmental...
Authors
Ruth Y. Oliver, Scott W. Yanco, Diego Ellis-Soto, Brett R. Jesmer, Juliet Cohen, Song Gao, Robert Patchett, Tal Avgar, Keith L. Bildstein, Nicholas W. Bakner, David Barber, Kristin J. Barker, Joseph G. Barnes, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, Jerrold L. Belant, John F. Benson, Joel Bety, Dean E. Beyer, David Bird, Nathaniel R. Bowersock, Andy J. Boyce, Ben S. Carlson, Michael L. Casazza, Michael J. Chamberlain, Michael J. Cherry, Bret A. Collier, Alyson Courtemanch, Sarah C. Davidson, Darren DeBloois, Vickie DeNicola, Christopher R. Desorbo, Robert C. Dowler, Daniel Dupont, L. Mark Elbroch, John E. Elliott, Betsy A. Evans, W. Mark Ford, David Hancock, Molly Hardesty-Moore, Jason E. Hawley, Mackenzie R. Jeffress, Scott Jennings, Matthew J. Kauffman, Roland Kays, Marcella J. Kelly, Bryan M. Kluever, Myles Lamont, Scott LaPoint, Tayler N. Lasharr, Josee Lefebvre, Pierre Legagneux, Matthias-Claudio Loretto, David Lumpkin, Lindsay A. Martinez, John M. Marzluff, Douglas J. McCauley, Fiona McDuie, Tony W. Mong, Kevin L. Monteith, Thomas Mueller, Levi Newediuk, Anna C. Ortega, Federico Ossi, Cory T. Overton, J. Clint Perkins, Tyler R. Petroelje, Laura R. Prugh, Kimberly A. Sager-Fradkin, Michael Seer, Avery L. Shawler, Shannon Skalos, Rachel A. Smiley, Julia Sommerfield, Daniel R. Stahler, John A. Stephenson, Richard D. Stevens, Nathan J. Svoboda, Jean-Francois Therrien, Philippe J. Thomas, Meredith C. VanAcker, Eric Vander Wal, Dan E. Varland, Tana L. Verzuh, Brittany L. Wagler, Nils Warnock, Stephen L. Webb, Christopher K. Williams, Christopher C. Wilmers, David W. Wolfson, Julie K. Young, Christian Rutz, Walter Jetz
Distribution, abundance, breeding activities, and restoration efforts for the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California—2025 Annual Report Distribution, abundance, breeding activities, and restoration efforts for the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California—2025 Annual Report
Authors
Suellen Lynn, Scarlett L. Howell, Barbara E. Kus
Quantifying southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) reactions to a quadcopter drone in central California Quantifying southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) reactions to a quadcopter drone in central California
Drones are useful for wildlife research and management, but they can cause disturbance and harassment to wildlife. Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are candidates for drone-based observation and monitoring but are vulnerable to disturbance. No studies have evaluated drone effects on sea otter behavior, but based on prior disturbance studies, we hypothesized: (1) sea otters would exhibit...
Authors
Colleen Young, Julie L. Yee, Gena Bentall, Michelle M. Staedler, Lilian P. Carswell, Margaret Daly
Natomas basin giant gartersnake annual monitoring report 2024 Natomas basin giant gartersnake annual monitoring report 2024
The giant gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas) is a semi aquatic snake endemic to the Central Valley of California. After losing 95 percent of its historic wetland habitat (Frayer and others, 1989), giant gartersnakes became state and federally listed as a threatened species (California Fish and Game Commission, 1971; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1993, 1999). Continued monitoring of current
Authors
Allison M. Nguyen, Jonathan P. Rose, Anna C. Jordan, Giancarlo R. Napolitano, Daniel Macias, Elliot J. Schoenig, Gabriel A. Reyes, Brian J. Halstead
A comprehensive inventory of communication tower infrastructure across the range of greater and Gunnison sage-grouse A comprehensive inventory of communication tower infrastructure across the range of greater and Gunnison sage-grouse
We compiled and verified a comprehensive inventory dataset of communication tower infrastructure across the range of the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus), two species of conservation concern that are viewed as ecosystem health indicators for the entire sagebrush biome within the United States. Our dataset includes all known...
