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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: 3743

Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) ecology and management Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) ecology and management

The gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) is a petite member of the family Canidae in the order Carnivora with a long muzzle and pointed ears (Samuel and Nelson 1982). The coat of the gray fox is silver gray across the back with significant amounts of rufus along the sides. This characteristic is often confused by people who see the flash of red and assume that the fox is a red fox (Vulpes...
Authors
Judd A. Howell

Bobcat (Felis rufus) ecology and management Bobcat (Felis rufus) ecology and management

The bobcat (Felis rufus) is a medium sized predator in the family Felidae found exclusively in North America. Extensive natural history information is available and is summarized in several bibliographies and reviews (Sweeny and Poelker 1977, McCord and Cardoza 1982, Boddicker 1983, Anderson 1987, Rolley 1987). The bobcat is a spotted cat with a short white-tipped tail, small dark ear...
Authors
Judd A. Howell

Convergent seed germination in South African fynbos and Californian chaparral Convergent seed germination in South African fynbos and Californian chaparral

California chaparral and South African fynbos are fire-prone communities dominated by species exhibiting remarkable similarities in germination response. In both regions there are a substantial number of species with germination stimulated chemically by charred wood and smoke. This type of germination behaviour has arisen independently in distantly related families and is interpreted as...
Authors
Jon E. Keeley, W.J. Bond

Estimating age of sea otters with cementum layers in the first premolar Estimating age of sea otters with cementum layers in the first premolar

We assessed sources of variation in the use of tooth cementum layers to determine age by comparing counts in premolar tooth sections to known ages of 20 sea otters (Enhydra lutris). Three readers examined each sample 3 times, and the 3 readings of each sample were averaged by reader to provide the mean estimated age. The mean (SE) of the known age sample was 5.2 years (1.0) and the 3...
Authors
James L. Bodkin, Jack A. Ames, Ronald J. Jameson, Ancel M. Johnson, Gary M. Matson

Trace gas emissions and smoke-induced germination Trace gas emissions and smoke-induced germination

Dormant seeds of a California chaparral annual were induced to germinate by smoke or vapors emitted from smoke-treated sand or paper. Nitrogen oxides induced 100 percent germination in a manner similar to smoke. Smoke-treated water samples inducing germination were comparable in acidity and concentration of nitrate and nitrite to nitrogen dioxide (NO2)–treated samples. Vapors from smoke...
Authors
Jon E. Keeley, C. J. Fotheringham

Sea otter mortality from the Exxon Valdez spill: Evaluation of an estimate from boat-based surveys Sea otter mortality from the Exxon Valdez spill: Evaluation of an estimate from boat-based surveys

The Exxon Valadez oil spill killed large numbers of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska, where the spill originated, as well as within the oil’s path along the coasts of the Kenai Peninsula and Kodiak Island. Sea otters attracted particular attention after the spill due to their public appeal (Batten 1990) and known vulnerability to oil (Costa and Kooyman...
Authors
David L. Garshelis, James A. Estes

Status of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) in Mexico Status of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) in Mexico

Sea otters in North America historically were distributed from the Near Islands in the western Aleutian Archipelago to about Punta Morro Hermoso on the Pacific coast of Baja California (Kenyon 1969, Rodriguez-Jaramillo and Gendron 1996). During the 18th and 19th centuries they were so common that they formed the basis for a lucrative fur trade (Ogden 1941), but by the early 1900s they...
Authors
Juan-Pablo Gallo-Reynoso, Galen B. Rathbun

Perceptions of species abundance, distribution, and diversity: Lessons from four decades of sampling on a government-managed reserve Perceptions of species abundance, distribution, and diversity: Lessons from four decades of sampling on a government-managed reserve

We examined data relative to species abundance, distribution, and diversity patterns of reptiles and amphibians to determine how perceptions change over time and with level of sampling effort. Location data were compiled on more than one million individual captures or observations of 98 species during a 44-year study period on the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Savannah River Site...
Authors
J. Whitfield Gibbons, Vincent J. Burke, Jefferey E. Lovich, Raymond D. Semlitsch, Tracey D. Tuberville, J. Russell Bodie, Judith L. Greene, Peter H. Niewiarowski, Howard H. Whiteman, David E. Scott, Joseph H. K. Pechmann, Christopher R. Harrison, Stephen H. Bennett, John D. Krenz, Mark S. Mills, Kurt A. Buhlmann, John R. Lee, Richard A. Seigel, Anton D. Tucker, Tony M. Mills, Trip Lamb, Michael E. Dorcas, Justin D. Congdon, Michael H. Smith, David H. Nelson, M. Barbara Dietsch, Hugh G. Hanlin, Jeannine A. Ott, Deno J. Karapatakis
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