Authors
Sarah C. Webster, Shawn Szabo, Jacqueline B. Cupples, Shawn T. O’Neil, Jonathan B. Dinkins, Steve Abele, Jennifer M. Hill, John C. Tull, Michael P. Chenaille, Peter S. Coates
A comprehensive inventory of communication tower infrastructure across the range of greater and Gunnison sage-grouse A comprehensive inventory of communication tower infrastructure across the range of greater and Gunnison sage-grouse
We compiled and verified a comprehensive inventory dataset of communication tower infrastructure across the range of the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus), two species of conservation concern that are viewed as ecosystem health indicators for the entire sagebrush biome within the United States. Our dataset includes all known...
Authors
Sarah C. Webster, Shawn Szabo, Jacqueline B. Cupples, Shawn T. O’Neil, Jonathan B. Dinkins, Steve Abele, Jennifer M. Hill, John C. Tull, Michael P. Chenaille, Peter S. Coates
Genetic analysis of Harbison’s Dun Skipper to inform population management and restoration on conserved lands in San Diego County Genetic analysis of Harbison’s Dun Skipper to inform population management and restoration on conserved lands in San Diego County
This report details the development and analysis of single nucleotide polymorphic loci to understand population genetic structure and diversity among local populations of the Harbison’s dun skipper, Euphyes vestris harbisoni, primarily in San Diego County, California, USA. We developed a set of 2984 SNPs. Local populations were clustered into two to three regional genetic clusters...
Authors
Amy G. Vandergast, Dustin Wood, Julia G. Smith, Anna Mitelberg, Daniel Marchalek
Cumulative effects of multiple stressors on marine mammals: Elephant seals as a model system Cumulative effects of multiple stressors on marine mammals: Elephant seals as a model system
Noise exposure is a potential stressor for free-ranging marine mammals and is often studied in the absence of other environmental factors. Here, a multi-investigator, interdisciplinary effort was undertaken to examine the response of elephant seals to multiple stressors. An integrated physiological and ecological approach was taken, including immunology, stress physiology, toxicology...
Authors
Daniel P. Costa, Rachel R. Holser, Garrett T. Shipway, Arina B. Favilla, Birgitte I. McDonald, Daphne M. Shen, Amber R. Diluzio, Sarah H. Peterson, Joshua T. Ackerman, Daniel E. Crocker
Cumulative effects of multiple stressors on marine mammals: Elephant seals as a model system Cumulative effects of multiple stressors on marine mammals: Elephant seals as a model system
Noise exposure is a potential stressor for free-ranging marine mammals and is often studied in the absence of other environmental factors. Here, a multi-investigator, interdisciplinary effort was undertaken to examine the response of elephant seals to multiple stressors. An integrated physiological and ecological approach was taken, including immunology, stress physiology, toxicology...
Authors
Daniel P. Costa, Rachel R. Holser, Garrett T. Shipway, Arina B. Favilla, Birgitte I. McDonald, Daphne M. Shen, Amber R. Diluzio, Sarah H. Peterson, Joshua T. Ackerman, Daniel E. Crocker
Non-native invasive beetle alters structure of a riparian bird community in a biodiversity hotspot Non-native invasive beetle alters structure of a riparian bird community in a biodiversity hotspot
A serious emerging threat to southern California riparian ecosystems is the invasive shot hole borer (Euwallacea spp.; SHB), a non-native beetle that cultivates a pathogenic fungus that kills trees of 66 reproductive host species. We examined the response of the bird community at the Tijuana River, California, to a massive SHB infestation in 2015 using data from a Monitoring Avian...
Authors
Barbara E. Kus, Julie L. Yee, Shannon M. Mendia
A chromosome-level genome assembly of a vernal pool specialist amphibian, the Western Spadefoot, Spea hammondii A chromosome-level genome assembly of a vernal pool specialist amphibian, the Western Spadefoot, Spea hammondii
We assembled and annotated a chromosome-level genome for the Western Spadefoot, Spea hammondii (Anura, Scaphiopodidae) representing one of only three amphibians included in the California Conservation Genomics Project (CCGP). Spea hammondii is a vernal pool breeding anuran native to California and northwestern Baja California which has undergone both range contractions and local...
Authors
Ben Thompsky, Eric Beraut, Robert D. Cooper, Merly Escalona, Robert E. Espinoza, Robert N. Fisher, Courtney Miller, Oanh Nguyen, Samuel Sacco, Ruta Sahasrabudhe, William E. Seligmann, Erin Tofflemier, Ian J. Wang, H. Bradley Schaffer